What: Green chile chicken tacos
Where: The Pink Cabana at the Sands Hotel and Spa, 44985 Province Way, Indian Wells
How much: $18
Contact: 760-321-3771; sandshotelandspa.com/dining-bar
Why: They’re tasty—and the décor is amazing.
If you’re like me, you select different restaurants depending on the experience you want. Sometimes, you want cheap; other times, you want amazing food, and are happy to pay extra for it. For some meals, especially with friends, the décor and the vibe are key; for others, it’s all about the food, and the décor doesn’t matter.
The Pink Cabana at the Sands Hotel Spa is definitely a restaurant where the décor and the vibe are part of the consideration. In fact, I don’t know if there’s a more meticulously designed restaurant anywhere else in the Coachella Valley. The décor was created by famed interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, and it’s beautiful, from the pink ceiling to the green and white (sort-of) checkerboard tile floors. There’s also some outdoor seating, not too far from the resort’s lovely pool.
That said, the Pink Cabana is about more than just the look; friends have told me repeatedly the food (“Mediterranean cuisine with a Moroccan influence,” according to the website) and drink are wonderful as well—and that proved to be the case during my recent lunch visit.
My colleague Matt had the Moroccan club ($21)—it has the usual club sandwich ingredients, but they’re elevated a bit. I had the green chile tacos ($18), with shredded chicken-thigh meat, pickled cabbage, cotija, greens and crushed avocado. The chicken was juicy and seasoned perfectly; every bite was enjoyable.
Yes, that’s $6 per smallish taco, which is a lot. Whether you’re enjoying breakfast, lunch, dinner or simply cocktails at the Pink Cabana, you’re paying a premium for the vibe—and I enjoyed every minute of my meal on a gorgeous winter day at the Sands Hotel and Spa.
