Foodies: Check Out Two New Weekly Events, and One Big Annual Festival
Two weekly outdoor food events have started in the Coachella Valley.
The Palm Springs Cultural Center’s Foodie Friday takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. weekly, with food trucks and other small-scale food producers selling their wares. Check out facebook.com/PalmSpringsCulturalCenter for the latest updates and the growing vendor list.
On Tuesdays through April 8, Tastes and Sounds of Cathedral City happens at the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater, at 68526 Avenida Lalo Guerrero, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Each week features a theme, with a local artist performing while a local restaurant or food truck offers dinner. Admission is free, with food available for purchase; check out tastesandsounds.discovercathedralcity.com.
March brings one big annual event: Palm Desert Food and Wine returns Thursday, March 20, through Sunday, March 23, with various tastings, classes, tours and meals. Prices vary depending on the experience. I have been to the Grand Tasting, which is always a hit; palmdesertfoodandwine.com has all the information you need.
Sancho’s Pledges to Stop Buying Liquor From Red States
Sancho’s Palm Springs and its sister restaurant, The Reef Bar, both at the Caliente Tropics Hotel, at 411 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, will now only sell alcohol from states and regions that support our communities and ideals.
Owner Rory Snyder tells me: “We will not be reordering alcohol brands from red states or regions in the future. We will focus mainly on supporting California brands first and then other states that support our interest and way of life.” This means no more Kentucky bourbon in your cocktail.
I applaud this effort; increasingly, I see people looking to support businesses that support their values, and Sancho’s is putting its money where its mouth is. BRAVO! As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Learn more about Sancho’s at www.instagram.com/sanchoscantinaps.
In Brief
Back in December, Churrasco Brazilian Steakhouse, at 450 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, earned an Indy Endorsement. We locals can now eat more affordably there every Sunday through Thursday: For $49.50, enjoy 10 cuts of meat and the market table, all you can eat. Visit churrascobr.com/palm_springs_specials for complete details. … We missed the opening of Red Falcon Lounge, at 46421 Dillon Road, in Coachella, several months ago. It is the only place in the Coachella Valley where you can eat, drink and smoke cannabis. They serve pub food for when you get the munchies, like chicken wings, burgers and salads; you can also get beers and hard seltzers. Learn more at redfalcon.com/lounge. … New in Palm Desert: Wonder, at 74275 Highway 111, offers coffee, all-day breakfasts, salads and a variety of sandwiches. See some pics and get details at www.instagram.com/eat_wonder. … High Moon has opened in the former Minerva’s space in the Royal Sun Hotel, at 1700 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs; if you haven’t heard of the Royal Sun, it was briefly the Life House Hotel, and before that, it was the Royal Sun Inn. With a robust breakfast program, poolside snacks all day and dinner offerings, High Moon is worth checking out; royalsunps.com/high-moon. … Sottovoce Café is now open inside the Shops at 1345, at 1345 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs; it’s the second location for the Italian-style coffee and wine bar that first opened on El Paseo. The menu includes panini, pastries, gelato and more; www.sottovocecafe.com. … Some updates: Nearly two years ago, we noted that chef Gabriel Woo, of Bar Cecil fame, was taking over the restaurant space at the Palm Springs Art Museum. It has been a long time coming, but Livs is finally open and ready to serve you; livspalmsprings.com and www.instagram.com/livspalmsprings. … Talay Thai has reopened at 73030 El Paseo, No. 102, in Palm Desert. This is one of my favorite Thai places in the valley, so I am happy to see them reopen; the website is still talaythairanchomirage.com. … Kalura Trattoria, at 124 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, has settled its eminent domain dispute with the city of Palm Springs. The restaurant will receive $500,000 and help relocating their outdoor patio from the city. … We mentioned that the owner of what had been Impala was transitioning the space into an Irish pub. At the time, he was using the name 333 Clover; but what is now called Mickey’s Irish Sports Bar and Grill seems to be open at 333 S .Palm Canyon Drive. We could not find a website or social media presence as of this writing. … Finally, the only consistent thing at the Palm Springs Surf Club, at 1500 S. Gene Autry Trail, in Palm Springs, is change. Recently branded as Navigator, the restaurant at the Palm Springs Surf Club is now called the Restaurant at the Palm Springs Surf Club. In November, chef Michael Hung reopened the restaurant with a new menu and much fanfare. He’s gone—as is his replacement, I’ve heard, and yet another new chef is running the kitchen. When I called the restaurant to confirm, I was told they could not speak to those rumors. Good luck to everyone involved; palmspringssurfclub.com/the-restaurant.
Do you have a hot tip or news to share, reach out: foodnews@cvindependent.com.
Have been to Wonder – very good quality baked goods and drinks! Nice service. But super uncomfortable seating (unless you score a bench seat).
Was just at the Palm Springs Sottovoce location Sunday and enjoyed that too. Might be the best espresso in the valley!