Fall Brings a Flurry of Fun Food Fests
The Coachella Valley Filipino Food Festival is returning to Palm Springs, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15. This year’s celebration will be in Downtown Park, next to the statue of Marilyn Monroe. Admission is free and open to the public. The festival includes music, food vendors and dance demonstrations. Learn more at cvfilipinofest.org.
On Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 15 and 16, plan to head to the Palm Springs Stadium Pavilion, at 1901 E. Baristo Road, for the Palm Springs Food and Wine Festival. The celebration of flavor and creativity will include wineries from around the globe, celebrity chefs, cooking demonstrations and a host of local restaurants. Regular admission on Saturday or Sunday is $155, with VIP options and discounts for veterans/members of the military. Learn more at palmspringsfoodandwine.org.
The following Saturday, Nov. 22, from 1 to 5 p.m., head over to the Palm Springs Air Museum for its annual Props and Hops Craft Beer Festival, with more than 40 craft beers to taste, a host of food trucks, live music and vintage planes to admire. General admission tickets are $75; for $15 more, a VIP ticket admits you an hour early. Designated drivers pay just $5. Get your tickets at palmspringsairmuseum.org/props-and-hops-craft-beer-festival.
In Brief
Popular sandwich spot Duke’s Mini Mart, at 69900 Frank Sinatra Drive, in Rancho Mirage, has reopened a year after a fire. Hooray! Learn more at dukesminimart.com.
The Steakhouse at the Agua Caliente Palm Springs, at 401 E. Amado Road, has launched a new Sunday brunch buffet for $46, with chilled seafood, prime rib, ham, a selection of sweet and savory pastries, and a host of sides and steakhouse favorites. This is not to be missed. Find out more at aguacalientecasinos.com/dining/steakhouse.
The restaurant formerly known as Grand Central, located at 160 La Plaza, in Palm Springs, is under new ownership and has changed its name to Hunny’s Restaurant and Bar. The new owner tells me they have significant changes planned, although they are implementing them slowly. The plans include late hours (open until 3 a.m.) on weekends, turning the backroom into a speakeasy, installing a new pizza oven and replacing the very unpopular metal chairs. There was a mix-up in the liquor license transfer, so as of this writing, Hunny’s is offering only non-alcoholic beverages. Find out more at hunnysps.com.
A new European café is opening at 540 S. Indian Canyon Drive, in the space most recently occupied by La Bottega. Vineophile Café is slated to offer small plates, weekly wine tastings and lots of cheese. Owner and sommelier Jen Carter is waiting for the approval of the liquor license, but hopes to open by the end of the year. Until then, she will continue to bring the wine bar to you with wine tastings at your own home or office. Watch vinophilecafe.com and keep your eyes on this column for updates.
A Wingstop has opened at 1717 E. Vista Chino, Suite 14, in Palm Springs. With a host of flavor options for both classic and “boneless” wings, as well as chicken sandwiches, this chain has a devoted following. Check out the full menu at wingstop.com.
Something big is happening at Bar Cecil, at 1555 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite H104, in Palm Springs. Beaton’s at Bar Cecil will be an intimate lounge with inventive cocktails and small plates by chef Gabriel Woo. Guests will be able to sip, dine and linger on the expanded garden patio and in a lovely indoor space. Keep your eyes on this space for details on the menu and opening dates; barcecil.com.
Something is also happening at the former home of Sonny’s Bar and Grill, at 214 E. Arenas Road, in Palm Springs. The space now has paper on the windows and will soon be occupied by a new bar and restaurant. Keep your eyes on this column for updates.
An Indio Food Truck Fridays favorite has opened a brick-and-mortar location. Outside the Masa is now at 43905 Clinton St., in Indio. The website (outsidethemasa.com) hasn’t been updated with much about the restaurant, with the exception of the address, but the food in the pics on Instagram (instagram.com/outsidethemasa) looks delicious.
Ernest Coffee and Bootlegger Tiki are up for sale. These businesses helped revitalize the space at 1101 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, that once housed Don the Beachcomber. When I first moved to the desert from Seattle, Ernest is the coffee shop where I would work and hang out, to feel less homesick. If a sale happens, we’ll have the details here.
Do you have any hot tips or news to share? Reach out: foodnews@cvindependent.com.
Ernest had great coffee but in the last year or two, no matter when I went, they just never, ever seemed to be open. It’s a shame, because that more northern end of Palm Canyon is great and could use more foot traffic and more people there.
SottoVoce has great coffee a few blocks farther north, and friendly staff too!
Sonny’s Bar and Grill was a poor substitute for Bongo Johnny’s. The prices were way too high for what it was. That location needs something along the lines of a diner with more reasonable prices.
I’m not sorry to see Bootlegger go, or at least its ownership. I’m 60+ and they refused to let my party into the bar because I forgot my ID at home. It was completely ridiculous.