At Arrive: Cartel Coffee Is Coming, and Wexler’s Deli Is Open
Cartel Coffee Lab—an Arizona-born coffee shop that prides itself on the quality of its coffee beans sourced worldwide—will open its first location outside of the Grand Canyon State on Friday, Nov. 9, at the Arrive Palm Springs, located at 1551 N. Palm Canyon Drive.
To celebrate the opening, customers will receive a free drip coffee from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 9.
Cartel Coffee will take the place of Customs Coffee. “Employees of Customs will undergo a week-long boot camp at Cartel’s home base in Arizona before returning as Cartel baristas,” according to a news release.
What makes Cartel so special? Let’s go back to that news release: “Cartel focuses on working with passionate farmers that produce the best-tasting single-origin beans instead of offering a blinding selection of sugar-laced syrups. This is evidenced in their emphasis on light-roasting which allows for the natural qualities of the coffee to speak on their own. … ‘Instead of covering up defects and inconsistencies in poor quality coffee with darker roasting, we simply don’t buy those coffees,’ said buyer and brand director Paul Haworth.”
In related news: The Wexler’s Deli at Arrive, which replaced Reservoir restaurant, opened as planned in October. So far, we’ve been hearing good things.
For more information, visit arrivehotels.com/palmsprings.
Good Grapes Wine Weekend Comes to the Ace
If you’re a fan of yummy wine, make sure you’re free to head to the Ace Hotel and Swim Club, 701 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1 and 2.
That’s the time and place for “Good Grapes,” a two-pronged event featuring both the first Palm Springs Wine Festival, and the latest popular Wine Not? event.
Wine Not? will take place poolside from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Hosted by Evan Enderle and Bon Appetit wine editor Marissa A. Ross, “The event will feature a selection of handpicked bottles from some of their favorite natural wine producers served from the Little Bus at the Swim Club Pool, paired with poolside tunes from the talented dublab crew,” according to a news release. The event is free for anyone of imbibing age.
Then comes the Palm Springs Wine Festival, taking place in the Commune on Sunday from noon to 5. It’s the brainchild of Christine Soto, a friend and former Independent contributor who’s the owner of Dead or Alive wine bar. California wine will be the star of the show—specifically, wines by forward-thinking Californians.
“We’re highlighting movers and shakers of the ‘California style’ who are preserving varietals from far-flung locations like the Sierra Foothills and Mendocino, and taking a lighter touch in the cellar,” said Soto in that news release.
Those participating winemakers include Broc Cellars, Scholium Project, Scribe Winery, Methode Sauvage, Red Car Wine, Halcyon Wines, Ruth Lewandowski and Whitcraft Winery.
Tickets cost $65 to $85—the earlier you get ’em, the cheaper they are—and include unlimited wine tastings, bites of food and entertainment.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call 760-325-9900, or visit www.acehotel.com/goodgrapes.
One Day, Two Beer Festivals
Saturday, Nov. 17, will be a completely bonkers day for beer-lovers in the Coachella Valley.
First: The seventh annual Props and Hops craft beer fest will run from 1 to 5 p.m., at the Palm Springs Air Museum, at 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, in Palm Springs. About two-dozen craft-beer vendors will be on hand, as will food vendors (including In-n-Out Burger!) and fantastic entertainment. Admission starts at $40 in advance and includes eight tastings and souvenir glassware. For $75, you can get in an hour early, enjoy rare keg tastings and get a dozen tastings. Rides in vintage planes are also available for a fee. Cool! For tickets or more information, call 760-778-6262, or visit pspropshops.com.
Then the party moves down valley for an entirely different beer festival: Brew in LQ takes place at the La Quinta Civic Center Campus, at 78495 Calle Tampico, from 5 to 9 p.m. You’ll find food, games, entertainment and, of course, beer from at least a dozen vendors; admission starts at $30 in advance, and includes a souvenir tasting cup, three wine-tastings and 10 beer-tastings. Be smart and bring a designated driver, and he or she gets in for just $10 (with two free nonalcoholic beverages). For tickets or more information, call 760-777-7000, or visit www.playinlaquinta.com/brew.
In Brief
It’s been a tough couple of weeks at the Westfield Palm Desert, located at 72840 Highway 111: Bobby Mao’s Chinese Kitchen and Bar and O’s American Kitchen have closed. … Coming soon to 67778 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Cathedral City: Yianni’s Taverna and Wine Bar. … A new LGBT dining group is holding its first event in November. The aptly named LGBT Dine Out Group of Coachella Valley will meet at 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 12, at Lulu California Bistro, 200 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. Seating is limited to 30; be sure to RSVP at lgbtdineoutgroup.com.