What: The biscuits and gravy
Where: Sunshine Café, 36815 Cathedral Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
How much: $6.35; $3.85 half-order (pictured)
Contact: 760-328-1415; www.sunshinecafe.com
Why: OMG it’s yummy!
The website brags: “Sunshine Cafè is frequented by celebrities, politicians, word-of-mouth visitors from around the world and mostly our wonderful locals.”
If one is uninitiated, that boasting may seem a little, well, crazy when you drive up to this slightly weather-beaten dinner that sits across the street from a dive gay bar on the industrial outskirts of what city leaders euphemistically call “downtown Cathedral City.” But once you walk in and experience the food at Sunshine Café, you’ll realize this place backs up that brag.
The clean and homey diner offers all sorts of amazing fare. The chicken fried steak gets rave reviews, as do the banana nut pancakes. The Mexican omelette was given a shout-out by Suzanne Somers in one of her books, for whatever that’s worth.
However, on one recent Sunday, none of those other treats mattered much, as I was on a mission: I was craving biscuits and gravy—and Sunshine Café has biscuits and gravy.
Really freaking good biscuits and gravy, that is.
The biscuits are fluffy and flavorful, but the crucial component is what goes on top: Sunshine Café’s version of the white gravy, that diner staple, includes little bits of meat, and is simply delicious. The texture is right, too: It’s not chalky like some flour-based gravies can be; instead, it’s smooth and creamy.
You can get a full order of biscuits and gravy or a half order; in an effort to be somewhat less gluttonous, I went with the half order. That was a mistake: After I finished, I really, really wanted more. It took an amazing amount of self-control for me not to pick up the plate and lick it clean.
Sunshine Café has made frequent appearances on local “Best Of” lists over the years. Once you try the food there, you’ll instantly understand why.