PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA: A NOD TO ELEGANCE, TRADITION & CONTEMPORARY TIMES
Article by Linda Kissam ‘Food, Wine and Shopping Diva’, and photos by Allan Kissam
Travel writer Linda Kissam “Food, Wine & Shopping Diva” shares her three day boutique experience in Palm Springs, California. Plus, special guests Michael C. Green of the Palm Springs Small Hotel Tourism Business Improvement District and Triangle Inn Palm Springs, and Tim Bannister of Celebrity Tours, join in this Big Blend Radio conversation.
Palm Springs. The name evokes timelessness. Tradition. A nod to the elegance of the original and a thumbs-up to the contemporary spirit. Guess what? It’s one of America’s hottest resort destinations.
Palm Springs is really the ultimate boutique experience. Restaurants, lodging, activities and entertainment. Everything about it shouts know my roots, explore my contemporary grown-up style. The desert-modernist architecture, a bold flair for entertainment and shopping, and 21st century appointments create an unforgettable sense of storytelling, design and relaxation. This is a place that counts.
You’ll love the infusion of “what was” with “what is.” It’s a destination for people who appreciate the unique and the artistic. Like those who assembled it, it’s for people who work hard to have their playtime tally up to a memorable experience. Spend your time, energy and greenbacks here knowing you have invested in a fabulous fusion of elegance, tradition and contemporary times.
Broken Yolk Restaurant
Plan Your 3-Day Stay
Lodging: Where to stay in Palm Springs? Definitely, the Ingleside Inn. Fashioned originally from a gracious estate, the Ingleside Inn is an official Palm Springs Historic Landmark. This grand lady is fully refurbished, but still manages to hold on to its 1922 charm. The rooms are large and comfortable. Ask for a room with courtyard access and view. The Mid-twentieth century lodging is located in the Palm Springs prime area – just five minutes to shopping and exploring. It can be had for surprisingly reasonable sums. Don’t miss the on-site retro restaurant, Melvyn’s. It was a favorite of Frank Sinatra. The main dining room experience is tailored to guests who want to dress up and make it an exciting sophisticated evening. Step back in time as you enjoy an eclectic menu of seafood, steakhouse fare, and expertly made classic cocktails. A must so …order one of the dishes made tableside, like Steak Diane, wilted spinach salad, or the blazing bananas flambé. Looking for some nightlife? The Casablanca Lounge at Melvyn’s is known for its nightly entertainment starting at 8pm featuring guest musicians and singers. Order a Bloody Mary – made in the old tradition of large, spicy and bracing.
Meals
Dine at Eight4Nine, located in the thriving Uptown Design District where you can expect a taste of local culture. This restaurant and lounge is exactly the kind of place you’d hope you’d find. The vivid, bright white space with sky-high ceilings, meets a large splash of Hollywood design. Impressive to stay the least. As you walk in a striking white onyx bar invites you to join the cocktail-sipping crowd. Cocktails only or dine – your choice. The menu is inspired showcasing Modern American Cuisine. The focus on presentation and flavor incorporates the freshest specialty produce, seafood and meats available. Headed up by Executive Chef Israel Jimenez, all dishes are prepared from scratch – including dessert. It’s a five-star winner in my book.
Mr. Lyons Steakhouse is a local’s favorite. Follow the lead to one of the best stocked lounges /speakeasy’s in the area. Wine, beer cocktails, elegant appetizers and friendly staff make the experience. You don’t need a password to get into this dark and comfy place. Just order, sit back and let the relax factor kick in. Dining at Mr. Lyon’s harkens back to the old Hollywood glamour that Palm Springs is famous for. The dining room is part black and white marble, wood, part brass, and part well-appointed velvet booths. This is a fine dining experience steeped in classic elegance. The menu is steak-oriented with lots of optional sides. Tableside service is offered, which is a hallmark of classic steak house dining. Dress is informal. Highly recommend.
Nightlife
The Casablanca Lounge on the grounds of The Ingleside Inn is known for its nightly entertainment starting at 8pm featuring guest musicians and singers. Order a Bloody Mary – made in the old tradition of large, spicy and bracing. Dress up and have fun.
When was the last time you were at a supper club? Absolutely don’t miss the sophistication, fun and glamour of the Rat Pack era at Michael Holmes’ Purple Room. Tucked away from the downtown area, you’ll find this unique venue in the Club Trinidad Hotel. The food is amazing, the entertainment outrageously fun. This is the place where Frank, Sammy, Dean, and their pals took the stage in the swinging 60s. Get ready to be transported back to the elegance of the era. I know you are going to enjoy an intimate evening of classic cocktails with a modern twist, world-class cuisine, and high energy live entertainment – six nights a week. A selection of great talent is offered, but for your first time …be sure to see a show featuring Michael Holmes. By reservation. Worth the price of admission. My favorite place to go with my husband and to take friends and family.
Activities
Want to know the “roots” of how Palm Springs came to be a celebrity getaway? Book a Celebrity Tours, Celebrity Grand Bus Tour. This $49 award-winning tour takes you through the city of Palm Springs, once known as “Hollywood’s Playground.”
Hop aboard a 36 Passenger Luxury Charter Bus, sit back and immerse yourself in local history as you visit famous neighborhoods, legendary secret spots, and incredible homes once owned by legendary stars like Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Sonny and Cher, Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Liberace, Nat King Cole, Dinah Shore Estate, and dozens more. This “stroll” down memory lane is the perfect way to understand local lore.
Don’t you just love botanical gardens? The Moorten Botanical Gardens is off the beaten path at the southern end of Palm Canyon Drive. It is a small, but mighty attraction boasting 3,000+ examples of desert cacti and other desert plants grouped by geographic regions: Arizona, Baja California, California, Colorado, the Mojave desert, the Sonora desert, South Africa, arid South America, and Texas. Outdoor collections include agaves, bombax, crested Cereus, cardon and boojum trees, arborescent “candelabra” Euphorbia, a two-story Pachypodium, thorned Caesalpinia and Bursera, and aloes of southern Africa and Madagascar. In the “Cactarium” greenhouse are cacti and succulents, with caudiciform species exhibiting thickened root crowns, many species of Asclepiads, Aztecia, Gymnocalyciums, Alstromeria, Euphorbia, and Ferocactus, plus two Welwitzia mirabilis from Namibian deserts. Open year round with reduced hours in the hot summer. $5 entrance fee. Try to see it in the spring when the temperatures are cooler and the cacti are blooming. You’ll be amazed at the beauty of these flowering plants.
Other wonderful mainstays worth a look are the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the Air Museum, the knock-out Art Museum, and the Agua Caliente Casino.
Linda Kissam ‘Food, Wine & Shopping Diva’ is a professional travel, food, and wine writer based out of Southern California, who specializes in easy, breezy destination stories sharing her favorite things about the places she visits. Visit www.AllInGoodTaste.info.
