Your Desert Questions, Answered —Brunches, Backstories & Behind-The-Scenes

I was asked this question by a friend from church who was headed to the Palm Springs Art Museum with a group and needed some last-minute breakfast/brunch recommendations — and I was only too happy to oblige.

Liv’s – There’s no spot closer than Liv’s, located right on the museum’s lower level. Helmed by Chef Gabriel Woo — the mastermind behind Bar Cecil — the eatery serves excellent food in a bright, cheerful setting. Full disclosure: I’ve only ever been for lunch, but I imagine the breakfasts are equally tasty.

Juniper Table (pictured) – This place offers delicious breakfast in a beautiful setting just steps from the museum — though I’m still not entirely over the fact that they removed the homemade scones from the menu a few years back. They were a definite favorite of mine and I’m still just a wee bit bitter about it.

Farm – If you can snag a table — and that can be a big if — this is one of the most beloved breakfast joints in town.

Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge – I love everything about this place, especially the egg white frittata — easily one of my favorite breakfast dishes in the entire Valley.

Sherman’s Deli & Bakery – A desert staple, you really can’t go wrong with a meal here.

A little farther out of the way, but definitely worth the walk, Boozehounds and Billy Reed’s (those cinnamon rolls!) are two of my breakfast favorites.

And while I haven’t personally been, I hear great things about both Hunny’s Restaurant & Bar and John’s Restaurant.

A friend who hosts a regular trivia night at her club recently reached out to see if I had any fun locally themed questions for an upcoming game. She didn’t have to ask twice! Random Coachella Valley tidbits are kind of my specialty. Here are a few I came up with.

HOLLYWOOD & CELEBRITY TRIVIA

Why are dimes often scattered at Frank Sinatra’s grave?
Following his son’s 1963 kidnapping — during which ransom demands were made via payphone — Sinatra began carrying 10 dimes at all times. The practice became so commonplace that he was even buried with 10 dimes in his pocket. As a nod to that lifelong habit, visitors leave coins at his gravesite at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, as pictured above.

What local resort did Frank Capra call his “Shangri-La for script-writing”?
La Quinta Resort & Club. Capra wrote many of his famous scripts there, and his typewriter still remains on display in his favorite room — the San Anselmo Casita (Room 136).

President Kennedy famously snubbed Frank Sinatra by not staying at his Rancho Mirage home during a 1962 visit. Which celebrity’s home did he stay at instead?
Singer Bing Crosby’s. Fearing bad press surrounding Sinatra’s alleged mob ties, the president reportedly changed plans at the last minute and instead stayed at Crosby’s estate in Silver Spur Ranch (now Ironwood Country Club).

What famous singer had a piano-shaped mailbox outside his Palm Springs home?
Liberace. The mailbox still stands in front of the property, located at 1441 North Kaweah Road, today.

What actor once owned the Palm Springs home known on Instagram as “That Pink Door”?
Telly Savalas.

ONLY IN THE DESERT

What is Indio’s nickname?
“The City of Festivals.”

The award-winning Spa at Séc-he opened in 2023. What does “Séc-he” mean in Cahuilla?
“The sound of boiling water.”

What is the name of the movie that has played continuously at Shields Date Garden since 1951?
“The Romance & Sex Life of the Date.”

The pool at the historic Ocotillo Lodge is shaped like what object?
A champagne cork.

What famous televangelist became embroiled in scandal after being pulled over near Clark’s Travel Center in Indio in 1991?
 Jimmy Swaggart – and there’s a plaque to prove it!

SPORTS & POP CULTURE

What band’s 1993 concert at the Empire Polo Club is widely credited with helping inspire the creation of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival?
Pearl Jam.

Where is baseball great Dorothy Kamenshek — the inspiration for Dottie in A League of Their Own — buried?
Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cathedral City.

Indian Wells Tennis Garden is home to the second-largest tennis stadium in the world. What’s the largest?
Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

This question came from a local desert Facebook group I’m part of, and I immediately knew the answer — it was a spot I absolutely loved and had visited even before moving to the desert.

Known as The Homestead, the eatery was indeed located inside a ranch home and featured a sprawling back patio with a fire pit where guests could head after dinner to make complimentary s’mores well into the night. Cozy and inviting, the restaurant even handed out blankets to keep diners warm on chilly evenings.

The Homestead closed in 2012 and today houses Old Town Artisan Studios.

The property itself has a fascinating history. Designed by architect Cliff May, it was originally built as a private home in 1948 for photographer Mary Mead-Maddick, who is said to have hosted such luminaries as Elizabeth Taylor, Lucille Ball, Alfred Hitchcock, and John Wayne during her tenure.

In the 1970s, the residence was purchased by Bob and Dolly Cunard, founders of La Quinta’s popular Cunard’s Sandbar. After their daughter left for college, the empty-nesters decided to transform the 16,000-square-foot estate and its 3.5-acre grounds into an elegant second restaurant called simply “Cunard’s,” which opened in 1987. An article from that year noted, “The old ranch house seemed destined for social gatherings . . . “

Throughout the ensuing years, the space housed several different restaurant concepts, including La Quinta Grill and Uli’s Bistro, before reopening as The Homestead in 2009. The name was fitting—dining there felt far more like being in a friend’s home than in a restaurant. 

Following the eatery’s closure, the property sat vacant for several years before reopening in 2016 as Old Town Artisan Studios, which still retains much of The Homestead’s original charm — though, sadly, no more complimentary s’mores.

That said, I highly recommend checking out their paint-your-own pottery studio, one of my favorite summer activities in the desert. Though I still can’t walk past that old firepit (pictured) without feeling a pang of nostalgia.

If you’re now craving a desert s’mores experience of your own, The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage offers s’mores kits for guests to enjoy around the resort’s many fire pits.

Yes — absolutely apply!

I honestly cannot say enough good things about Leadership Coachella Valley. Joining the program was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I’ve sung LCV’s praises in a previous Ask Lindsay issue, but I’ll say it again: I’ve met people whose paths I likely never would have crossed otherwise, many of whom have become dear friends. I’ve been introduced to industries, organizations, and perspectives I never would have encountered on my own. I’ve grown exponentially and picked up invaluable life skills. And perhaps most surprisingly, I’ve learned more about this Valley than I ever thought possible — and I went in already knowing a lot. In many ways, it’s made the desert feel smaller in the very best way.

As for what the program entails, each class includes roughly 45 participants who gather once a month for full-day sessions over the course of 10 months beginning in September. Each session centers around a different topic — Economic Drivers, Education, Philanthropy, Arts & Culture, Government & Justice, and more — offering an intensive deep dive into the people, organizations, and systems shaping the Coachella Valley.

And when I say intensive, I mean intensive.

Our recent Government & Justice session included a tour of the Cathedral City fire station, a K9 demonstration, a city leaders panel featuring seven local mayors and two mayors pro tem, a discussion on tribal government led by the director of public relations for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, a Riverside County justice panel with judges and attorneys, presentations from city managers and clerks on how local government functions, a lesson on mosquito and vector control, and, finally, a “Connect & Reflect” happy hour at Luchador Brewing Company. Each session also includes lunch from a fantastic local restaurant, along with invaluable leadership training and team-building exercises.

They’re immersive, fascinating, and genuinely fun — kind of like the world’s most interesting field trips. And honestly, the behind-the-scenes access alone is worth the price of admission.

Each class is also tasked with completing a class project benefiting a local nonprofit, though the scope and direction are entirely up to the class itself. Past projects have included hosting a prom for special needs students, organizing an education fair, and purchasing a commemorative plaque at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission.

In honor of LCV’s 25th anniversary this year, our class decided to go big by hosting a fundraiser benefiting ABC Recovery Center’s campus expansion — a cause that’s made many an appearance in this newsletter as of late. To date, we’ve raised more than $23,000 — and donations are still coming in.

For anyone wondering about the time commitment: there’s no homework, and the only required commitment is the one full-day session per month for 10 months. Involvement in the class project can be tailored to your schedule and bandwidth. Some classmates dive in heavily, while others participate in smaller ways depending on work and life commitments. I personally went all in and loved every second!

And the experience doesn’t end at graduation. LCV has an extensive alumni network, with plenty of ways to stay connected long after the formal program wraps. In many ways, joining LCV feels less like completing a course and more like becoming part of a deeply connected Valley-wide community.

Tuition for the program is $1,500, and scholarships are available, so don’t let the cost keep you from applying if you’re interested.

In short (or not so short): do not pass go, do not collect $200 — just apply (but do it quickly – applications close May 31). The experience truly is life-changing.

One of my closest friends from LCV recently asked me this after my many Instagram posts about the Palm Desert Civic Academy (a program I just completed) sparked her curiosity about other similar opportunities in the Valley. Thankfully, there are quite a few — broken down by category below.

NETWORKING & COMMUNITY

• Emerge Palm Springs
  Not all networking events are created equal and the meet-ups put on by Emerge are truly next level. Typically hosted in unique spaces (like Windmill City Screen Printing — pictured above) and featuring great food from local vendors, walking into an Emerge event feels a bit like stepping into a warm hug. I honestly can’t think of a single one I’ve attended where I didn’t leave with at least one new friend. Founded by Evan Gray (whom I met through Emerge and now consider a friend — and who will be featured in my next Spotlight On newsletter issue!), the organization has quickly become one of my favorite ways to connect with people in the desert.
• GPS Ambassador Training
  I actually just signed up for this program, facilitated by the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, which trains locals to become “destination champions” for our desert community. Offered as either a short online or in-person course lasting about 2.5 hours, ambassadors are granted access to exclusive local experiences, events and continuing education opportunities throughout the valley.
• Shine Social/Rise 2 Shine Collective
  If you’re craving something a bit deeper than traditional networking, Shine Social and the broader Rise 2 Shine Collective — founded by LCV alum Noelle Kustas — do a beautiful job of fostering genuine friendships, support, and community among women in the desert. In fact, I recently hosted a small give-back night at The Local on 50th benefiting our LCV fundraiser, and Noelle turned the evening into her monthly “Girls Night Out,” bringing more than a dozen collective members to support our class project. If you’re looking for a group that shows up every single time, that’s Rise 2 Shine.

LEADERSHIP & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

• Leadership Coachella Valley
  As I mentioned above, if you’re seeking an opportunity to learn more about the desert and become more deeply connected to the community, this would absolutely be my first stop!
• Palm Desert Civic Academy
  Created by current LCV vice-president Ryland Penta, this program is like a mini-LCV focused on Palm Desert specifically (though participants need not be PD residents). Facilitated over five Monday evenings from 5–7:30 p.m., the course offers a fascinating dive into the city’s government, culture, planning and development through tours, panels and behind-the-scenes looks at civic processes.

BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

• Palm Desert Entrepreneurial Resource Center (PDERC)
  This hub for students, entrepreneurs and small business owners across the Coachella Valley fosters business establishment and growth by providing training, education, and services through various programs. The facility also features office space and conference rooms available for locals to utilize.
• Mini MBA Program
  One of the many offerings through the PDERC is a Mini MBA course, a six-session series designed to help early-stage and startup entrepreneurs by “covering the greatest hits of an MBA.” Best of all? It’s free!
• Coachella Valley Innovation Alliance
  Sponsored by Caravanserai Alliance for Entrepreneurs, this new initiative aims to connect civic leaders, business owners and residents across all nine desert cities. Its first event, an “Innovation Across the Valley” meet-up, takes place May 26 at Studio 4707 and will feature speakers including SunLine Transit Agency CEO Mona Babauta and The Best Bookstore owner Sarah Lacy.