Welcome to this month’s Ask Lindsay, where we’re talking gluten-free dining, my go-to spots for out-of-town guests, and the one Valley dessert this diabetic is willing to suffer a blood sugar spike for.
xo, Lindsay
Best places to dine out in the Valley if you’re gluten-free?
This question comes from my neighbor and friend Liz (of Shuffle Fine Cards), who has been gluten-free for years but loves dining out — and luckily, the Coachella Valley has plenty of great options for her to indulge.
A few of my picks:
Alps Village (pictured) – Pretty much everything on the menu at this German/Bavarian gem (one of my favorite desert eateries!) is available in a gluten-free variation — from spaetzle to pizza to schnitzel — all of it absolutely delicious and made fresh on-site daily!
Stuft – My pick for the best gluten-free pizza around. My neighbors have ordered it for various get-togethers and it’s never been anything short of fabulous.
Zin American Bistro – Easily my favorite downtown PS restaurant, this staple offers a solid selection of gluten-free options, including pastas and burgers. Don’t miss the Mushroom Truffle Soup or the Seasonal Burrata Salad — both naturally gluten-free and absolutely divine.
Grapefruit Basil – Located inside the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort in Indian Wells, this place boasts a menu packed with gluten-free dishes — plus plenty of items that can be easily modified. My favorite? The naturally gluten-free Spaghetti Squash entrée, featuring roasted mushrooms, lemon Parmigiano-Reggiano broth, Campari tomatoes, sweet corn, Bloomsdale spinach, and pistachio gremolata.
Chef Tanya’s Kitchen – Everything at this fully vegan eatery (with locations in both Palm Springs and Palm Desert) somehow tastes just as good as the real thing! And there is also plenty of gluten-free fare on the menu. I’m partial to the Egg-y Salad, while my friend Heidi (of Lucky Linqs) swears by the Bahn Mi & You sandwich, both GF. Be sure to hit up the onsite Kreamery for the best GF/vegan ice cream and coffee in town!
Grill-A-Burger – This “hamburger heaven,” famously featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, offers truly stellar burgers and hot dogs on equally stellar GF buns! Pretty much everything is made in-house, with tons of customization options, including chicken, turkey and veggie patties — plus plenty of vegetarian and vegan choices, as well.
Wildest – While I haven’t actually been here yet, I’ve heard nothing but great things about this Palm Desert eatery. The menu features a smorgasbord of inventive gluten-free (not to mention vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, nut-free, and seed-free) options — from English Pea & Black Truffle Ravioli to Oyster Mushroom Fried “Chicken” to Braised Beef Short Ribs.
What local dessert are you willing to suffer high blood sugar for?
This question comes from my foodie friend Cherry (of Old Town La Quinta’s Roam.e) and I didn’t hesitate with my answer — the chocolate chip cookies at Bar Cecil!
Homemade and served warm straight from the oven, these cookies are perfectly crispy on the outside and perfectly chewy inside. A side of McConnell’s vanilla ice cream — a pairing recommended by our genius server — is the perfect complement.
And yes — I did once make myself a bit sick overdoing it on this dessert. Zero regrets. Completely worth it.
Where do you always take out-of-town guest to show off the Valley?
This question was posed by Rae (of Old Town La Quinta’s Mimi & Rae), who had a friend visiting in December and wanted to know my favorite spots to experience the desert in all its glory.
A few of my go-tos include:
The Living Desert – One of my local happy places. Nothing beats a day spent walking the paths of this top-notch zoo and conservation center.
Sunnylands Center & Gardens (pictured) – Another desert happy place of mine. (Do I need to do a whole newsletter on this topic?) A stroll through the stunning gardens — which are free to visit — followed by lunch or coffee at the on-site café is always a crowd pleaser.
Barbara Bar – Whimsical, over-the-top, and fabulously pink, this watering hole serves up seriously tasty bites and sips — and (bonus!) it’s a filming location! (Reservations required.)
Flannery Exchange – My favorite Palm Springs shopping destination! I love popping in, grabbing a latte from Cafe La Jefe and browsing the fab boutiques, including Bobo Palm Springs, Covet, Bean Goods and Los Angeleaves.
High Bar – Cocktails at this open-air rooftop bar come with some of the best views of downtown Palm Springs. Always a win with visitors.
Robolights – An only-in-Palm-Springs sight that has to be seen to be believed. While private tours are available, plenty of the massive art installation (created entirely from trash and scrap materials), which stands on the grounds of a private house in the Movie Colony neighborhood, can be enjoyed right from the street.
Windmills – A guided Windmill Tour is always a great adventure, but if time doesn’t allow, there are stellar views to be had of the massive turbines from the surrounding roads. A drive around to see them up close and personal is never short of awe-inspiring.
The Judy Show – One of my all-time favorite desert experiences! Legendary entertainer and celebrity impersonator Michael Holmes stars in this hilariously irreverent dinner show filled with music, comedy, and fabulous cuisine, hosted at the iconic Purple Room — a former Rat Pack hangout.
Copley’s – A little slice of Hollywood right here in the desert. This fine-dining spot once served as Cary Grant’s off-site guest quarters and now dishes up excellent food and cocktails. Even just stopping in for drinks makes for a memorable experience.
Sherman’s Deli & Bakery – One of my favorite lunch (the club sandwich is spectacular!) and dessert staples that’s always a hit with visitors. Bonus: gluten-free bread and other GF options are available.
Favorite themed or visually stunning restaurants and bars?
Had you asked me this last week, PS Air Bar would have topped the list — but it sadly closed just days ago (RIP to one of my favorite local spots). Thankfully, the Coachella Valley boasts a plethora of whimsically themed and visually stunning places to sip and dine.
The Pink Cabana (pictured) – This gorgeous, blush-hued spot was designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard as a nod to the tennis clubs of yesteryear — and it’s just as chic & Instagrammable as you’d imagine.
Barbara Bar – Another mention of this more-is-more pink paradise fashioned by designer Dani Dazey — but I love it that much. Bold, playful, and wildly photogenic. (Reservations required.)
Bootlegger Tiki – A Polynesian paradise housed in the former location of legendary bar Don the Beachcomber (another Rat Pack hangout!). Classic tiki vibes done right with a pairing of Hollywood history.
Bar Issi – A White Lotus–inspired maximalist gem with its wallpaper game firmly on lock, designed by Tom Parker of Fettle.
Italica – A design-forward downtown Indio speakeasy serving fabulous food and drinks in a moody, intimate setting. (Reservations recommended.)
Bar Cecil – A true masterwork of both brilliant design and cuisine, with fine art and cheeky collectibles lining the walls. Pro tip: don’t miss the bathroom. (Reservations highly recommended – this place is usually booked months out.)
The Tropicale – A stylish, punchy throwback to the supper clubs of yesteryear — with cocktails that match the vibe.
Bar Valerie – Fashioned by my friend (and designer extraordinaire) David Rios, this swank watering hole at Palm Springs’ Velvet Rope hotel channels over-the-top Old Hollywood glamour in all the right ways! (Currently only open Thursdays for Cabaret L’Amour.)
Canopy Wine Lounge – Outfitted by Christopher Kennedy, this is easily one of the desert’s most stylish spots to sip wine and unwind.
Billy Reed’s – Flush with oversized booths, rich red accents, and Tiffany-style lamps galore, this Palm Springs landmark is like Disneyland in the desert – and I mean that in the best possible way.
Del Rey – An intimately beautiful watering hole tucked inside the stunning Villa Royale hotel, which is rumored to have once been home to Olympic figure skater Sonja Henie.
The Red Barn – Recently revamped to the absolute nines, this stunner has it all — from Liberace’s former lamps to art from the Autry Museum to dramatically flocked wallpaper. (Be sure to check out the fabulous pink bathroom!)
What is the history of the Kaufman House?
A flight attendant friend recently stopped in Palm Springs for a brief layover, so I, of course, took her sightseeing to a few of my favorite local haunts — one of them being the famed Kaufmann House. While snapping photos out front, we met some snowbirds visiting from New York who asked if I could share the history of the home, to which I happily obliged! They now subscribe to my newsletter, so I figured I’d do an even deeper dive on the property.
The Kaufmann House is often described as one of the most famous residences in the world. Designed by architect Richard Neutra in 1946, the International Style marvel was commissioned by Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr., the very same man who commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to construct Fallingwater, another of the world’s most iconic properties.
The pinwheel-shaped dwelling was fashioned from steel, aluminum, glass, and stone at a then-astounding cost of $295,000. Photographer Julius Shulman’s legendary 1947 images of the home catapulted it to architectural fame almost overnight. After Kaufmann’s death, however, the property sat vacant for an extended period of time and went through several ownership changes — Barry Manilow even called it home for a few years — along with a series of unfortunate renovations.
In 1993, the house was purchased by art historian Beth Harris and her husband, Brent, who undertook a painstaking, years-long restoration to return it to its original glory. Their efforts are widely credited with helping spark the mid-century modern restoration movement that Palm Springs is now known for today.
Incredibly, at the time of their purchase, the residence had been on the market for more than three and a half years and was being listed as a teardown. It’s hard not to wonder how different Palm Springs might look today had it not been for their vision and dedication.
When the Harrises later put the home on the market in 2007, it wasn’t a typical real estate listing. The property was auctioned through Christie’s — and categorized not as a residence, but as a work of art!
Architectural highlights of the 3,162-square-foot, 5-bedroom, 6-bath home include floor-to-ceiling disappearing glass walls, a second-story “gloriette,” an outdoor viewing platform, and movable aluminum wall panels that can be closed to block the sun or opened to capture the desert breeze.
Over the years, the Kaufmann House has been featured countless times in print, including in the pages of Palm Springs Life, Time, and Lifemagazine, as well as in numerous architectural books. Most famously, it served as the setting for Slim Aarons’ iconic photograph Poolside Gossip, featuring then-owner Nelda Linsk. More recently, it portrayed Chris Pine’s home in the 2022 film Don’t Worry Darling.
Thanks for Reading!
This series is fueled by your questions, so please reach out via DM or email with anything and everything you’re wondering about this great desert of ours.
And if a move is on your mind — now or down the road — I’d love to help with that, too.