LUNCH

LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO

200 SOUTH PALM CANYON DRIVE
PALM SPRINGS

One of the desert’s most happening brunch spots, Lulu offers an extensive menu, stellar food, and a bustling ambiance. The Wild Mushroom Soup is a personal favorite (even in the dead of summer!), but you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. From sandwiches to pasta to burgers to fresh fish, there’s something for everyone at Lulu.

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THE FRONT PORCH

117 LA PLAZA
PALM SPRINGS

This charmingly intimate café (an offshoot of the popular Farm restaurant next door) offers such deliciously inventive fresh fare as Cauliflower Ceviche, Tomato Tartar, and Watermelon Gazpacho. My favorite dish is the Hand-Carved Turkey Sandwich topped with avocado, provolone, basil pesto, and caper aioli, while my mom prefers the Beef Carpaccio, offered with watercress, frisée, and pecorino Romano cheese. The hand-crafted cocktails are also a must!

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BLACKBOOK

315 EAST ARENAS ROAD
PALM SPRINGS

Beloved for its formidable drink selection and award-winning American comfort fare, this spot is often heralded as having the best nachos in the desert – and that is not hyperbole! Served one-layer deep on a cookie sheet, allowing for an ideal chip-to-topping ratio, you will not find a better version anywhere else in the Valley! The eatery’s other menu items are just as tasty, with everything – and I do mean everything – made fresh in-house, and the craft cocktails superbly shaken and stirred by expert mixologists.

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SUNNYLANDS CAFÉ

37977 BOB HOPE DRIVE
RANCHO MIRAGE

This gem sits tucked inside the Sunnylands Center at the fabled Sunnylands Estate, the former home of philanthropists Walter and Leonore Annenberg and a stomping ground of countless U.S. presidents. While the salads here are great and inexpensive, the real draw is the ambiance. Overlooking the spectacular Sunnylands Gardens, this place has views for days! Post-meal, be sure to explore both the Center (admission is free and exhibits change regularly) and the surrounding landscape – every inch of it is spectacular!

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LUSCIOUS LORRAINE’S

73910 CA-111 SUITE F
PALM DESERT

Vegan, gluten-free and, paleo friends – this is the spot for you! Owned and operated by functional nutrition counselor/chef Lorraine Ornelas, the eatery boasts a highly specialized menu offering smoothies, juices, elixir shots, and entrees geared toward every dietary restriction and preference known to man. Need a glow-up, toxin flush or immunity boost? Plant-based, low-carb, celiac? Lorraine has got you covered, no matter what ails you! And the fare is incredibly tasty, to boot!

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EUREKA!

74-985 CA-111
INDIAN WELLS

A beloved spot for burgers, this place is a mid-day go-to. With basic offerings like the American (topped with Swiss, onions, lettuce, pickles, tomato and special sauce) to the Fresno Fig (served with fig marmalade, melted goat cheese, bacon, tomato, onion, arugula, and spicy porter mustard) you can go high or low-brow here, and will not be disappointed. The salads are also exceptional and the beer and whiskey options plentiful.

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THE PINK CABANA

44-985 PROVINCE WAY
INDIAN WELLS

Hands-down the Coachella Valley’s prettiest restaurant, The Pink Cabana is a designer’s dreamland! All soft blushes and subtle greens with incredible tilework, the newcomer (it opened in 2018) is gorgeous! And the food is fabulous, to boot! Go for the Instagram opportunities, stay for the Green Chile Chicken Tacos and Moroccan Club (my two favorite entrees).

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SUMO DOG

49-830 JEFFERSON STREET, SUITE 106
INDIO

If you’re into franks, Sumo Dog is the place to be! Offering beef, pork, and vegan varieties accompanied by such accouterments as wasabi relish, miso mustard, guacamole, and katsu, the options are imaginative and delicious! My preferred order is an Angus beef frank, bacon wrapped with togarashi cheese sauce, but even the basic Chicago-style dogs make this spot worth a visit.

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GABINO’S CREPERIE

82868 MILES AVENUE
INDIO

This beloved eatery started serving up savory crepes (or what owner Marcel Ramirez describes as a “French burrito”) in 2020 and quickly became a sensation, with Guy Fieri (who popped in to shoot an episode of his popular “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”) deeming the BBQ chicken crepe a “destination dish.” And Gabino’s truly is a destination! Offering little slices of handheld heaven, Marcel’s crepes consist of incredibly tasty (not to mention hearty) fillings like pesto chicken and rib-eye cheese steak enveloped in a perfectly crunchy wrap crafted from flour, eggs and cheese. A meal at Gabino’s is truly like nothing else in the world! Bonus – there is also a sister location in Palm Springs for those on the west side of town.

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PAPPY + HARRIET’S PIONEERTOWN PALACE

53688 PIONEERTOWN ROAD
PIONEERTOWN

Located 30 miles north of Palm Springs, this eatery is a bit out of the way but is a must-stop if you’re heading to Joshua Tree or Yucca Valley. Boasting a vibrant and thoroughly unique high-desert vibe, the historical movie set turned biker/burrito bar turned bustling restaurant/fabled live music venue is hip, happening, and standing-room-only most days. And don’t let the place’s ramshackle appearance fool you – the food served on the premises is some of the best you’ll find in the entire greater Palm Springs area. As such, Pappy + Harriet’s has attracted the likes of everyone from Paul McCartney to Helen Mirren to Emma Stone.

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CROSSROADS CAFE

61715 TWENTYNINE PALMS HIGHWAY
JOSHUA TREE

Another out-of-the-way spot, this one is also worth the drive, especially if you are visiting Joshua Tree. Featuring an eclectic menu with a slew of vegan and plant-based options, the food is truly out of this world, and the atmosphere is extremely welcoming. The chicken tacos are my personal favorite and, while no longer listed on the menu, are still readily available to patrons in the know.

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