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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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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My monthly lunch group’s go-to spot, this vegan gem proves that plant-based can be downright delicious. Everyone I take here is bowled over by the fare, even the diehard meat-eaters. I’m partial to the Egg-y Salad, while my bestie Heidi swears by the Banh Mi & You sandwich. Don’t skip the onsite “kreamery,” serving some of the desert’s best ice cream, or the adjoining pet store, which regularly hosts cat adoptions.
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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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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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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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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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78395 CA-111
LA QUINTA
Like a little slice of Europe right in the heart of the desert, the baked goods served here (all of which are homemade on the premises, along with pretty much everything else on the menu) are bar none! The rest of the fare is as exceptional – especially the omelets, which come complete with melted cheese on top. While La Quinta Baking Company offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, it has become a favorite breakfast spot for my family, with countless mornings spent together on the quaint patio enjoying creamy lattes and buttery croissants.
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A newer desert addition, this farm-to-table joint utilizes ingredients sourced from local Coachella Valley farms, with a highly inventive and enticing menu – all prepared via a scratch kitchen. I personally love the Farm Fresh Scramble, but I’ve heard the Huckleberry Hotcakes are a must-try. The restaurant is also extremely accommodating when it comes to customizing dishes due to various dietary restrictions and patrons are always sent off with a “Have a beautiful day” farewell, only adding to the establishment’s charm.
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If you prefer your breakfast with a view, Grapefruit Basil, tucked amongst the stunning olive trees at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort, is the place for you! Easily one of the desert’s prettiest spots, the food is excellent to boot. (The All-American Classic and Miso Avocado Toast are my favorite dishes.) This place is also fabulous for dinner, not to mention happy hour, with the twinkling lanterns and canopy of branches providing a sylvan ambiance you won’t find anywhere else.
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