Author: lindsay

  • Brandini Toffee

    Brandini Toffee

    As incredible as it may sound, this landmark was established from the family kitchens of Palm Springs high schoolers Brandon Weimer and Lea Post in the pursuit of funding a class trip to Italy in 2006. The enterprise took off like a rocket, sealing the two youngsters’ futures and launching one of the area’s most well-known businesses! Today, Brandini Toffee is a stalwart, with three brick-and-mortar locations dotted across the desert, tins of their Sofi Award-winning confections sold in pretty much every local gift shop and such high-profile fans as Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey! Buttery, rich, and wholly preservative and GMO-free, Brandini Toffee is the best of the best! Bonus – the Rancho Mirage outpost offers free tours of its candy-making factory on weekdays

  • Bar Cecil’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Bar Cecil’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

    The chocolate chip cookies at Palm Springs’ popular Bar Cecil are one of the city’s must-have treats! House-made, freshly baked, topped with salt crystals, and served straight out of the oven, the confections are warm, effortlessly chewy, and melt-in-your-mouth delectable. A side of vanilla ice cream makes the dish all the more tasty!

  • Spencer’s Banana Split

    Spencer’s Banana Split

    Spencer’s has long been one of Palm Springs’ most celebrated eateries. Their stellar dessert menu likely has something to do with the esteem, namely their Banana Split offering, which comes complete with hearty scoops of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream, homemade whipped cream, candied pecans, fresh berries, and chocolate, caramel and strawberry sauces. Absolutely massive in size, it is easily large enough to feed four! I have several friends who head to Spencer’s solely for the pleasure of noshing on this dish.

  • Palm Springs Fudge & Chocolates

    Palm Springs Fudge & Chocolates

    Housed in the one-time dining hall of the now-defunct Lloyd Wright-designed Oasis Hotel, this den of all things sugary, which is locally owned and operated, is a true throwback. Offering countless nostalgic sweets like candy cigarettes, Necco Wafers and Jelly Belly jelly beans, stepping inside will bring you right back to your childhood. Also on hand are such scrumptious favorites as caramel apples, chocolate-dipped strawberries and old-fashioned fudge. Be sure not to miss the shop’s impressive scissor truss roof!

  • Lolli & Pops

    Lolli & Pops

    While this spot is part of a chain with nearly 30 locations across the U.S., it is worth a visit nonetheless. Stacked to the brim with gourmet sweets and treats in an adorable Tiffany blue setting, Lolli & Pops’s extensive inventory of cocktail-flavored gummy bears, chocolate-covered delights, cotton candy and French macarons (including the shop’s signature Mac Pops, aka “macarons-on-the-go”) is sure to satisfy the sweet tooth of even the most discerning patrons.

  • Balboa Candy

    Balboa Candy

    Populated by barrel upon barrel of every saltwater taffy flavor known to man, plus a plethora of retro favorites, as well as gummies, lollipops, chocolates and homemade fudge, this family-owned spot is a candy treasure trove, not to mention an utterly charming spot to secure a sugar fix!

  • The Chateau At Lake La Quinta

    The Chateau At Lake La Quinta

    This hidden gem (most locals don’t even know it’s there!) sits perched overlooking the 25-acre man-made Lake La Quinta. While small (the boutique lodging features 24 rooms, each with a lake view), the site is not short on amenities, which include an onsite restaurant (listed in my cocktails section), a sprawling lawn, a pool, a jacuzzi and a charming light-strung patio outfitted with a fire pit and plenty of spots for lounging. Thoroughly idyllic, the property, which was voted “Best of the Best” boutique hotel in La Quinta by Palm Springs Life magazine, is often booked out for weddings, so stays should be reserved far in advance.

    ★★★★

  • La Quinta Resort & Club

    La Quinta Resort & Club

    Easily my favorite Coachella Valley hotel, the La Quinta Resort was built in 1926 (before the city was incorporated!) and is teeming with history. A longtime playground for the rich and famous (Frank Capra even wrote “It’s a Wonderful Life” on the premises!), the 45-acre property boasts 785 rooms, many of which are standalone casitas situated around lush courtyards, four restaurants, a café, 21 tennis courts, 8 pickleball courts, 42 pools, 53 hot tubs, six shops and five golf courses. Despite the grand size, the lodging feels intimate and private. With its undeniable ambiance, rich history, and endless charm, the La Quinta Resort remains a true desert treasure.

    ★★★★

  • Sands Hotel & Spa

    Sands Hotel & Spa

    Every square inch of this adults-only boutique hotel has been styled to within an inch of its life – but in the best way possible! A relative newcomer, the one-time timeshare was reimagined by designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard in 2018 into what is easily the Valley’s most Instagrammable hotel. Accented with romantic silver, green, and blush hues, the lodging is major #décorgoals! Amenities include The Pink Cabana restaurant (featured in my lunch section), bucolic grounds, an ethereal spa, 46 chic rooms and a pool lined with inviting daybeds. The neighboring Nest restaurant (a must-visit spot listed in my cocktails section) can get a little lively at night, so if you are seeking a quieter stay, ask to be placed on the opposite side of the property.

    ★★★

  • Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa

    Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa

    This spot, newly reimagined by the Tommy Bahama lifestyle brand, is, simply put, stunning! Sunsets are especially gorgeous on the sprawling central patio, which sits nestled under a canopy of lantern-strung olive trees overlooking the main pool. With dramatic mountain views, lush grassy expanses and towering palm trees at nearly every turn, it is easily one of the area’s most gorgeous lodgings. The resort also boasts two additional pools, an award-winning spa, the popular Grapefruit Basil restaurant, and multiple bars – all of them outfitted with Tommy Bahama’s signature island stylings.

    ★★★★