Author: lindsay

  • Castelli’s Ristorante

    Castelli’s Ristorante

    Retro in all the right ways, Castelli’s is a desert landmark – and one of my family’s longtime favorites. Established by brothers John and Michael Castelli in 1988, using their family’s Old World Italian recipes, the place quickly became a celebrity hotspot (as the many headshots lining the walls attest), welcoming the likes of Martin Short, Bob Hope, Robert Wagner, Andy Garcia, and Sylvester Stallone, just to name a few. Still going strong today, the restaurant is packed to the gills most nights, best loved for its stellar fare and warm ambiance.

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  • Bar Cecil

    Bar Cecil

    If you know anything about the Palm Springs food scene, you’ve heard of this place – and it is absolutely worth all the hype! Offering fine dining in the non-stuffiest form (the menu even includes a burger!), this swank establishment opened in 2021 and has been the hottest ticket in town ever since! Named after British “rebel/aristocrat” Cecil Beaton, the vibe is excellently eclectic, with fine art and colorful collectibles lining the walls, and the fare is some of the best around. Not-to-be-missed items include Cecil’s Bread Rolls, Steaks + Frites (the fries are insane!), and the Chocolate Chip Cookies (served right out of the oven).

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  • Spencer’s Restaurant

    Spencer’s Restaurant

    Opened in 2000, Spencer’s has been delighting discerning patrons for decades. Nestled on a stunning plot with three lush, light-strung patios abutting the San Jacinto Mountains, the four-star, adults-only restaurant exudes elegance and style and serves up some of the best food the city has to offer. The winner of copious awards throughout its lengthy history (including Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence), one step across the threshold and it’s not hard to see why the establishment has become one of the area’s most renowned and beloved gems.

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  • Copley’s On Palm Canyon

    Copley’s On Palm Canyon

    Housed in the most gorgeous of settings (and what is purported to be Cary Grant’s former guest house!), this fine dining location is a Coachella Valley landmark known for its romantic patio, stellar food and craft cocktails. The Hawaiian Ahi Tacos are a can’t miss!

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  • George’s Men’s Store

    George’s Men’s Store

    A sleepy block of downtown Coachella was transformed into 1940s Las Vegas for the filming of the 1991 gangster classic Bugsy. This stepped-roof storefront portrayed George’s, the “canker sore” of a casino that sparks Benjamin Siegel’s (Warren Beatty) ambition to build the Flamingo Hotel. The site originally housed George’s Men’s Store, a longtime Coachella Valley staple that first opened in 1946 and served the community for more than four decades. Fun fact: the movie signage remained in place until just a few years ago—and is still visible today via Google Street View. Elsewhere in the desert, the film’s Flamingo Hotel set was constructed on a dusty patch in nearby Ocotillo Wells, while the cast and crew made La Quinta Resort their home base during the two-week shoot.

  • La Quinta Resort & Club

    La Quinta Resort & Club

    The La Quinta Resort is a bonafide screen star, its Mediterranean architecture providing a stunning backdrop for such varied productions as “Hart to Hart,” “The Hills: New Beginnings,” “Don’t Worry Darling,” “Vanderpump Rules” and “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” “The Bachelor” franchise is especially fond of the property, utilizing it copious times across numerous seasons. Most recently, the resort’s La Casa venue hosted the televised, much-hoopla-ed, and very short-lived wedding of Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner and his pick, Theresa Nist.

  • Jw Marriott Desert Springs Resort

    Jw Marriott Desert Springs Resort

    In another iconic ‘90s TV moment, this sprawling hotel famously hosted the nuptials of Jesse Spano’s father on the third season of “Saved by the Bell.” But that is hardly the JW’s only claim to fame! The resort served as the headquarters of Palm Security and Investigations on the short-lived Connie Sellecca procedural “P.S.I. Luv U” and its sunken grass-lined tennis court masked as Wimbledon in the HBO comedy “7 Days in Hell.” The JW also appeared on “Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County,” as well as in several episodes of “The Real Housewives of Orange County.”

  • Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa

    Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa

    This gorgeous lodging was the site of one of the darkest moments in ‘90s TV! Portraying the Palm Springs resort where Brandon Walsh and the gang headed for a getaway in the season five finale of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” it was at the hotel that Donna Martin was infamously pushed down the stairs by her increasingly abusive boyfriend, Ray Pruit. In real life, the infamous staircase can be found in Building 5, on the south side of the property, leading up to Room 520. The Omni’s entrance and Azure Pool were also used in the episode, but all interior scenes were shot back in Los Angeles at the Hyatt Regency Westlake in Westlake Village.

  • Jalisco Restaurant

    Jalisco Restaurant

    This off-the-beaten-path Mexican restaurant masquerades as an Arizona gas station/diner in the 2018 drama “A Star Is Born.” It is there that Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga share a meal and a pump-side kiss while on the road at the start of a concert tour. I was lucky enough to happen upon the cast and crew filming at the location on April 17, 2017. Two photos from the shoot that day are pictured in the gallery below. The eatery (which serves up some stellar tacos in real life!) also appears briefly at the beginning of the 2005 thriller “Constantine.”

  • Parker Palm Springs

    Parker Palm Springs

    Celebrities have long flocked to the exclusive Parker, so it is only natural that the resort made its way to the screen. Not only did Lisa Kudrow vacation there on the HBO series “The Comeback,” as did the Kardashians in a season 13 episode of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” but the property also hosted a very awkward bachelorette party in the 2023 romcom “You People.” The hotel was even the subject of its own reality show, “Welcome to the Parker,” in 2007, though the venture was short-lived, lasting only one season.