Tag: Palm Springs

  • 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 Velvet Rope

    The Velvet Rope

    Teeming with Old Hollywood glamour, this newly reimagined adults-only boutique lodging was masterfully designed by David Rios, who was also behind the iconic Trixie Motel. Featuring nine suites, each with its own distinct Tinseltown personality, The Velvet Rope is stylish, sexy and utterly chic. Offering highly personalized service, a plethora of elevated touches, and the glittering onsite Bar Valerie, a stay here is truly luxe!

    ★★★

  • Triada Palm Springs

    Triada Palm Springs

    Oozing Hollywood history, this spot started life as a private home before becoming the Ambassador Apartment Hotel in 1939 and welcoming such guests as Lana Turner, Elizabeth Taylor and Tyrone Power. In 2014, it was revamped by Marriott into the Mediterranean wonderland it is today. While chock full of amenities, including three pools, two bars, a restaurant, and a gym, the place remains intimate with a boutique feel. One of my family’s favorite staycation spots, we’ve spent many a weekend at Triada, enjoying the plush rooms and gorgeous grounds.

    ★★★

  • Casa Cody

    Casa Cody

    This hotel has history in spades! Initially established in the 1920s by Harriet Cody (cousin of Buffalo Bill), Casa Cody is Palm Springs’ oldest operating lodging! Intimate, serene, and stunningly gorgeous, with amenities including two pools, a hot tub, grassy expanses, gardens, an onsite bar/restaurant, and the most charming rooms and suites, the property is an absolute gem! Be sure to ask for a tour during your stay for an up-close-and-personal glimpse of its many notable sites, including one of the original Olympic cottages from the 1932 games!

    ★★★★

  • Korakia Pensione

    Korakia Pensione

    It is hard to describe this Morrocan-inspired boutique lodging in words other than to say it is absolutely magical. My husband and I once checked in for a brief two-day staycation and wound up extending our reservation to a full week as we just couldn’t bear to check out. The Korakia has that effect. Stunning, peaceful, with grounds begging to be explored and not a TV nor phone in sight, at Korakia you can check in and truly check out. Be sure not to miss the classic movies shown each evening al fresco in the tranquil courtyard.

    ★★★★