By Katie Sterling
While the Palm Springs area has become almost synonymous these days with music festivals, the desert is a treasure trove of enticing offers any weekend of the year – no VIP wristlets or backstage passes required.
After all, Tinseltown stars like Frank Sinatra helmed the area as the ideal weekend retreat from the San Fernando Valley – close enough to home, but far enough away to feel like you’re truly on vacation. While certain components have evolved over the decades, Palm Springs still stands as the perfect playground for Angelenos looking to dine and unwind beneath the infamous fronds. A hot climate and a cold martini, who could argue with that?
To showcase the culinary destination that Coachella Valley has become, I was invited to preview the 2025 Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week. Similar to our DineLA, it’s an opportunity for participating restaurants to showcase the best of their offerings through curated menus for a unique 10-day run. An opportunity to indulge in exclusive eats at discounted prices?! Yes, please.
To kick off the itinerary was a dinner reservation at Cork & Fork, an American restaurant whose menu changes with the seasons, based on locally sourced ingredients. Situated in an unassuming strip mall that is quickly becoming a culinary hot spot, Cork & Fork’s menu has an array of options, ranging from shareable apps like the Thai shrimp cakes drizzled with togarashi aioli to one of their most popular items, the filet mignon tacos.
However, I found the real star of the show to be the Luau salad; a refreshing, yet hearty blend of beets, mango, goat cheese and crispy wontons sprinkled atop a bed of baby greens. I’d like to tell you that I savored it slowly, but it was gone within minutes. To cap off the night, and foil my healthy greens, the Kings Hawaiian bread pudding was the perfect dish to tickle your sweet tooth. Drenched in whiskey caramel and studded with white chocolate chips, it was decadent, delicious and much like my salad, gone in seconds.
With a full belly, I retreated to the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage that would be my home base for this foodie excursion. Not only is Agua Caliente a gold sponsor of Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week, but they also have their own establishments participating in the event: The Steakhouse and 360 Sports. At their Palm Springs location, Executive Chef Brian Kenney ensures that guests get a taste of both their higher end restaurant and their more casual eatery – each menu full of flavor with the possibility of an alcohol pairing. Is there anything better than sipping a glass of Canyons Cabernet Sauvignon (exclusive to Agua Caliente) with a perfectly seasoned and sauced meatball? Perhaps a refreshing watermelon and feta salad? Or a spicy shrimp pasta? Just make sure to leave room for dessert as the options are as decadent as anything you could dream of. To get the full scope of what’s available, we received a charcuterie (choc-cuterie?) board of triple layer chocolate cake, cheesecake, petit fours and deep-fried Oreos. Research was tough, but I selflessly participated for you dear readers…
After a restful slumber, I simply had to mosey downstairs for my first meal of the day at Waters Café where you can indulge in eggs benedict on the poolside patio or tuck into buttermilk pancakes with your morning coffee.
With another delicious dine under my belt, it was time to do a little unwinding and what better place than the natural hot springs at Azure Palm Hot Springs? This oasis not only boasts the largest mineral water pool in Southern California, but has an array of mineral water spas for you to soak away in. These tubs are abundant in minerals designed to promote well-being, relaxation and countless therapeutic benefits for your skin. You can spend the whole day dipping in and out of their beautiful cabana tubs or take a reflective stroll through their reflexology walk where carefully placed stones hit the pressure points of your feet. With a dry sauna, a Finnish sauna, a Himalayan salt room, an ice room and the option to partake in yoga, there is truly no reason not to indulge yourself for a day.
With your soul rejuvenated, it’s time to satiate your stomach at their in-house eatery Azure Palm Café. Dishes here are not only healthy, to stay in vogue with its spa setting, but incredibly satisfying. A lunch of sesame seared wild caught tuna over a bed of rice and green beans is the perfect meal to curb your hunger, while still feeling healthy post- or pre-spa. In perhaps a nod to their city, indulge in their whipped hearts of palm dip as well, served with homemade taro chips that crunch so delicately with the dip. Yet, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the house-made, freshly-pressed juices that the café offers. Made with their award-winning water and offered in unique blends, the Golden Green juice (pineapple, turmeric root, cucumber, mint and green apple) was the absolute highlight.
To cap off an already incredible dining excursion, my trip ended with a breathtaking adventure – both literally and figuratively. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway has long been a fan-favorite for those visiting the area, but tucked atop the mountain is a restaurant with incredible views and a menu to match.
Appropriately named Peaks Restaurant, guests are invited to dine above the clouds and indulge in Chef Fritch’s seasonal offerings. It’s a fine dining option, but still slightly casual given the location and the fact that many visitors are in their finest athleisure wear to explore the area. The food can either swing slightly fancy (I had a lovely charred pineapple chili glazed shrimp appetizer on a bed of cabbage) or heartier (again, an aptly named Coachella burger with date spread and french fries). It’s an ideal spot for those leisurely looking for a relaxed dinner over a glass of wine and a view or anyone looking to fuel up pre/post hiking. To both ascend and descend from the restaurant at approximately 11,000 ft, the tram offers the most unique experience. Spinning 360 degrees, riders get a full view of the mountains that surround them and a breathtaking view of the valley below. The whole experience is a spoil of riches for your senses.
While all aforementioned restaurants will be participating in the Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week, they are only a drop in the gastronomic bucket. Dozens of restaurants of all culinary specialties in the nine cities of the Coachella Valley will be participating during the event that runs from May 30 to June 8. Plus, every reservation made through the Restaurant Week website will donate $1 to the FIND Food Bank. Eat for a good cause!
Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week is ideal for those new to Coachella or even long-established fans of the valley to explore the dynamic culinary community on offer. With this upcoming celebration of dining, why not treat yourself to a restaurant road trip only a few hours away? Your tastebuds will surely thank you.
For a full list of restaurants participating, curated menus and reservations, visit dinegps.com.
Clockwise from top: An original aerial tram, Thai shrimp cakes, filet mignon tacos, a mineral soaking tub, the sesame-encrusted tuna bowl, an opportunity to unwind poolside at Agua Caliente, the choc-cuterie board and the grilled shrimp. appetizer.
