We are going to Palm Springs next month for only two days but I have enough recommendations from my well-traveled relatives to last far longer. Here they are in case others can use:
From Mike:
- Birba is a great choice. The night we went, the kitchen was slow, but that may not always be the case, and the food is really good.
- Our first night there we stayed at a place called Arrive, which we liked and wasn’t too steep.
- If you like going out for cocktails at all, you should definitely go to Seymours. Very cool, old PS place.
From Em:
We stayed at the Orbit In which was amazing. But I would try to book right away. It seems to fill up fast. It has a sister property the hideaway. Both were quiet and not party hotels at all. They are right in the heart of PAM springs and walking distance to the main drag. I would stay in Palm Springs and drive to Joshua tree which is about 45 minutes away. You could do a day in Palm Springs and a day In Joshua tree.
Here are the restaurants we went to:
- Melvyns: Old school steak house in a hotel with live music and table side cooking. I made reservations, but on the day of, so don’t think they were too busy.
- King’s Highway: Located in the Ace Hotel. Has a sort of Flinestones Mid Century Road Side vibe with yummy food.
- Birba: Good pizza. I made reservations.
- Norma’s: We went here for a decadent breakfast. Located in the Jonathan Adler-designed Parker Palm Springs. For me, the decor of the hotel sights were worth it. But it was pricey. We made reservations.
- El Jefe: We got snacks at this bar located in the famous Sagauro, the Rainbow Hotel.
- Sherman’s Jewish Deli: For bagels to go on the way to Joshua Tree
- The Visitor’s Center is located in a famous Mid-Century Gas Station and has some good maps.
Places that we wanted to try, but didn’t get to:
- Mr. Lyon: Retro Restaurant with cocktail bar.
- Hadleys for famous Date Nut Shakes
- Bootlegger Tiki for Tiki Drinks. There’s a really cute coffee shop in the front of this place called Ernest Coffee.
The food overall was not outstanding, but the decor of some of the places was pretty incredible. We borrowed bikes from our hotel and looked at all the mid century housing. We also did a full day at Joshua Tree.
Baby Benji — my cousin’s so sweet four-month-old son- was the highlight of (and reason for) my trip to Venice but I was reminded of how cool and pretty and pricey this seaside community is. I loved strolling along the narrow pedestrian-only lanes of the Places, “walk streets” each lined with usually small (but sometimes large) houses, some old bungalows and cottages (my favorite) or sleek flat-faced modern newcomers, most with gorgeous overgrown foliage and lush colorful flowers. (Nowita, Marco, Amoroso Places)
I had a delicious (but almost $20) Niçoise salad and green apple lemonade ($4 but u was relieved to learn, after-the-fact that the refill was free) at trendy Superba Bar and Grill. I drove around until I found Rose Street, which I decided was the emerging area I visited a few years ago. It appeared to still be emerging.
I also wandered a little along Abbott Kinney, window shopping and people watching and since I happened to park around the block from the superb ice cream shop Salt & Straw, I decided it was a sign from above and had a large (almost $5) scoop of “freckled woodblock chocolate,” which was delicious although I didn’t really understand the name. (I choose it in part because it was the rare chocolate flavor without salt as a touted ingredient.)
“Mister Ed” fans take note: you can see Mr. Ed’s descendants up close and personal, in the small backyards of the Rancho area of Burbank, where residents (and day trippers) on horseback are so common along the wise suburban streets leading to Griffith Park’s more rugged Cowboy-esque terrain that some of the buttons to push at the crosswalks are high enough for riders to reach.
TakeBetsywithyou 