Restaurants in Palm Springs & Joshua Tree
IF YOU KNOW | DEC 15, 2020
Christian Reynoso
WHO
Restaurants
WHAT
Palm Springs &
Joshua Tree
WHERE
About
Christian is a chef-writer who grew up in the small wine town of Sonoma, California where his family ran a restaurant during his formative single digit years. Since then he's pursued good food and drink and sharing it with others. He has been a co-chair for the Good Food Awards, a taste panel member for The California Olive Oil Council and a professional chef, most recently as sous at Zuni Café in San Francisco.
Christian is now a cooking columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and writes and develops recipe stories for other food media outlets. Find him living all over California, but for the past couple of months he's called the desert home.
PHOTO BY ANDREA D'AGOSTO
La Copine is the one restaurant in the high desert that everyone will recommend (which, at first, made me think twice). But, I used to work at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco, which was also on all the lists – and I must say, it was on there for good reason. La Copine's take-out menu is excellent. Right now, wives Nikki and Clair are working solo but are making banging food that feels so reasonably priced. Think the juiciest fried chicken encapsulated in crispy batter soaked in spicy honey; charred green tomatoes; suave cheesy grits; and oasis-moist chocolate almond cake light as the night desert air. I hear in normal times the service is spot on and there are views of the high desert’s Joshua Trees – or if you’re lucky, the infamous Yucca Man.
Right down the road from the ever-popular venue Pappy and Harriet’s in hipster haven Pioneertown is a new restaurant called Red Dog Saloon that I have a hunch will be ever-more popular once the pandemic is no more. I say this because locals and myself are going back to it often. It’s an archetype of an old western watering trough with a wraparound porch that has the best cocktails this side of Twenty-Nine Palms Highway. Besides the vibe and cocktails, they make tacos with pillowy flour tortillas like mushroom asada or chicken tinga. Other menu highlights are a queso dip, blistered corn and Rancho Gordo black beans. Another totally great reason this restaurant is a good time is that with four or five people, you can order the whole menu and try everything. Also, gorgeous, ample outdoor space to dine.
I can’t imagine there's another bakery within 100 miles that's as good as Campbells. This is not hyperbole; I truly believe you can order anything from here and it will be good. The pastry is sweet and hearty, the country loaf has become a go-to staple, the granola is just clustery enough and they’ve got sandwiches like a turkey BLAT on house baguette that's perfect for bringing into the park (Joshua Tree National, duh). I came here one morning after checking out the Twentynine Palms Farmers Market. I was told to try the breakfast sandwich, which was sold out by 9:30am. Finally about half a dozen visits later (and after ordering ahead) I was able to sink my teeth into their eggy breakfast sando on a housemade english muffin. So worth the wait. The vibe is slightly punk and homestead-y.
The SoCal desert can sometimes feel like a food desert too. You have to really seek out good food and opportunities to work in the field. And sometimes, you just have to make them up yourself. Thao Nguyen lives in Joshua Tree and during Covid has recently opened Homestead Pies. Right now she’s doing a Saturday pop-up where she sells wood-burning oven pizzas, pies and now sometimes banh mi. She’s been slinging her wares in the parking lot of an art gallery – but follow her on IG to find out where she might end up. The pizza is delicious and the vibe is very, very cute. Recently she had a "dj" working a boombox that set the mood while you wait alongside other creative-type, supportive locals. Plans are in the works for her to build out a larger five-foot pizza oven trailer so she can expand her business.
Across the street from that famous date shake spot (Windmill Market) is Jalisco Tires and Restaurant. As the name suggests, this business is half tire shop and half restaurant and bar (the bar is closed for Covid). I’ve never tried their tires but the tacos are so very solid. They do not go flat. Instead they were bursting with flavor. The carnitas tacos are unctuous with crispy edges and the salsa is consciousness-altering. Even if you don’t get exactly what you order, you will be happy. Case in point is that one time I ordered two chicken asado tacos and they gave me borrego (braised lamb) with this smoky chipotle salsa instead, and it was God’s will. If you’re staying in Palm Springs, these tacos might be the best poolside take-out lunch around. Jalisco Tires saved me so many afternoons (and maybe fall 2020 in general).
Tanya is a local food celebrity for opening the first vegetarian restaurant in Palm Springs in the ‘80s. Since then, she’s opened an all-day vegan eatery and market called Chef Tanya’s Kitchen, not far from the airport. Her eatery has been a true oasis. I can go there and buy my “Modern Hippie” sandwich and feel at one with my body again. I can go there after a run for a cafe de cocoa that’s sweetened with oat milk and tastes like a nuttier, caffeinated, cold version of Mexican hot chocolate. I can also get hard-to-find products like fresh pasta, small-batch California extra-virgin olive oils and organic produce. She has a menu listed online but has daily specials of salads, sandos and tempeh burgers.
I had the same conundrum about Sherman’s as I did La Copine, but Sherman’s is a vibe that is hard to come by. It is also one of the only places that is open all day, serving food like house pastrami, latkes and bagels with lox. Service is sometimes surly but I’m okay with it because they are always very prompt and accommodating. They’ll give you shitty sparkling for your mimosa but I’m okay with it because it’s in a miniature bottle and I like miniature things. They’ll also most certainly under-salt your food but I’m okay with it because they have food I want to order and I usually bring my own tin of flake salt anyways.
Though not technically a restaurant, this place has been integral in my food and drink lifestyle in the desert and deserves a mention because there’s nowhere else quite like it around. Desierto Alto is the place for thoughtful choice liquor, spirits, wine and beer. They also have some bar tools, grocery items and frozen Cream Co. meats.
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