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Paradise Finds and Fun for July


OK, we admit it, our thoughts about attending the June mixer for the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce were a little mixed—broiling hot temperatures and business socializing don’t always go together that well. But after the all-valley mixer at the Palm Springs Air Museum, which proved to actually be fun, we decided to chance it.

Oh, and we are so glad we did.

Hosted at the immaculately gorgeous Colt’s Lodge, an historic, impressively renovated boutique hotel on East Palm Canyon Drive, we ran into old friends and new, drank some seriously awesome wines, ate some of the world’s best caviar, and got interviewed by royalty. Definitely not your typical chamber mixer!

Colt’s Lodge is a little slice of desert heaven on earth, above.

Alla Matusov, the CEO of Routenstein Royal Group and Academy, serves up some of the world’s best caviar at the June chamber mixer. She gave us seconds! She is now one of our favorite people on the planet! Check out the Routenstein Royal Group at: routenstein.wordpress.com.

Publisher Steve Brown, clearly not dressed for the occasion (left, as if you need to be told), was interviewed by HH Prince Mario-Max of Schaumburg-Lippe at the June mixer. Next time, tell us when you’re expecting royalty to attend, OK?

Restaurant Week was a hit (well, with us, for sure). But we’re perpetually on the hunt for the best Palm Springs plates, cocktails, and experiences.

Take, for instance, the killer Fried Chicken Sandwich from Chicken Ranch. No, it’s not healthy. No, we don’t care. Pair that with their gooey mac n’ cheese, and you’ve got, well, a possible ride to the ER, but beyond that, a hefty portion of deliciousness.

There are so many great restaurants in Palm Springs now, that we may not get to all of them during our lifetimes. But we’re going to try! And we’re always finding new favorites at our old standard hangouts, like Rick’s Desert Grill, where Cuban specialties weave their way through meatloaf and fried chicken.

Try the Stuffed Tostones, Roja Vieja or Picadillo, served with Caribbean rice and black beans, and tasty fried plaintains. On top of that, Rick’s has some of the best servers in the desert, which always makes a good meal great.

With our publisher’s piratical heritage (it’s a long story), comes a fixation on all things Caribbean, and everything rum, including all things tiki. That has led to a new favorite deal—Tiki Taco Tuesday at Tonga Hut!

Loyal tiki fans may recall that the original Tonga Hut in North Hollywood, is one of the original classic tiki bars. It opened in 1958, and through some miracle, Palm Springs has now been blessed with a Tonga Hut of our own.

Tiki tacos aren’t your ordinary taco, they come in three varieties (we had the mahi-mahi), and are made in a wonton shell instead of a tortilla. You get three tiki tacos, pico de gallo and sauce, with a classic mai tai, based on the 1944 Trader Vic’s recipe, for $12. Of course, you can always complement it with pupus and maybe a Scorpion bowl. You just can’t go wrong!

Tiki Taco Tuesdays are every Tuesday, from 5 to 10 p.m. at Tonga Hut’s Palm Canyon location, where you can also pick up a copy of the latest Palm Canyon Paradise. Good taste all around!

Michael Stoltz is one of Palm Springs’ tastier entrepreneurs operates not one, but two restaurants out of the same space on Palm Canyon. The morning and lunch hours belong to Cafe Europa, while jusTapas takes over in the evening.

Stoltz incorporates influences from France and Europe into his restaurants’ menus, which makes sense considering he spends part of the year living at his second home in the south of France. The restaurants close for the month of September, but Stoltz remains busy, harvesting new concepts to bring to the desert in the fall.

Start your day with a mimosa tray at Cafe Europa with three decanters of fresh juise, farmers market berries, and prosecco. Bet you won’t want to go to work after that!

Don’t miss the Europa Benedict either, a fresh twist on a breakfast classic.

Finally, this summer, if you can’t make it to Greece, you owe it to yourself to get to the Greek Islands, not those sun drenched Homeric isles in the Aegean, but the restaurant in downtown Palm Springs.

Here, you will find well prepared authentic Greek cuisine you can wash down with cool retsina, as the moon shines down from above and live music echoes down Andreas. It’s a mini-Greek vacation right here in Palm Springs!

Don’t be in a hurry. Just bring your friends and relax. If you close your eyes, you may conjure up sunset at Santorini, or that lonely wild beach on Tinos where the rental car company told you not to go. But you did anyway.

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