A La Quinta Resort and Club restaurant damaged by fire more than a year ago is now open with a new look and menu. The Azur Restaurant reopened in December as Morgan’s in the Desert with James Beard Foundation award recipient Jimmy Schmidt as its executive chef.
Named after the resort’s founder Walter Morgan, Morgan’s in the Desert harkens back to the architecture and style of the La Quinta Resort in the 1920s, with white-planked wood floors, original arched wood ceiling, Spanish architecture and leather furniture.
The resort presented a wonderful opportunity four months ago for Schmidt to implement the new restaurant concept after his Rattlesnake restaurant at the Classic Club Golf Course in Palm Desert closed in July.
Farm To Table Dining
Schmidt said he looks forward to introducing his new diners to the “farm-to-table” concept that he has been developing for years and to “have an even broader canvas to paint great local ingredients on the menu. It is going to be a lot of fun and also very exciting.”
Bill and I enjoyed our recent dinner experience at Morgan’s while dining in the lounge area adjacent to the main dining room, taking advantage of some wonderful entertainment at the grand piano.
Morgan’s in The Desert is located adjacent to the resorts lobby within La Quinta Resort. (760) 564-7600
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