Old Town La Quinta, Taste of La Quinta
A spectacular fireworks show will greet 2017 as part of the Block Party at the Spa Resort Casino in downtown Palm Springs.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SPA RESORT CASINO
Some call it New Year’s Eve 2016. Others send out the call to Ring in the 2017 New Year. Either way, it’s that special time to gather and reflect on another year’s passing and look to the future for new memories to be made.
Whether you are up for a night out on the town, a community block party, or a small social soiree, Greater Palm Springs is bursting with spirit and good cheer.
Here are 10 ways to spend the Dec. 31:
http://www.palmspringslife.com/10-new-years-eve-spots-to-welcome-2017/
In honor of Year of the Cheetah, the zoo’s year-long effort to raise awareness and funds for the endangered animals, attendees to their New Year’s Eve party are encouraged to wear their best cheetah print outfit.
Melvyn’s may have lost its namesake in 2016, but the restaurant is quintessential Palm Springs.
Huey Lewis and the News performs New Year’s Eve at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage.
The Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs will host a two-day New Year’s Eve event.
I had the pleasure of attending the soft opening of Fortun's in Old Town La Quinta, right before Thanksgiving and have been back several times since. A year and a half after starting the remodeling of the old Desert Sage, the transformation is complete. I've got to say, the wait was worth it!
Owned by Steve Fortun, with the kitchen led by Chef Keith Otter, the new space is right on the money for what today's patron wants in a restaurant here in the desert. Namely, a large bar, lots of high-tops, and an open concept. They also turned what used to be a driveway in the front, into a spacious outdoor patio area which doubles the seating.
The bar features an ice strip to keep your libations cold and plenty of televisions turned to various sporting events. Besides the open kitchen, there's a second area with a spit where the meats are roasted along with the pineapple that they feature in some of their cocktails.
The menu is a good mix of Salads, Pastas, Burgers, Sandwiches, House Smoked BBQ, Brick Oven Pizzas and Entrees of Fish, Chicken, Beef and Pork. Nothing on the food menu is over $30.
They have a nice selection of wine and beer and a laundry list of Signature Cocktails, from Hand-crafted Margaritas to Bloody Mary's.
My friends and I sampled Oysters Rockefeller, Calamari Steak Appetizer, Shrimp Scampi with Fried Artichokes and Drunken Clams from the Appetizer menu and everything received a thumbs-up all the way around.
I've had the Oven Roasted Turkey Cobb Salad, the Thai Noodle Salad, and the Shredded Pork Tacos. My friends tried the Caprese Salad, Tavern Cheese Burger with Tater Tots, Pan Seared Scottish Salmon, Rotisserie Chicken, Enchilada's Suzas and the Pepperoni Pizza. Everything was tasty and we all look forward to trying more items.
The staff is very friendly and seems glad to be there. They are attentive and personable.
The Details And Memories
This space has a place in my heart, as it's where Bill and I got married. Even though the look has totally changed, it still feels like home. I'm sure that Bill and Steve Fortun, the original owner, are together in Heaven, glad that we are all enjoying it.
Fortun's is open between 10 AM and 11 PM and has Happy Hour until 7 PM.
78085 Avenida la Fonda, La Quinta
http://www.fortunskitchen.com is coming soon but you can look them up on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fortunskitchen/
David Henderson & Sheri Dettman
Just a short stroll across the parking lot from our Sheri Dettman & Associates offices in La Quinta you’ll find a new Thai restaurant–My Thai. A while back, my husband Bill and I went to My Thai for dinner during their first week in business. The food was great–not so on the service.
I’m happy to say that thirty days later the service was excellent, and the food was still top-notch. Because My Thai is so close to our offices, we’ve now been back six times. And frankly, that would not be the case if we didn’t enjoy My Thai.
I’ve tried several menu items, but I keep going back to my favorite Pad Thai. The combination of pan-fried thin rice noodles with egg, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, and scallions is mouth watering. Bill loves curries, and he’ll alternate between the Yellow Chicken Curry and his new favorite the Pa-Nang Chicken Curry. The My Thai menu labels this dish as an authentic Thai curry with thick coconut milk, peas, carrots, snow peas and basil leaves.
All My Thai dishes are available on a spice scale of 1 to 5. Personally, level 3 is at the top of my spice comfort level. On our last two visits, we tried level-2, and it was perfect. Keep in mind that you can always add more spice to any dish, but downgrading does not work.
Chef Sathin (pronounced “saw teen”) is the owner/chef, and she’s in the kitchen daily. Her love of preparing Thai food began at age eight in Thailand where she was born on a rice farm. Sathin trained under some of the finest Thai chefs in Bangkok while she attended university to study Thai cuisine. Sathin moved to the United States in ’01. You can often find Sathin’s husband David Henderson behind the bar offering big smiles and friendly banter.
Chef Sathin & Husband David Henderson
Sheri Dettman Entering Jillian's Restaurant, Palm Desert
Jillian's Restaurant, named for owners June and Jay Trubee’s daughter Jillian, is housed in a historic 1940s-era hacienda in Palm Desert. My husband Bill and I hadn’t been there in about ten years, and since it was my birthday, we decided to revisit it. We were seated in one of the smaller dining rooms located around the outside of Jillian's interior courtyard patio.
The menu features pasta, fresh seafood and meat entrées. I started with the Pear and Goat Cheese salad with organic field greens, slivered Oregon pears, goat cheese, candied pecans with a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Bill enjoyed the Spicy Corn Chowder, topped with a fiery salsa, cracked bacon and chives.
June Trubee & Jillian
The wine list is lengthy, and there’s something for everyone. We sipped a nice bottle of Nickel & Nickel Chardonnay. We skipped dessert as a friend had dropped off an entire chocolate silk pie to my office. Regardless, we were brought a nice selection of dark chocolate, dried apricots and ginger cookies to nibble on to finish our meal.
Jillian’s is one of the few “traditional” places where they have a dress code so no shorts although jackets are not required. In keeping with that old school desert vibe, they are also one of the few restaurants that also closes during the summer months. Jay Trubee’s imaginative eclectic cuisine paired with June’s Scottish charm make Jillian’s a most unique experience.
Serving dinner with live entertainment Monday through Saturday from 6 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended. Jillian's is located at 74-155 El Paseo in Palm Desert (760) 776-8242
Sheri Dettman With Chateau Manager Chris
With La Quinta temps in the mid to high 80’s this past week it was an easy choice for our video crew to choose to update our video tour of the Lake La Quinta community. Towards the end of the shoot, my husband Bill shot some footage at Chateau Lake La Quinta, located at the western end of the lake (formerly the Lake La Quinta Inn).
While at the Chateau (sounds pretty classy), Bill notice they’d remodeled their restaurant and renamed it Melange. They added a large bar in the center of the room and feature a new menu. Naturally, further investigation into the new space and menu was necessary, so Bill suggested that we go back that evening.
After twisting my arm, Bill and I headed for the Chateau (I just love saying that– Hey everyone we’re off to dine at the Chateau!). Upon arrival, Bill took photos of me with manager Chris. By 6 PM the joint was jumping as people enjoyed a mild evening on the lakeside deck surrounded by fire pits and space heaters of course.
We started our evening there by sharing a Caprese Salad. We both agreed it was likely the best Caprese salad that we’ve had in the entire desert. For my main course, I thoroughly enjoyed the Tasmanian Ocean Trout. This Petuna ocean trout has been called the “Wagyu of the sea.” My fish was served with mushroom risotto and baby vegetables.
Bill went for the Newport Pork Chop. Now I’m not a big meat eater, but after sampling a bit, I have to admit that I enjoyed several more bites. At 16 ounces this was a big farm raised pork chop, served with sweet corn, red and green peppers, country mashed potatoes and a delish apple brandy demi-glace sauce. One word sums up this entrée–Yum!
Homes at Lake La Quinta are located both on and off the lake. Lakefront homes have their own boat docks. Here, homeowners and their guests can enjoy a variety of activities including a cruise on their electric boat (or rent the HOA boat). Kayaking, fishing, tennis and hitting the community park or pool are other popular Lake La Quinta activities.
We dined at and reviewed the Chateau restaurant here in our blog in May of 2015. I can honestly say that the new menu and improvements are a big hit. Reservations are suggested. And if you go, please say hello to the manager, Chris.
After many years of not visiting LG’s Prime Steakhouse in La Quinta, my husband Bill and I went for dinner during the recent PGA Tour Career Builder Challenge at PGA West. And by the looks of it, business is booming at LG’s.
We grabbed the last two seats at the large bar. The atmosphere was very pleasant, and the room had a nice, warm feel to it. LG’s features an extensive wine list both by the glass and bottle. Thankfully the bartender offered us several wines to taste before we made our choices.
For dinner I choose two appetizers; I enjoyed the Mac and Cheese as well as the Roasted Brussel Sprouts in a maple glaze. Since LG’s is primarily a steak house, Bill went for a petite filet and baked potato with all the fixings. Bill’s steak was cooked to perfection and was both tender and tasty.
We returned to LG’s the following week at the invitation of Keller Williams Realty management for a small dinner party in LG’s private wine cellar downstairs. This visit I went for the Roasted Salmon Filet, and I choose Buerre Blanc sauce over the Bernaise. Bill doubled down on the 8-ounce Filet but passed on the sizzling butter sauce.
We had a plan for desert. Bill ordered the Tiramisu while I went for the Brownie with ice cream. This way we both got to sample two splendid deserts.
LG’s tends to be on the pricey side, which is par for the course for high-end steak houses. Entrees are ala cart and the sides do add up. The bottom line for us is the quality is there, and we’ll be back in the future. Maybe not every week, but we’ll be back.
As some of you might recall, years ago I worked for Wolfgang Puck at the original Spago Restaurant in West Hollywood. Thru the years, I’ve continued to enjoy Wolf’s restaurants, and I’m happy to say that his newest concept serving global fare in a family-style format does not disappoint.
Inspired by how Wolf dines and entertains at home, the menu at the new WP Kitchen & Bar in Palm Desert consists of seasonal offerings of small plates, fresh salads, pizzas, handmade pasta as well as steak and seafood.
Klaus Puck & Sheri Dettman
On our visit, my husband Bill and I were lucky enough to see Klaus Puck, Wolfgang’s brother at the helm. He was greeting the customers, expediting the food and making sure that everything was running smoothly. Truly hands on and it shows.
We started with a delicious Smoked Salmon Bruschetta, which has the best Horseradish Cream that they smoke at Spago, along with Watercress, Apples, Radish and Pumpkin Seeds. Klaus then treated us to a Lobster Knuckle Sandwich that has a taste-tingling mix of Vadouvan spices that are truly addicting. Next was the Arancini with Wild Mushrooms and a Garlic Aioli. Little Italian balls of joy!
For our next course, I had Agnolotti filled with Pumpkin in a Sage Brown Butter sauce dusted with Pecorino and finished with fried Sage. I could eat this dish every day and not get tired of it. Bill enjoyed the Braised Beef Short Rib in Moroccan Spices with Dried Fruit, Toasted Almonds and Couscous. It was falling off the bone, and the spices were spot on.
By this point, we were stuffed but Klaus’ generosity knew no bounds, and we enjoyed two desserts; the Apple Tart and Salted Caramel Pudding with Crème Fraiche Whipped Cream and Brown Sugar.
We can’t wait to go back and are very happy to have this new addition to the desert dining scene. WP Kitchen has a nice wine list and Happy Hour Menu and is open seven days a week from 11 AM until close with Happy Hour Daily from 3-6PM. Please say hello to Klaus Puck if he's there and tell him that Sheri Dettman sent you.
WP Kitchen & Bar: 73-130 El Paseo, Palm Desert, CA 92260 (760) 568-2700.
Sheri Dettman (left) & Koutouki Family Member Dina
My husband Bill and I had been looking forward to the newest restaurant on the scene in Palm Desert. Located at the somewhat historic site of the former Sasspers and Sense Restaurants you'll discover the new Koutouki Taverna.
Koutouki Taverna in Palm Desert is the first restaurant in the US from a Canadian family that has owned and run 26 Greek restaurants over a long career in the Edmonton, Alberta area.
Bill and I had been looking forward to the Taverna's opening as we'd seen construction going on for a few months as we drove by on Highway 111. This location was also the original location of Ormi & Boni’s Restaurant before they moved to La Quinta (now rumored to soon to become a Denny's–and more on that later).
Opening just four weeks ago, the whole family is involved from the daughter, Dina, who greets you at the door (pictured with me), to Chris, her husband who is the chef. The night we were there we also met mom and shared an after dinner drink with papa.
Since this was our first visit to Koutouki, our server suggested we try the Koutouki Meze, which is a pretty broad tasting menu. The first course featured five dips, and olives served with warm pita bread– my favorite was the Kopanisti, which is Feta, roasted jalapenos, and mint. Bill enjoyed the Tzatziki made of Greek yogurt, cucumbers, and garlic.
Next up was Keftedes. These are house-made, pan fried beef meatballs followed by grilled chicken. Then, Dolmades, the traditional grape leaves stuffed with ground beef, rice and tzatziki, and then Spanakopita with spinach, feta, mint and dill. Yum!
As if that wasn’t enough, the main course of Arni Kleftiko soon arrived. This slow roasted lamb was falling off the bone, and the lemon-roasted potatoes were the perfect compliment. We were offered desserts, but we’d already hit our limit.
For now, Koutouki is only serving beer (Bira) and wine. They do have a nice selection of wine. Our server offered us a taste of several we were interested in before making our wine choice.
The last time we peeked in the restaurant was full, so reservations are suggested.
Koutouki Taverna is also open for lunch featuring a mouthwatering selection of Buns, Wraps, and Gyros. Koutouki Taverna: 73675 Highway 111 in Palm Desert. (760) 834-8221.