How European is Si Bon Belgian Bistro in Rancho Mirage? For starters, chef/owner Philippe Caupain and his wife, Edith, have chosen to label all the ingredient bins in the kitchen in French. There are the two clocks in the restaurant—one on local time, one on Brussels time. Street scenes from the home country adorn the…
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Since it’s been around for an impressive almost 47 years, I think it’s safe to say the world-renowned Old Spaghetti Factory has proven itself—and then some. With a warm atmosphere, a caring staff, and a simple but delicious classic Italian menu (including the brand’s famous, über affordable 3-Course Meal), it’s a beloved local hot spot…
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“Ours is absolutely the only bar in Rancho Mirage to handcraft its syrups and use fresh juices in all of its cocktails,” head bartender Neil Goetz of State Fare Bar + Kitchen at The Ritz-Carlton tells me. Just some of the indispensable sweet liquids that Goetz and his team fashion daily include rosemary lemon, date…
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How do you improve on perfection? I’d say a Palm Springs Valley first—like placing a whole roasted suckling pig on your menu—would do it. But I’m getting ahead of myself… I’m so happy to report that one of my favorite Rancho Mirage eateries—Catalan Mediterranean Cuisine—has reopened for business after its August hiatus. But rather than…
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When I used to work as a flight attendant, one of my favorite layover cities was Montreal. Not solely because its European flair and flavor can’t be beat anywhere in North America, but because on every layover I’d indulge in one of my favorite taste treats: poutine! For the uninitiated, poutine is an invented-in-Quebec delicacy…
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Any good foodie who’s ever dined at Maracas Mexican Cantina & Grill (located in the Monterey Marketplace nearby Costco and Home Depot in Rancho Mirage) knows that it’s traditional not in the way of most American-styled Mexican restaurants, but traditional in the it’s-as-real-Mexican-cuisine-as-you’ll-find-in-Mexico-City way. I dare say that, with its more than 120 tequilas behind…
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I’m not the most colorful crayon in the box when it comes to artistic talent. Sure, I did my fair share of finger-painting as a tyke, and tried my hand at paint-by-numbers back in the day, but for the most part I leave the creation of “art” to the experts, and prefer to pay for…
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In the five months since he opened bb’s at The River (in partnership with the eponymous investor Barbara Boyajian), owner Jack Srebnik has kept his ear to the ground, listening to customers weigh in with their likes, dislikes, and other opinions and suggestions. The result is a just-released menu that not only boasts new, whimsical…
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One of my very favorite things about Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa—whether I’m there to play a little roulette, to see a live act at ultramodern performance venue The Show, or to take in a decadent treatment at Sunstone Spa—is the plethora of dining options to pick from when whatever I’ve been doing has whetted…
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What would you expect from a place christened Burgers & Beers? Meat between two buns plus a few brews, right? Well, this locally owned, Rancho Mirage family sports bar—located in the Monterey Marketplace on Dinah Shore Drive next to Home Depot and across from Costco (and part of a Palm Springs Valley chain a half-dozen…
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