The results are in. Here are this month’s winners for Best of the Best as voted by Palm Springs Life readers.
Best Steakhouse:
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. Maybe it’s the dry-aged prime ribeye (particularly appropriate for the desert). Maybe it’s more than 100 wines you can order by the glass, a different varietal for each course with 97 more on your to-drink list. Maybe it’s the jalapeños they put in the signature potatoes that makes the beef even bolder. This is where you like to meet for meat. 71800 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage. 760-776-6685; www.flemingssteakhouse.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM
The Palm Springs art Museum.
Best Museum: Palm Springs Art Museum
It’s a lovely, low-slung structure nestled in the shadow of the San Jacintos in the heart of downtown. Its soul is contemporary, its outlook locally global, with a collection embracing Native American and Western art as well as Picasso, Warhol, Chagall, Calder, and more. Unlike a lot of “cultural” institutions, this one is also neighborly: Admission is free during Thursday’s VillageFest. 101 N. Museum Drive, Palm Springs. 760-322-4800; www.psmuseum.org
Best Public Golf Course: Indian Canyons Golf Resort
Best Public Golf Course: Indian Canyons Golf ResortIt’s like the popular, handsome, smart jock in high school who’s also really, really nice. No one doesn’t like this place. It has all the stuff golfers want — a choice of two courses, driving range, putting green, chipping area, club rentals, golf shops, good food and drink … as well as something only Nature provides: less wind than many other area courses. And when your lie is ugly, the course corrects with its own pulchritude. 1097 E. Murray Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. 760-833-8700; www.indiancanyonsgolf.com
Best Gift Store: Just Fabulous
Is this a store or a second home? Cool furnishings, engaging art, wonderful selection of cards, book readings, and a garden in the back. Good karma, as well as marvelous merchandise, is in abundance. Why can’t all retail establishments find such stellar staff? 515 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. 760-864-1300; www.bjustfabulous.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF PARKER PALM SPRINGS
The Parker Palm Springs.
Best Mid-Sized Hotel: Parker Palm Springs
Thirteen acres of bliss. Time was, this was where Gene Autry hung his cowboy hat, but today it’s where you can dine well, swim in three pools, play tennis and lawn games, spa yourself silly, and stare at gorgeous gardens and the desert beyond. It’s sophisticated, but not at the expense of a sense of fun. As the website says, “We believe you’re only young once … but you can be immature forever.” 4200 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. 760-770-5000; www.parkerpalmsprings.com
Best Florist: Palm Springs Florist, Inc.
Say it, don’t spray it … unless you articulate with fetching floral fancy from the plant provider that’s been doing it here for nearly 70 years. Order online, over the phone, or stroll through the greenhouse to choose the best botanical bunch on the block. They’ll even show you a photo of your arrangement before it’s delivered. This is a family-owned concern whose first deliveries were made by the founder, tooling around town on his Schwinn as his spouse rode the handlebars, clutching the precious cargo. 894 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. 760-325-7441; www.palmspringsflorist.net