Chef Cale Falk looks forward to sharing his “playful and bold” culinary skills with “a younger clientele with a different type of palate” as the new executive chef at the Purple Palm Restaurant inside the Colony Palms Hotel in Palm Springs.
Cale, a chef for 15 years, comes from heading the kitchen the last five years at the Indian Wells Golf Resort.
VIDEO: Chef Cale Falk prepares and talks about a signature starter from the new menu.
With attention to sourcing quality ingredients from local, California farmers’ markets and purveyors, Chef Cale's menu includes chiles from Fresno, cod from Morro Bay, salmon from Skuna Bay and Superior lamb and Brandt beef raised in California.
An intriguing array of international ingredients from Asia factor into menu selections, such as black garlic, Togarashi spice blend, miso, yuzu, and sea urchin. Bold flavors are achieved with globally inspired spices like Espelette, smoked paprika, curry, ginger and ancho chile.
Photo by Lori Cohen-Sanford
This cut of California-raised beef is prepared to showcase the naturally flavorful and tender qualities of the meat. A fun and addictive accompaniment is the house-smoked Crème Fraiche. A smoke gun infuses hickory smoke into a creamy sauce that makes you want to drag your fork, and then your tongue, through it to be sure you get every last speck.
Main Courses include a nice variety to satisfy fish and seafood-centric palates, as well as Rack of Lamb, Pork Rack, Flat Iron Beef, Chicken Breast and even Tempeh to tempt the vegetarians and vegans in the crowd.
The lamb is served with Mascarpone Polenta so light and fluffy, it is hard to decide if you should make an effort to savor it separately or allow the nuanced flavor of the jus to soak into it like a cheesy-corn-drenched sponge.
Photo by Lori Cohen-Sanford
The Superior Lamb is raised in Davis, Calif., and Chef Cale says the kitchen ‘gives it a lot of love.’ The slow-roasted, thick-cut chops also benefit from the exotic punch of brightly-hued, Curry Yogurt Sauce.
The new dinner menu debuted over Labor Day weekend. Lunch, Breakfast, Brunch and Happy Hour menus will each have something unique to offer to guests, and are due to be released in phases at weekly intervals throughout September and early October. Call for reservations to experience the culinary vision of Chef Cale in full-scale.
Five Tastes To Tempt:
• Deviled Duck Egg
• Fried Piquillo Peppers
• Skuna Bay Salmon
• California Lamb Rack
• Brandt Beef Flat Iron
The Purple Palm Restaurant, 572 N. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, 760-969-1818; www.colonypalmshotel.com
Lori Cohen-Sanford is a private/personal chef, cooking class instructor and owner of Nourishfoods Organic Meal Services www.nourishfoods.biz. Tastes Around Town will appear weekly on Wednesdays. Follow her on Twitter @nourishfoodsps.
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