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Edgy and urban in rugged natural desert landscape, the postmodern cinderblock, glass, and steel restaurant juts out toward the street with a series of floor-to-ceiling windows that frame a heart-stopping view of the Santa Rosa Mountains. Upholstered chairs pull up to tables illuminated by cone-shaped lamps.

New Yorker Rick Lattanzio created Amoré as an authentic Italian dining experience. Shape and color play an integral part in the dishes. Served on angular white porcelain are fragrant pastas topped with tomato sauce or pesto. Fish, chicken, veal, and meat dishes are served with sides of asparagus, red Swiss chard, stuffed purple baby eggplant, and broccoli rabe. A complete wine wall houses Italian and Californian selections.
Next door is Amoré’s Italian Deli, serving a variety of cold meats, cheeses, breads and pannini, salads, antipasto, olives, cookies, and pastries for takeout or eating in the deli or on the patio.

The contemporary, art-filled Desert Sage Restaurant and Bar is under the new ownership of Steve Adams and David Milutinovich. Chef Aaron Burnett’s contemporary French menu starts with a dozen delectable appetizers, such as vodka-cured Atlantic salmon with pickled shallots, figs, crème fraîche, and shiso. Crispy sweetbreads are served with butter-braised tomatoes, pine nuts, peppercress, and pancetta. Seared foie gras arrives with roasted black mission figs on toasted brioche.

Creative entrees include Halibut en Casserole with vegetables simmered in black truffle broth. Sautéed Breast of Free Range Chicken is defined with caramelized nectarines, rose petals, roasted cipollini, and Normandy butter. A port-and-red-wine-braised short rib is paired with celery root purée and caramelized salsify.

Twenty 6, La Quinta Resort & Club’s new modern American bistro, is a trendy culinary destination similar to one you might find in Los Angeles or New York.

Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner year-round, Twenty 6 offers contemporary design, an intimate-yet-open dining area with a large patio, and full bar and lounge.

A handwritten chef’s daily menu includes signature dishes such as cioppino with amedley of seafood and shellfish in an aromatic, vegetable-laced fish fumé peaked with a half Maine lobster and garlic crostini. Hand-tossed, thin-crust pizzas may be topped with roasted tomato, goat cheese, toasted almonds, and grilled onions. Shrimp cocktail is served ice cold with a spicy house-made sauce.