Five restaurants in Palm Springs and surrounding desert cities are reimagining classic comfort foods. Dig in, enjoy, and report back your findings.
For the Birds
Chickens cluck for Copley’s Lobster & Shrimp Pot Pie baked to perfection with a warm puff pastry dome. That’s because the hearty dish is actually made with all surf, plus braised winter vegetables, garlic cream, and fresh herbs.
Copley’s on Palm Canyon
Palm Springs
copleyspalmsprings.com
More Than Meats the Eye
Fantasy Springs Resort Casino’s high-end Kobe Beef Meatloaf, doesn’t have any scraps. Executive chef Freddy Rieger stuffs it with an aged white cheddar center, then drizzles the meatloaf with a porcini demi-glace.
The Bistro at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
Indio
fantasyspringsresort.com
Veg Out
The pleasant aroma of prime cuts permeating the grill at Mr. Lyons Steakhouse probably won’t please vegetarians. Luckily, the innovative chefs also offer a mean Vegetable Wellington, made with — you guessed it — veggies, not beef.
Mr. Lyons Steakhouse
Palm Springs
mrlyonsps.com
Mr. Lyons’ Vegetable Wellington
Say Cheese
There’s no Velveeta in Trio’s Mac and 5 Cheese. The decadent take on the classic side pairs oodles of noodles with melted Gouda, cheddar, blue, Romano, and goat cheeses, then tosses them with crispy bacon, tomato, and bread crumbs.
Trio
Palm Springs
triopalmsprings.com
Uni-que Upgrade
The Venue chef-owner Engin Onural elevates an otherwise basic Japanese egg-custard tradition. His sophisticated Chawanmushi replaces ingredients like shiitake mushrooms and boiled shrimp with Santa Barbara sea urchin and Périgord black truffle from France.
The Venue Sushi Bar & Sake Lounge
Palm Desert
thevenuepalmdesert.com