If you are a local food-avore, keeping your finger on the food pulse of new things around town, you might feel your own pulse quicken at two new eateries elevating the foodie street cred of Palm Springs.
Serious Food and Drink
photo by lori cohen-sanford
Think of the Quack Stack as a Poutine on duck steroids. Seriously.
Most recent to open along the downtown row of restaurants on Palm Canyon Drive, in the former Hamburger Mary’s space, is Serious Food and Drink.
This interesting mix of Gastro Pub, Comfort Food and Gourmet Classic American Cuisine is fit for the serious foodie. Opened by co-owner/chefs, Kathleen Brown and Jacqueline Bruton, this is dream realized by two friends who were students in culinary school together 13 years ago at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. They decided it was high time to raise the bar, take a leap, and open a place of their own.
Chef Brown describes the menu as “comfort food for the sophisticated palate,” featuring locally-sourced, scratch preparations and fresh ingredients. The menu offers playful takes on menu items like The Quack Stack, a concoction of duck fat-fried potatoes, duck confit, crispy duck skin, and duck egg hollandaise sauce.
photo by lori cohen-sanford
The House Smoked Salmon Rillette is seriously so-fish-ticated.
Fish is also prepared with finesse, as with the House Smoked Salmon Rillette. It is served in a small glass ball jar, layered with house-smoked salmon, salmon fat and lemon-tarragon butter.
photo by lori cohen-sanford
A half pound of burger love is topped with sweet onion-bacon jam, and your favorite cheese (bleu, jack, cheddar, havarti or smoked gouda) and served on a housemade brioche bun.
If you are a burger lover and live in search of the seriously stacked patty, you should know that the Seriously Good Burger & Fries fits the bill.
Plate|Glass
photo courtesy of plate|glass
Plate|Glass serves up a variety of sweet and savory crepes to start the day. The Florentine Mushroom Crepe is elevated with roasted tomato cream.
Located in the heart of the downtown tourist district, and true to its upstairs location, Plate Glass will have you thinking that things are “looking up” on the food scene in Palm Springs.
This space is the enterprise of Ramond|Lawrence, the dynamic duo of Raymond Lawrence and Larry Abel who also own a popular retail incubator in the Uptown Design District. What was formerly a popular dessert and coffee shop, Crave, has been reinvented with a new chef and an all–day menu, offering “savory beginnings and happy endings."
photo courtesy of plate|glass
Representing the Glass in the restaurant’s name, the Blueberry Pomegranate Margarita will have you lifting yours to toast this refreshing mix of tequila, blueberry-pomegranate juice, fresh blueberries and lime.
Afternoon offerings include a nice variety of salads for a lighter bite.
photo courtesy of plate|glass
The Mini-Wedge Salad contains the classic flavors of everyone’s traditional favorite, including bacon and bleu cheese crumbles, but packs extra panache with the addition of red onion-tomato compote.
If you are looking for a more bread-driven, mid-day fix, consider one of the Melts, which offer something to entice for meat-lovers and vegetarians.
photo courtesy of plate|glass
I half-expect John Wayne to saunter in to taste the Cowboy Melt – steak, cheddar, spinach and mushrooms, melted and riding bareback with horseradish aioli.
To continue the tradition the restaurant has built with the dessert crowd, there is plenty to entice you to indulge your sweet side on the “plate” and order something from the bar to fill your “glass.”
photo courtesy of plate|glass
Hazelnut Caramel Crunch is a delightfully ‘sweet ending’ with hazelnut and chocolate mousse sitting atop a chocolate crisp, dusted in cocoa and crowned with a pool of caramel.
Serious Food and Drink, 415 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, 760-832-6023; www.seriousfoodanddrink.com
Plate|Glass, 301 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, 760-322-2322; www.plate-glass.com
Lori Cohen-Sanford is a private/personal chef, cooking class instructor and owner of Nourishfoods Organic Meal Services www.nourishfoods.biz. Her food column, Tastes Around Town, will appear weekly on Wednesdays. Have a story idea? You can contact Lori at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @nourishfoodsps.
Like what you're reading? Then "Like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter.