morgan’s IN THE DESERT
La Quinta Resort & Club
49499 Eisenhower Drive, La Quinta
760-564-5725
laquintaresort.com
Established in 1926 by resort founder Walter H. Morgan as a place for his celebrity friends to gather and dine, Morgan’s is all about unpretentious elegance. Think artful plating and local produce.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY @BEARLEADERCHRONICLE
Chef Katherine Gonzalez of Chúla Artisan Eatery.
CHÚLA ARTISAN EATERY
47150 Washington St., Suite B, La Quinta
760-227-6616
chulaeatery.com
Katherine Gonzalez has taken traditional recipes she learned from her mother and given them a modern, farm-to-table spin at this rustic-elegant breakfast and lunch spot. Everything — from the salsas to the cactus tortillas to the turkey chorizo — is made from scratch with an eye toward dishes that are healthy, light, and as Gonzalez likes to say, “oh so bueno.” Chúla also provides plenty of gluten-free and vegan options including a daily plant-based tamale (an anomaly in the world of Mexican fare!) made with coconut oil. The best part? It’s an all-day menu, so you can get fish tacos first thing in the morning or breakfast chilaquiles midafternoon.
la quinta cliffhouse
78250 highway 111
, La Quinta
760-360-5991
laquintacliffhouse.com
If you’ve been staring at the mountain vistas imagining what it might be like to dine amid the jagged granite rocks, it’s time for a dinner reservation at Cliffhouse. Jutting out from a hillside, the upper-level restaurant is accessible by either an elevator or an open-air stairway that climbs over an entryway waterfall. String lights stoke an intimate mood on the cliffside patio. Beer drinkers will appreciate the rotating selection of craft brews on tap.
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La Quinta Brewing Co. Old Town Taproom serves wine, cider, and fresh locally made beer.
• See related story: Where to Eat in Cathedral City.
OLD TOWN LA QUINTA
78100 Main St., La Quinta
760-600-0758
oldtownlaquinta.com
After a trip to Europe, developer Wells Marvin became enthralled with the idea of creating a town square back home in the Golden State to cultivate faraway feelings of quietude, romance, and small-town bonhomie for his own community. After seven years’ building through the early 2000s, the Spanish-style Old Town — and the city of La Quinta’s Main Street — was born. Cobblestone sidewalksbrimming with bougainvillea connect casual alfresco restaurants with boutiques and retailers purveying everything from fine olive oils to artisanal skincare products. Regular events include a farmers market and outdoor film screenings.
• See related story: Where to Eat in Coachella.
PHOTOGRAPH BY @BEARLEADERCHRONICLE
Old Town La Quinta.
adobe grill
La Quinta Resort & Club
49499 Eisenhower Drive, La Quinta
760-564-5725
laquintaresort.com
Adobe Grill brings the essence of Mexico to the California desert by way of Oaxacan motif and a tequila list of more than 100 labels. Try the ahi tuna tostadas, a margarita, and the handmade tamales.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ABODE GRILL
Adobe Grill
twenty6
La Quinta Resort & Club
49499 Eisenhower Drive, La Quinta
760-564-5725
laquintaresort.com
This modern American bistro specializes in innovative takes on the classics, from buttermilk hotcakes for breakfast to rosemary-roasted chicken dinners. Head to the bar for handcrafted drinks.
• See related story: Where to Eat in Rancho Mirage.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY TWENTY6
Twenty6 Restaurant