Devour the Desert
A Palm Springs Food & Culture Journal
The Local Questions, Vol. 9 | Field Notes From Palm Springs: Guest Complaints
Welcome to our occasional Guest Complaints issue.
We love our guests.
Really.
But after enough time in Palm Springs, you begin to notice that visitors have questions.
Some are philosophical.
Some are practical.
And some are essentially formal complaints filed against the desert.
Why are the stop lights so long?
Does everything here want to prick me, bite me, or kill me?
Fair questions.
We will address them in the order received.
The Date Shake: Theory and Practice
There is a particular kind of American confidence required to look at the hottest, driest, least forgiving stretch of ground in California and think: palm trees.
Not the palm trees that already grow wild in a handful of shaded canyons nearby, mind you, where springs seep up through granite and the Cahuilla people had the good sense to settle centuries before anyone else showed up with opinions.
No. Imported palms.
Palms from Iraq, Algeria and Egypt. Palms that had spent their entire evolutionary history perfecting themselves along the banks of the Euphrates, now expected to make a go of it in a valley where summer temperatures can reach 120 degrees and the annual rainfall might not fill a shot glass twice.
The Local Questions, Vol. 7 | Field Notes from Palm Springs: Just How Much Trouble Can a Celebrity Get Into Here?
What is the most outrageous thing a celebrity ever did in this desert sandbox we call Palm Springs?
This is not an easy question.
There is Olympic-level competition for this particular gold medal.
We can start with Harpo Marx.
The Local Questions, Vol. 6 | Field Notes from Palm Springs
Welcome to Field Notes, our grab bag of questions and answers for all things Palm Springs. Today we’re going to focus on a single question, the one I get asked the most when guiding tours.
This question usually arrives somewhere near the end of a tour.
Not, "What's the best restaurant in Palm Springs?"
That's easy enough to Google. Or ask AI.
Instead, "So... where do you go?"
The Local Questions,Vol.4 | Field Notes from Palm Springs
Every Place Has Its Frequently Asked Questions
In New York, it's, "How do people afford to live here?"
In Seattle, it's, "Does it ever stop raining?"
In Palm Springs, the questions get... weirder.
Why is a giant roadrunner strutting through a parking lot like he owns the place? Do I need to worry about stepping on a rattlesnake? Is everybody really retired or just driving a golf cart? And why do the mountains look different every time you glance up?
The Local Flavors | When Fish Tacos Surrender to Gravity
There comes a moment with some dishes when you realize the original plan is no longer viable.
You intended to pick it up.
The chef had other ideas.
The al pastor fish tacos at Maleza arrive looking, technically, like tacos. There is a handmade flour tortilla involved. There is fish. There are toppings.
But that's where the similarities to ordinary tacos end.
The Local Questions Vol. 3 | Field Notes from Palm Springs
After enough tours, you realize Palm Springs visitors don't just ask where to eat.
They ask the questions that seem simple—right up until you try answering them.
So what's up with all the orange?
Why are there hummingbirds everywhere?
Should I be worried about the tram?
Every place develops its own frequently asked questions. These happen to be ours.
The Local Questions, Vol. 2 | Field Notes From Palm Springs
The Longer You Stay in Palm Springs, The Stranger Your Questions Become
At first it's practical.
Where should we eat? Why is every third house somehow more beautiful than the last? Is everyone really this relaxed?
Then, somewhere around your second single-origin nitro cold brew and fourth glimpse of a hummingbird, your mind begins to wander.
Which is how you end up asking the kind of questions that only make sense in the desert.
The Local Questions, Vol. 1 | Field Notes From Palm Springs
If you spend even a little time here, you start to notice something strange.
Not the obvious stuff—sunshine, palm trees, mountains that look like a painted backdrop—but the quieter questions that keep popping up when you’re standing in line for coffee or driving down Palm Canyon wondering why everything feels slightly unreal in the best possible way.
Here are a few of those questions.
Call it field notes. Call it curiosity. Call it what happens when a desert refuses to behave like anywhere else.
The Local Flavors | Lola Rose and the Hummus That Could
Some side dishes know their place.
A basket of flat bread arrives to keep you occupied while you wait. A small plate of humble hummus appears as an appetizer, dutifully performing its supporting role before the main event arrives.
But some side dishes have greater aspirations. They think they are the Little Engine That Could. They want to make it to the top of the mountain.
And a few... very few... actually do.
Lola Rose's hummus belongs in this final category.
The Local Celebs | Alfred Hitchcock in Palm Springs: Suspense, Sunshine, and Second Helpings
Alfred Hitchcock spent a career making audiences nervous.
Not frightened exactly. Nervous.
Any director can startle you with a loud noise. Hitchcock preferred a gradual approach. He understood that anticipation is often more powerful than the event itself. This is true of murder mysteries, ticking bombs, and restaurant reservations.
Fear, he knew, was best served slowly.
Like a carefully prepared meal.
The Local Culture | The Oasis of Palm Springs: Nothing This Beautiful Happens by Accident
Palm Springs is a city built on optimism.
It is also built on plumbing.
Visitors rarely think about this. They are understandably distracted by mountain views, perfectly chilled martinis, impossibly blue swimming pools and citrus trees that appear to have signed a long-term lease with the sun.
Everything feels effortless.
It isn't.
The Local Flavors | Palm Springs Cocktail Culture: How a Desert City Turned Leisure Into an Art Form
Palm Springs has always understood the importance of a good drink.
Not merely the liquid itself, mind you. Plenty of places serve cocktails. Palm Springs elevated them into a social activity, a fashion accessory, a networking tool, and occasionally a competitive sport.
The Local Flavors | The Best Palm Springs Happy Hours: A Civic Institution Disguised as a Cocktail
In many places, happy hour is a financial strategy.
In Palm Springs, it borders on a civic institution.
Palm Springs may not have invented happy hour, but it has certainly embraced it with unusual enthusiasm.
The Local Flavors | The Cheese Blintzes at Liv's
Nestled inside the Palm Springs Art Museum, Livs Palm Springs occupies one of the city's most charming dining spaces. Part museum café, part neighborhood gathering place, part hidden oasis, it somehow manages to feel both sophisticated and relaxed.
The Local Flavors | A 48-Hour "Design & Dine" Itinerary in Palm Springs
To really see Palm Springs, you have to look past the signs on Palm Canyon Drive. Locals know a lot of the magic is in the interplay between Mid-Century Modern architecture and the desert’s gourmet "hidden gems.” Use this 48-hour itinerary—inspired by our guided walking food tours—to eat like an insider while walking through history. Joining one of our walking food tours will give a lot more insight into our local food culture and history, but here’s some ideas to do on your own, in addition to a tour.
The Local Flavors | Why Palm Springs Is California’s Newest Foodie Capital
We’ve long been known for our pools, celebrities, golf and mid-century modern architecture, along with old-school steakhouses and "date shakes.” But things are changing. Think elevated food prepared by chef-led restaurants, artisan wine and craft cocktails. Our little oasis is becoming a culinary destination rivaling much bigger cities.
This is Us
Meet the founders and owners of Artisan Food Tours and hear why they created their new gourmet food tour company in Palm Springs.
The Local Culture | Beyond the Pools: Exploring the Quirkiest Corners of Palm Springs
While Palm Springs is famous for its mid-century glam and poolside lounging, the magic and charm also lie in its more eccentric corners.
The Local Flavors | A Culinary Journey Through Palm Springs History
Palm Springs isn't just a desert oasis; it's a living museum where every bite tells a story.