A Food-Filled Palm Springs Getaway!
Anna & I had a blast out in Palm Springs! We stayed at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club & loved it! Super cool & chill environment, great poolside music & cocktails, yummy restaurant, & fantastic hipster watching…
We embarked on our 2.5 hour drive mid-morning on Saturday. Once in the desert, our first stop: Native Foods!!!! I’ve been dying to try it, & after looking at the menu, Anna was too!
It was nearly impossible to decide what to eat, as there were so many yummy looking dishes on the menu! I even had a few recommendations from fellow bloggers, but in the end, I went with my original choice, which also happened to be the daily special…
“Portobello Mushroom & Sausage Burger” with grilled portobellos, homemade Seitan sausage, pomodoro, caramelized onions, sweet roasted garlic, creamy pumpkin seed pesto & mayo.
It was super yummy, flavorful & filling, but very messy!!!!! I’m still on the fence about how I feel about Seitan. It actually was my first time trying it & honestly it’s not my favorite - texture & flavor wise. But, all in all I enjoyed the burger!
Anna felt like having a salad, so she ordered the…
“Soy Amigo Taco Salad with Avocado” a blend of romaine, cabbage, Native Taco Meat, & salsa fresca. Topped with corn, green onion, cilantro, tortilla chip croutons. Served with creamy chipotle dressing on the side.
Wow! The portions here are huge! The veggies were really fresh & creamy chipotle dressing was amazing! However, we agreed that the texture of the “taco meat” was a little off, but we know, meat substitutes are a challenge.
For the most part, we both enjoyed our experience at Native Foods & probably would’ve gone back a second time, but our server told us that they were planning to open a restaurant in San Diego’s “Hillcrest” neighborhood, which is not to far from where I live! So we figured we’d have ample opportunities to try it again!
After feasting on yummy vegan eats, it was on to the “Amigo Room,” back at The Ace, for some handcrafted cocktails! We really enjoyed these & few too many, in fact! Went down a little too easily…
“Desert Facial” Muddled Cucumber & Mint, Vodka & Pineapple Juice
On Sunday, after poolside Bloody Marys, swimming & sun, we headed over the Palm Greens Cafe, which is known for “surf videos, mellow tunes, & fantastic, organic food.” They do not use additives, preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup, but pride themselves on using organic ingredients & making everything in small batches, so the food is super fresh every day.
They are located in a strip mall & have kind of a funky decor, but have a wonderful mostly vegetarian/vegan menu, with lots & lots of yummy looking salads, wraps, gourmet sandwiches & stir-fry bowls. It was so hard to choose, but after a heavy breakfast & cocktails in 106 degree weather, I felt like something light, fresh & crisp. So I was boring & ordered a salad…
“Indonesian Greens” with avocado, carrot, cucumber, sugar peas, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, peanuts & grilled tofu with a ginger-miso dressing.
The veggies were fresh, & the grilled tofu was perfection!
Anna was more adventerous & ordered this…
“Grilled Tempeh Ruben” with sauerkraut, & vegan cheese, on Jewish rye bread with Russian dressing.
OMG! I love tempeh & this was so, so good! Thanks, Anna, for sharing a few bites! It was really, really rich, though!
Their breakfast menu looked so good that the next morning, before heading home, we decided to return! We were both feeling pretty heavy from all the eating, drinking, etc., & craved something light & nourishing.
I had planned to order one of their lovely looking smoothies, but I also love a tofu scramble & healthy greens, so I ordered the…
“Paul’s Scramble” with tofu, kale, & garden greens served with 9 grain bread.
This was the perfect way to start the morning & end our adventure! The tofu was just the right texture & had wonderful flavor!
Anna ordered the “souped up” version…
“Organic Breakfast Bowl” with scrambled tofu, brown rice, sauteed spinach, kale, zucchini, mushrooms, red onion, carrot, ginger & garlic. Served with a whole wheat tortilla & salsa.
She said it was super yummy as well!
The weekend went by so fast, but we were happy to get out of the extreme heat! Until next time, Palm Springs!!!!
