Things to do / Travel Guide
Like most places in California, the California Desert region has a wide variety of ethnic and international dining options. Sushi is very common in the larger cities, like San Bernardino and Palm Springs, as is Chinese, Asian fusion, and other types of cuisine originating in or inspired by the Far East. In addition, steakhouses and American-style diners are also very common. In most of the region's far-flung areas (like Death Valley), however, good restaurants can be hard to find, as distances between towns can be great and dining options are limited.
Palm Springs Dining Overview
Undisputedly, Palm Springs is the region's hub when it comes to quality and quantity of dining options. On the main boulevard of Palm Canyon Drive and within a radius of a few blocks you'll find great restaurants offering everything from budget and fast food fare to top-notch gourmet cuisine. It's even easy to find fresh sushi, right in the heart of this desert oasis. Note that if you're staying in one of the city's luxury resorts, there's a good chance that food may be included in the price package. Many resorts and spas in the area are known for featuring fine food and well-known chefs. Indeed, the fine culinary creations of these resort chefs are amongst the best (and priciest) dining options in the California Desert. Naturally, you don't have to be a guest at the resort to have a meal there.
Palm Springs boasts a few expensive and formal dining establishments, a remnant of the city's days as the premier vacation spot for Hollywood celebrities in decades past. If a romantic evening dressed up drinking cocktails under the desert sky is what you're looking for at the end of a day of touring, you can find it in Palm Springs. A perennial favorite in Palm Springs is the Cedar Creek Inn, one of the city's more popular spots to celebrate special occasions for over 20 years. Steak, lobster, and fine appetizers keep this fine eatery a local hotspot year after year.
For a meat-eater's feast fit for a king, check out Picanha Brazilian Grill and Bar, where Samba dancers entertain the crowd while waiters circle through the restaurant with massive skewers laden with various cuts of steaks for you to sink your teeth into.
San Bernardino Dining Overview
San Bernardino boasts a number of fine restaurants befitting a town of its size. Fine steakhouses, sushi bars, and top-notch Italian and Asian restaurants can be found around the city. Even though nowadays the city has a great number of fine dining establishments, San Bernardino's best known culinary contribution has been McDonalds, which opened its first branch here in 1940. In addition, diners and breakfast spots are particularly plentiful in San Bernardino.
Like Palm Springs, one of the more popular cuisine styles proffered by San Bernardino restaurants is “Cal-Asian,” or “Pacific Rim” food. It blends Chinese- and Japanese-style ingredients and cooking methods to produce a one-of-a kind style. There's also plenty of sushi available at multiple restaurants throughout the city, befitting the Japanese staple's popularity in California.
Dining in Big Bear Lake, Barstow, and Small California Desert Towns
Big Bear Lake has a number of reasonably-priced restaurant options conveniently located in the town center as well as diners and breakfast spots. Big Bear Lake is also home to some very high-end lunch and dinner establishments, where it can cost upwards of $40 per person for steak and a drink. Note that some high-class resorts in Big Bear Lake have excellent chefs on staff whose delectable creations make for some of the greatest dining options in the California Desert region. These exquisite meals are often included in the price of accommodation if you're staying at a resort in town.
In smaller towns and less-frequented areas, like Barstow and Death Valley, dining options are usually limited to fast food establishments and the occasional local diner or café as the towns simply aren't large enough to support a fine dining scene. On the other hand, a bevy of diners, breakfast spots, and fast food restaurants that are easy on the budget, are easy to find, often at roadside locations. Notably, steakhouses and American-style diners are very common throughout the region.
Unique California Desert Cuisine
A southwestern United States mainstay, Mexican food is very popular throughout the California Desert region. You can easily find restaurants serving bargain Tex Mex offerings like enchiladas and taco plates in even the smallest towns in the region. In the larger cities, keep on the lookout for Central Mexican cuisine. A more “authentic” style of Mexican food less familiar to most Americans, Central Mexican cuisine has a high emphasis on seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, and elaborate sauces - a healthier variety of Tex Mex than that found elsewhere.
|
|
|