Nutmeg’s family was visiting the California Desert for the first time in many years. On previous trips, they had ventured as far as a few sand traps and into the rough vegetation on the other side of out-of-bounds stakes at the golf course. This time, Nutmeg’s plan was to limit potential frustrations found on fairways and putting greens and introduce the group to the dusty dunes and hardy flora of the Coachella Valley.
The waitress had Nutmeg sold at the mention of homemade English muffins…she did not even need to talk about the jams.
Kelly McFall had a vision for a cafe a dream that was 10-years in the making. Where most people would shy away from a new restaurant project in a fickle, seasonal marketplace with high-end rents, Kelly continued to move her idea forward and recently opened Wilma and Frieda’s Café, a tribute to youthful recollections of her two grandmothers.
Flawless green lawns, vivid crayon-coloured annuals, miniature potted palms and manicured golf courses all exist on land that was once desert scrub. Nutmeg disgusted with her golf game and not a dedicated shopper decided that it would be time well spent to understand more about their natural surroundings.
Good news – she found Desert Adventures. Not knowing much about the company she asked Kimberly Nilsson one of the co-owners for a bit of background.
Often Nutmeg’s most intriguing encounters start at the market and end in a DATE!
…a date plantation in Indio, California.
El Paseo in Palm Desert, California gets high marks from well-heeled fashionistas for its array of retail stores. Like “sister” streets around the world iconic, exclusive, name-brand boutiques grace the roadway where gleaming automobiles some more expensive than the average house, are parked close by. It is so customary to see fancy cars that a roaring motor is hardly extraordinary – until there are 300 of them!
Tangerine walls, a bold statement in a landscape dotted by countless malls and chain restaurants. If you have spent any time in Mediterranean Europe, you could be forgiven for thinking you left Southern California at the parking lot the moment you enter Clementine Gourmet Marketplace & Cafe. It is a relatively new Mecca of fresh food, robust espresso and persuasive treats.
Before you let your mind get too far with that, it is the name of a HIKE!
Nutmeg is terrified of snakes and a good girl scout, so there is no way she is going hiking alone. The Bump and Grind hike is different, it is like going to the gym outside. You park in a very urban setting, right behind Target and basically follow the crowd. It is a very good workout, 2 miles up and about 750 feet of elevation gain. The path is wide so you can easily pass slower walkers and you can see the snakes if they are on the trail (thankfully none in sight). Like every hike in the desert make sure to take water, a hat, sunglasses, wear sunscreen and do not wear white shorts (no one should). Other than a decent workout, the people watching is certainly lots of fun.
Here is Nutmeg’s association of hikers on the trail to the cars parked at the start;
Bottom line – Do the Bump and Grind in Palm Desert – it’s a spectacle and a good work-out. Drop by the Starbucks on El Paseo after and you have had a really great morning of people watching.
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Nutmeg was curious, in December she and Ginger had fresh squeezed orange juice every morning from the tree outside the door in Palm Desert. However, in June no decent oranges, lemons or grapefruits for any juice. The trees are still very healthy and there are signs of fruit to come, although not anytime soon…
So Nutmeg wondered: do the trees only bare fruit once a year? The answer is yes, unfortunately.
Is California really the place for citrus? The answer is yes although it is not the leader in US production. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes monthly results and forecasts by state and by type of produce; oranges “non-Valencia”, oranges “Valencia”, grapefruit, tangerines, tangelos, lemons etc. Florida by far has the largest production (131 million boxes – forecast for 2010), followed by California (59 million), Texas (1,6 million) and Arizona weighs in with some minor production. Total US production forecast for 2010 is 192 million boxes. Interesting to note, Brazil is actually the largest producer of orange juice in the world, followed by the USA, then Mexico. Europe’s overall production has been declining although Spain does produce lots of oranges – hence the names Valencia and Seville.
Although not entirely precise it is widely thought from the research that citrus fruits began to appear in Asia around 4000BC. The name orange is thought to have derived from Sanskrit. From Asia the cultivation spread slowly to Africa then to southern Europe. The Spaniards brought the plants to the Americas. World trade in orange juice began in the 1940s.
A few more interesting tidbits:
So Nutmeg’s questions are answered and she is having to satisfy her thirst with Tropicana OJ – made from Brazil and US oranges.
Cheers!
Nutmeg could not be happier to discover some coffee options in the land of Starbucks. The alternative coffee-house options much like really good restaurant options in Palm Springs, Palm Desert and most of Riverside County are limited. There are of course the ubiquitous Starbucks outlets in almost every second strip mall. However, as you may have gathered that is almost the land of last resort for Nutmeg. Continue reading
If you were stuck on a desert island what would you eat?
If you are visiting Palm Desert what would you eat??
The choices on an island are slim and in Palm Desert are vast, although far from fantastic. In Palm Desert (and most of the surrounding area) it is a safe bet you will find lots of food chains, big restaurants, large menus, sizable helpings and mediocre food. Nutmeg says this may sound terrible and although it is not a crisis, you need to try hard to find the gems – don’t worry this is one challenge she is always up for!
One of these gems is NO DA TE on El Paseo in Palm Desert . This small sushi restaurant has never disappointed. The sushi chef and owner Shin is very involved, if he is not making sushi he is in the restaurant making sure the quality is just so. Ideally, try to sit at the sushi bar to catch the food preparation in progress and the people scene developing – neither of which disappoint. The people scene usually involves some enhanced body parts, large hair, bright very white smiles and possibly some illicit couples…lots of fun if the food prep is boring.
The food will not disappoint. They have many really creative inside and outside rolls. Nutmeg has voted M-63 her favorite with shrimp tempura and spicy tuna. The carpaccios are awesome too – the halibut and yellow tail were fantastic this week – always ask the chef for his recommendations. In addition, they have specials and ladies nights with half-price rolls so it is worth checking into if you are in town.
So whether you are stuck on a desert island or Palm Desert you will be great hands if you visit NO DA TE.
Enjoy!
NOTE: the other great rolls to try are No Name 5, B-Kevin and GSP 2 (it’s not on the board as for a GSP with Spicy Tuna)
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