The new restaurant at Indian Wells’ Renaissance Esmerelda Resort & Spa takes its name — and guiding ethos — from the seven gallons of olive oil sourced from the first harvest of the resort’s on-site olive trees.
As the website explains, those gallons were a small expression of the land cultivated not as part of some grand culinary venture or commercial vision but “as a tribute to California’s agricultural heritage and to something older and simpler: the pleasure of growing, harvesting, and sharing with others.”
Seven Olive is similarly rooted in the agricultural and culinary traditions of California, and specifically the Coachella Valley. It’s fitting, then, that Medjool dates, fresh citrus and produce from local farms all make appearances on Seven Olive’s food and drink menus, which mix refined takes on burgers, onion rings and chicken sandwiches with more eclectic dinner fare.
Here’s a closer look at Seven Olive and the other new places to eat and drink that opened recently across the Coachella Valley, including new spots for tacos, coffee, crepes and chicken sandwiches.
Seven Olive Modern Gastropub
Inside the Renaissance Esmerelda Resort & Spa at 44400 Indian Wells Lane in Indian Wells
True to its name, this 3,500-square-foot, 128-seat restaurant allows diners to mix casual offerings such as a beer cheese dip appetizer and taquitos (filled with birria) with crab pasta, Jidori chicken, oysters, a steak and other more refined fare. A 650-degree brick oven churns out pizzas with topping options including brie, chipotle ranch, meatballs, duck confit and more. And a backlit bar serves a range of cocktails, including an Old Fashioned made with homemade date syrup.
The brightly lit space looks out onto the property’s golf course and is heavy on clean lines, chandeliers and curvilinear furnishings. Adjacent to the gastropub are two new Topgolf-branded golf simulators where you can nosh between swings before heading out to the real course.
Gabino’s
78015 Main St. Suite 108 in La Quinta
Old Town La Quinta is the latest desert neighborhood to welcome a branch of this local chain, whose decadent handheld crepes have made it a desert mainstay (and even earned it coverage on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”). The sleek, modern space (it’s the former Disco Rabbit spot) features an indoor seating area, unlike the Palm Springs original, as well as a wall adorned with a quotes from famous rappers, including Lil Wayne.
The Pin Kitchen + Bar
Inside The Lights at Indio clubhouse, 83040 Avenue 42 in Indio
The debut of the new clubhouse at The Lights at Indio municipal golf course included the unveiling of this full-service restaurant (the name stands for “Play Indio Nights” in a reference to the golf course being lit to accommodate play at night). Gone is the snack bar fare that was on offer. In its place are dishes like fish tacos and chicken tinga tostadas. There’s also a selection of salad, and flatbreads, plus appetizers like the al pastor fire chicken skewers. Draft beer from Indio Brewing and a few “grab-and-go” options round out the offerings, which are served in a window-filled space that is decorated with colorful windows and offers wide views of the course.
Chick-fil-A
41902 Jackson Street in Indio
The famous fried chicken chain continued its expansion within the Coachella Valley with the opening of this new easternmost outpost in a shopping center just south of the same Lights at Indio golf course. It’s next to a Dutch Bros. Coffee.
Tacos La Fogata
84400 Indio Boulevard in Indio
The motto of Indio’s newest Mexican food spot is “100% al carbon.” That translates to “100% charcoal grilled,” a reference to how the restaurant’s meats are imparted with their deep smokey flavor. Asada, pastor and birria are among the protein options for the tacos and burritos here, but so are beef tongue, cheek and tripe, plus “taco haze,” a combination of steak, green chile and melted cheese. Spice up your entrée at the sizable salsa bar.
The Grind
Inside Augustine Casino at 84-001 Avenue 54 in Coachella
Bleary-eyed cards and slots players can now fuel up at Augustine Casino’s new coffee shop, which serves drip coffees, cold brew and americanos made with beans from Saguaro Coffee, which opened in Indio last year. Teas, matcha lattes, frappes, seasonal specialties and pastries like strudels and muffins round out the selection.
Coach coffee shop
Inside the Coach store, Desert Hills Premium Outlets at 48650 Seminole Road in Cabazon, Space K100
Is your cute Coach handbag even worth having if you don’t have a cup of Coach-branded coffee to go with it? That seems to be the thinking behind the brand adding cafes, a trend that has reached the Golden State with the opening of this outpost within the brand’s existing store in Cabazon’s Desert Hills Premium Outlets. The “Tabby Cake,” a cake shaped like Coach’s famous Tabby handbag, spices up a menu that includes a fairly standard mix of coffee, espresso and tea drinks and pastries.
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Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: New restaurants in Palm Springs area include crepe and taco spots
Reporting by Paul Albani-Burgio, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Albani-Burgio, Palm Springs Desert Sun | USA TODAY Network
