Baristo

Owner Liz Ostoich modeled Farm after the places she visited in her travels through southern France. This explains the Provençal aesthetic in the garden dining area (green shutters, wicker chairs, rustic wood dining tables), the French-press coffee, the house-made jams, and the truly impressive variety of paper-thin sweet and savory crepes. When we're there, we participate in an (almost) all-Brie diet, made possible by the pear, Brie, arugula, walnut, and date jam baguette, followed by the hazelnut, fig, and brown-sugar-baked Brie.

Weekend brunch here means outstanding eggs cooked every way imaginable—poached, sunny-side up, Benedict, scrambled—coupled with seriously indulgent dishes like blackberry custard French toast, biscuits and gravy, burgers, and melts (ham and Gruyère; asparagus, tomato, and Havarti). Come hungry—portions are on the generous side—then go ahead and cancel plans for the rest of the day.

A Palm Springs classic, Las Casuelas has been serving live music and killer margaritas (the blood orange with Casamigos is our favorite) since the ’70s. And it’s the perfect spot to hit before a night on the town, thanks to the central location. Foodwise, we love the crunchy taquitos, tortilla soup, and the achiote chicken lettuce wraps (for health-conscious LA weekenders). Whatever you do, don’t leave without trying the house-made guacamole.

This no-frills, feel-good restaurant has been around for over twenty years—and not much on the menu has changed since it opened. Locals swear by this lunch-only burger joint, famous not only for the burgers (we love the turkey burger, though the tuna and egg salad sandwiches are excellent, too) but for the homemade potato salad and the blissfully old-fashioned chocolate malts and root beer floats.

Midwest natives Jeremy Smick and Samantha Caltagirone opened their lifestyle boutique in 2017 and stocked it with the store’s own line of delicate jewelry, floaty dresses and rompers (godsends in the desert heat), hand-painted dishes, Italian ceramics, and decorative trinkets from their travels around the world. There are also antique rugs and furniture, making it one of our favorite one-stop shops for the home.

Pork belly fried rice with spicy okra is a standout at this dinner-only Vietnamese-American spot. Arrive early to avoid a line out the door, though if you have to wait, know that it’s worth it. We’d come just for the cocktails, especially the Floating Orchid, made with vodka, pear nectar, elderflower, lemon, and cava.

Photographer Jaime Kowal created The Amado, a five-unit long-term rental property the heart of town. After putting the property through an extensive top-to-bottom renovation, she decorated each apartment-style suite (private kitchens, vintage fireplaces, and pool access are standard) with one of the five elements in mind. Overall, the aesthetic is minimal with jolts of Southwestern patterns and photography thrown in for good measure.