Review: Jake’s Restaurant in Palm Springs

Jake’s
664 N. Palm Canyon Dr
760-327-4400
They are closed on Monday and they usually shut down
for the off-season, during the heat of summer.

http://www.jakespalmsprings.com/

I thought I would include a review that I wrote, but never

published, after the first time we went to Jake’s.

May 2011

Jake’s is an intimate indoor-outdoor setting on the East

side of N. Palm Canyon Dr. in the Design District of
downtown Palm Springs.

I say indoor-outdoor because the dining area is a patio

nestled between two buildings and the tables are surrounded
by shrubbery and flowers.  It’s a beautiful setting for a
romantic dinner.

The bartender is an excellent mixologist.  He doesn’t skimp

on the essential ingredients.  My wife had a perfect Cosmo
and I had a Jack & Coke just the way I like it, plenty of Jack
and a splash of Coke.  The drinks were so good we each had
a second with dinner.

The food was well prepared and beautifully presented.

Bonnie, my wife, had the salmon and I had the shrimp &
scallops.  I would highly recommend both.
The waiter managed to be attentive without intruding on
our evening.

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That was written almost 5 years ago and it’s still true today.

We have eaten at Jake’s on several occasions in that time
span and just recently had Easter Brunch there.

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April 2015

My wife started with a Mexi-mosa (mimosa w/tequila) and

I had a Bloody Caesar.

Most restaurants don’t spend a lot of time on presentation
for breakfast food.  Jakes takes care with all their dishes.

For brunch, I had the 3 Egg Breakfast sunny-side, with

apple smoked bacon, roasted breakfast potatoes
(not the usual hash browns), and 9-grain toast.

My wife had Blackstone eggs, similar to eggs benedict,

but made with bacon and fresh spinach.
It, also, comes with their special breakfast potatoes.

The Weekend Brunch menu entrées range from $10 to $18

The Dinner menu entrées range from $19 to $29
And worth every penny and more.

Jake’s gets one of my few 5-star ratings.

Congratulations:

Co-owners Chris and Bruce,
Head Chef Mario,
and of course Jake.

p.s. Next time we go there I plan to take a package of

treats for Jake.

Coming Soon:  ??? (surprise)

  

First Meeting of the South Palm Springs Improvement Group

That’s not the official name of the group.

As a matter of fact, the group doesn’t officially have
a name, yet.
Maybe that should be the first order of business for
the next meeting?

These “thoughts” are not minutes of the meeting, just

a reconstruction from what my memory provides.

This first meeting took place at the Downtown Starbucks

at 101 S. Palm Canyon Dr.  The consensus was that the
next one should be in South Palm Springs area.
Ristretto in the 500 building on E. Ramon was suggested.
My wife and I went through the 500 Building parking lot
after the meeting, about 4:30, and the Ristretto patio was
empty.
Looks like a good choice.  I’m sure the other patrons at
Starbucks wouldn’t mind.

There were 17 people, representing several neighborhoods

in South Palm Springs; Parkview, Tahquitz River Estates,
Canyon Corridor, Warm Sands, and more.

Thank you David Feltman for chairing the meeting.  I was

prepared to take on that responsibility, if necessary,
but I’m glad you “took up the flag”.

We discussed the Magruder building, the Rock Garden, and

the empty lots that create campgrounds for the homeless.
Thomas Evanson talked about finding used syringes, torn
clothing, and other debris in his back yard, which faces
W. Mesquite.  It was suggested he take pictures as evidence
before cleaning it up.

Chris Luhr and Dr. Jonathan Freeman have contacted Palm

Springs City Manager Dr. David Ready about the current status
of the old Magruder building.  Apparently Dr. Ready
responded that a letter has been sent to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs offering to raze the building and dispose of the debris
at the city’s expense.  As of this date, there has not been a
response from B.I.A.
It was recommended that more people write letters and call
the City Managers office to express concern about the issues
we discussed.  It was further agreed that we need to, if
possible, put pressure on the property owners.

Palm Springs City Council candidate Geoff Kors attended to

get a feel for our concerns and to offer support from within the
government.  To learn more about Geoff, go to:
http://www.geoffkors.com/
He’s supporting us in our early stages of development . . .
we need to support him in his bid for City Council.

Thoughts for the next meeting:

     1.   Bring 2 or 3 friends, if possible.
     2.   Name the group.
     3.   Get an e-mail box for the group to use?
     4.   Set up a web presence?
     5.   Invite local businesses to attend and participate.

Once again I would like to thank the following people

who attended the meeting:

Bill Post
Bonnie Findley
Brigett & Tony Z
Chris Luhrs
Danuta Ballinger
David Feltman
Dawn Bern
Gary Johns
Geoff Kors
Jim Forneris
Jon A. Pierson
Dr. Jonathan Freeman
Lyn Tessler
Thomas Evanson

If I miss-spelled your name, please let me know

so I can correct it.

Thanks to Dr. Freeman for compiling the sign-in list

and sending it to me.

Review: Maracas in Palm Springs

This Mexican food restaurant is in the front of the

Downtown Plaza, where Falls and Matchbox are
located, at 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive.

They have indoor seating, side patio seating, and outside

seating in the front.  We took a table in the front this time
so we could watch the tourists.
A couple years ago WE were the tourists.

The house margarita comes in a large(schooner size)

or small(regular size) margarita glass.  The margarita
is very tasty and slightly sweet compared to others
I’ve had.  For this reason, I would definitely opt for salt.
They also have a full-service bar.  Since it was still
afternoon and I had to drive home, we each had a
small margarita.

They immediately bring chips and a bowl of spicy salsa.

This time, my wife had the shrimp enchilada.  She said

it was stuffed with good size shrimp, not just “flavored.”
I had the two-item combo of beef soft taco and chicken
enchilada.  They definitely don’t skimp on the meat.
I could barely finish it and I’m a hearty eater.

Both meals come with rice and refried beans.

The sauces are tasty without the over powering “heat” you
get some places.  If you want it spicier just put on some
of the salsa that comes with the chips.

In the past we have gone there earlier in the day and, if

it’s early enough, I have the machaca.  It’s made with
nicely seasoned shredded beef, unlike some restaurants
that use ground beef.  This comes with rice, beans, and
tortillas.

The service is timely, friendly, and attentive.

The noise level depends on the seating area, but it’s
never been so loud as to be intrusive.

Two regular size margaritas and our meals came to

about $34 (+tip).  Very reasonable.

I would give them 4½ stars.  Only because my

5-star ratings are very few and far between.

Coming soon

Review:  Jake’s (Easter Brunch this year)

Review: Spencer’s Restaurant in Palm Springs

The following is the review my wife wrote on the Open Table site.

“I tried to make a careful and informed choice for a restaurant for my husband and me to celebrate my birthday. Spencer's received many positive reviews for both food and atmosphere, which was frequently described as romantic.

My first mistake, I believe, was agreeing to take an inside table. To me it did not provide the special feeling I was looking for. If I go there again I will wait for an outside table to be available.

At a restaurant described as perfect for couples and romantic, I did not expect to have a family with children seated less than two feet away. It is probably just my expectations that made the experience more negative than it ordinarily would have been.

Food and drink was a little more positive.

I had mushroom risotto with grilled shrimp. I enjoyed it as a very good dish but not outstanding. My husband had a steak with a baked potato which he enjoyed but again not outstanding. For an up-scale restaurant, the presentation on the plate was very dull. The service was excellent. Not rushed, but with a feeling being able to relax rather than being slow.”

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I was less impressed with the whole experience than my wife.

Quiet?  No.

Romantic?  Not really.

I thought the service was slow.

Our drinks took so long, I thought the bar was several blocks away.

Directly over my wife’s head was a mirror wall which gave me
a great(?) view of the kitchen doors.  It took so long to get our
dinner, every time a server came out the doors I found myself
praying it was our food.
That’s very distracting when you’re having drinks and dinner
with a beautiful lady.

My steak was tender and perfectly cooked, but, the
presentation would have given Chef Ramsey apoplexy.

My wife, being the very generous person she is, gave them
3 stars.

I would probably say closer to 2.

JMNSHO

BICYCLE TRAFFIC SAFELY

Why is traffic safety ONLY the responsibility of the driver of the car?

It is not my intention to pick on bicycle riders.

I’m just sick-and-tired of being picked on BY them.

As usual our government goes off half-cocked in their attempts to convince us that they have our best interests at heart.

Don’t just encourage people to ride bicycles for their health . . . Encourage them to do it safely by obeying traffic laws and using common sense.

How about riding at night without lights or reflectors and wearing dark clothes.

Maybe common sense isn’t so common any more.

My dad taught me that “horse sense” is just “stable thinking”.

Numerous times, while driving, I have narrowly avoided a collision with a person riding a bicycle on the street.  Usually it’s because that person is doing something patently unsafe and illegal, like running through a yield sign, stop sign, or red signal light.  On each of these occasions the cyclist:  1. Glared at me;  2. Yelled at me;  3. Gave me the one-finger salute;  4. Occasionally all three.

I have no doubt that, had a collision occurred, the cyclist would have sued ME even though it was his/her fault.

I assume they expect drivers to grant riders ownership of the road and declare them above the law.  “Share the road” means just that - SHARE.  Using the public streets safely is the responsibility of EVERY participant.

When are we going to require adult bicycle riders to attend traffic safety classes, take a test, be issued a license, and procure liability insurance before riding a bicycle on a public thoroughfare?

Motorcycles only have 2 wheels and THEIR riders have to meet strict requirements.

To be fair, bicycle riders should have to meet the same requirements as operators of motorcycles, cars, and trucks; including maintaining liability insurance.

Don’t even get me started on pedestrians who cross the street in the middle of the block without looking.  Or cross against the red light or the “Don’t Walk” sign.

How about the ones who force cars into oncoming traffic by walking two or three abreast in the street when there is a perfectly good sidewalk not 2 feet away???

Maybe they just don’t understand: SIDEWALK.  As in WALK on the SIDE of the road . . . where it’s safer . . . DUH.

 

My rant for the day.


Coming up:  A review of Spencer's Restaurant in Palm Springs.