ShopEatSleep

Chef Tara Lazar

I met Chef Tara Lazar in the lounge of her restaurant Chi Chi Palm Springs in the Avalon Hotel. It was a slow night. Palm Springs is a resort town at the mercy of seasons and travelers.

But all is not what it seems: Lazar was also overseeing three simultaneous catering jobs as owner of Foundation 10 Creative Group. In other words, getting her food out to the people.

She cares deeply about what she’s feeding people. Beyond the execution of the dishes, Lazar is in charge of sourcing the ingredients from local farms, keeping everything within 100 miles of the restaurant. Maintaining freshness and nutrient integrity of proteins and produce makes a true difference in her dishes, and she does not compromise in the quality of her farm sources.

Lazar is most intrigued by home cooking, something cooks and chefs crave to eat themselves. Small, particular tweaks that their grandmothers might do to make dishes their own can make all the difference, and she loves the realness and care in that.

The realness carries over to Lazar’s menus. At her popular brunch establishment Cheeky’s, the menu can change weekly. At Chi Chi Palm Springs, the menu is more consistent, but the dishes on offer always account for the seasonality of ingredients. It’s understood that certain boxes need to be checked to get a popular draw from what’s in demand (see: cauliflower and kale), but that’s just the gateway to introduce people to food that’s more loving than trendy.

Keep reading

Hyatt Palm Springs

Looking for a reasonably priced getaway? Then consider Hyatt Palm Springs.

Palm Springs is just a couple hours away from Los Angeles, so it’s no wonder the desert town has become a go-to destination for young and old alike. And Hyatt Palm Springs, located in the downtown area, is convenient for exploring on foot (or bike, which can be borrowed from the hotel at no cost for guests) and is a short drive away from all the trendy hot spots in Palm Springs.

Previously branded as a Hyatt Regency Suites, the Hyatt Palm Springs recently has been remodeled and features all suite rooms, offering tons of space for your group of friends or your family.

King room with a mountain view

Mountain view

When it comes to food and drink, the hotel has Share restaurant, where you can get a breakfast buffet or order off an a la carte menu, and the outdoor HooDoo Lounge for drinks in the evening.

A la carte breakfast at Share

Mother’s Day breakfast buffet

There’s also a pool with private cabanas and huge ottomans for laying out (my favorite part).

Hyatt Palm Springs pool

We recently stayed at the Hyatt Palm Springs in a King suite with a balcony. While we were sufficiently comfortable, I can’t say there’s anything special about the place other than the abundance of space. And the same goes for the food at Share; it’s satisfying but largely unremarkable. If you stay here, it’s more about the convenience of the hotel’s location and offerings (it’s also pet-friendly), which definitely has their own merits. I would definitely consider staying here again, especially if I were to visit Palm Springs with a group of friends.

Note: This stay was discounted, and meals were hosted.

Further reading:

Hyatt Palm Springs by hoopLA

From Silvana Rees (Flickr).

With summer fading (I say “fading” because it’s still hot out but technically fall), you may want to have one last hurrah. Yeah, I know school is back in session and you’ve thrown yourself back into work, but you know you still want to do something. Why not a weekend — heck, make it a weekday — getaway to Palm Springs?

I’ve mentioned a deal from Spa Resort Casino before, but this deal is just for the ladies. (Actually, I think that’s technically illegal, but it’s being touted as a “girlfriend” getaway package. I’m sure anyone could book this.) Here are the deets:

• two nights

• $100 spa credit

• $50 dinner credit for The Steakhouse

• $50 in free slot play

• either “Sleep-in Smoothies” or “GottaGettaJava” coffee and tea service for two

• two Indian Canyons passes and two box lunches

The deal goes for $400 Sundays through Thursdays and $500 Fridays through Saturdays. Split those prices in half, and that’s not bad for what you’re getting. The deal is good from Oct. 1 through Nov. 24. But in the grand tradition of winning free stuff via Facebook and Twitter, you’ll have the chance at winning one of these packages if you friend or follow one of them between Oct. 1 and 25.

Summer is coming to a close, but don’t fret if you’re still hankering for a mini getaway. There are still deals out there for those of us in denial of having to go back to school/work.

• Maison 140: Looking for a place to put up your wedding guests? This West Hollywood hotel is offering a wedding package where you pay just shy of $20,000 for a weekend to rent out all 43 rooms for your friends and family. And no, the package doesn’t include actually having your wedding at the hotel. What you do get, in addition to the rooms, includes a glass of champagne on arrival, continental breakfast, private Vin et Fromage tastings in the hotel’s Bar Noir, Wi-Fi and overnight parking. Pricey, yes. But the rooftop pool is pretty darn cool…

• Spa Resort Casino: Through Sept. 30, this Palm Springs hotel and casino is offering a Paradise Nights package that includes a room, dinner for two, a 25-minute spa treatment, $25 in slot machine play and a dip in the hot mineral springs for $164 a night. Sister property Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage also has a package good through the end of the month: a room, $25 in slot play and two-for-one buffet for $89 per night (Sunday through Thursday) or $129 (Friday and Saturday).

• Terranea: If you’ve got kids, I imagine finding a place that’s fancy and kid-friendly is tough. Terranea on the Palos Verdes peninsula is trying to change that with a family fun package.  The deal includes 50 percent off a second room for the kids, use of a private cabana at the pool, admission for one child to the resort’s kids camp with the purchase of an adult spa treatment, and a child’s breakfast with the purchase of an adult entree. The family package starts at $355 per night for the first room, which makes the second room $177.50.