Spicy chicken, Shame on the Moon’s replacement and other Coachella Valley restaurant news (2024)

Our coastal brethren love to complain about "June gloom," but we Coachella Valley residents know it's nothing compared to what we are going through this time of year.

It wasn't long ago that we were sending poolside selfies to freezing, jealous friends in colder climes, but we've suddenly woken up one morning to find highs of 110 in the forecast.

Still, those willing to brave the heat for a night out will still find some intriguing new restaurants around the valley, even if the pace of openings in May wasn't quite as frantic as in April.

The new spots for noshing include a successor to one of Rancho Mirage's most well-known and -loved restaurants and a fried chicken spot that swiftly reminded us that no matter the time of year, the Coachella Valley is always ready for another buzzy fast-food opening.

What opened

Foxy’s Kitchen and Bar, 69-950 Frank Sinatra Drive in Rancho Mirage

This new fine dining spot has taken over the venerable digs that were the longtime home of Rancho Mirage mainstay Shame on the Moon and seems poised to rekindle some of its throwback classic cool, too.

The restaurant is the brainchild of Tim and Teri Fox, a couple with decades of experience in the local dining scene between with them. Foxy's vibe seems to be, in part, a melding of their respective geographic roots. Tim said the restaurant’s speakeasy-like, old-school steakhouse feel is inspired by the great steakhouses that can be found around his native Midwest in cities like Chicago and Kansas City.

“We want to give that hometown feeling and sense that everybody knows your name and just that really easy vibe,” Tim said.

But the long tradition of legendary present and past steakhouses and fine dining restaurants like Mr. Lyons Steakhouse and Wally’s Desert Turtle in Teri’s native Coachella Valley clearly looms large in the restaurant’s ethos, too, and the pair aren’t shy about their aspirations to carve out their own niche within that tradition.

The menu features a mix of steaks, seafood, salads and, perhaps more unexpectedly, vegan dishes, with the Foxes citing the pan-seared scallops, roasted beet salad, and Thai chicken lettuce wraps as some of the most popular summertime options.

Fans of Foxy's predecessor, meanwhile, may be glad to hear that the pair has made few changes to the dining room so far, although they said they want to make the space their own while preserving some of its soul.

Dave’s Hot Chicken, 31875 Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City

Cathedral City has made a resounding entrance into the Coachella Valley’s burgeoning fried chicken wars with the opening of the area’s third location of this LA poultry purveyor, which is located less than two miles down Ramon Road from Raising Cane’s.

As the name suggests, Dave’s distinguishes its chicken by coating it in a spicy powder (the available spice levels range from “no spice” to the ominously named “reaper”). The simple menu gives diners the choice of meals consisting of chicken fingers, chicken sliders or combos that include one of each.

The meals come served with fries, although diners can also order a side of mac and cheese or “kale slaw” or, if they’re feeling especially decadent, wash their chicken down with a milkshake.

Lay’Vince, 83233 Indio Boulevard #8 in Indio

The western Coachella Valley’s loss is the east side’s gain when it comes to this unique lunch counter/corner store mashup, which has moved from Palm Springs to Indio. Now operating out of a space it shares with the Supreme Caffeine coffee shop, Lay’Vince has shifted its model and menu offerings somewhat but continues to serve an ever-changing array of breakfast and lunch items.

On one visit, you might find Lay’Vince serving orange chicken; on another the choice could be between steak sandwiches and Cajun pasta (a new pizza offering will be available all the time, however).

But that’s just the hot meal offerings: Lay’Vince also continues to function as perhaps the Coachella Valley’s most unusual convenience store, offering a mix of prepared foods, fruits and vegetables and novelty items ranging from classic candies to vintage toys. So while you might come in expecting to grab a sandwich and some apples, half the fun seems to be in never quite knowing what you might not be able to resist leaving with.

Other bites of news

• Airport travelers being driven to drink by flight delays or other issues will now have a new place to do so. Nine Cities Craft opened in April inside Palm Springs International Airport’s recently dubbed Agua Caliente concourse. The restaurant’s name is a nod to the nine cities that make up the Coachella Valley, and it serves several valley-brewed craft beers. While beer is a clear focus, the restaurant’s website also touts offerings including desert-inspired co*cktails and breakfast, lunch and dinner items that also reflect the region. Nine Cities Craft is the first of several new restaurants, bars and shops that will be opening at the airport over the next several months as the airport completes an overhaul of its dining and drinking options intended to give them more of a local feel. Next up will be a sit-down restaurant called Cactus to Clouds, in a nod to the Mount San Jacinto hiking trail.

• When owner and chef Jon Merchain announced that Lay’Vince would be moving to Indio, he said the business’ original Palm Springs location would soon be filled with a new deli concept. Sure enough, a “coming soon” sign has appeared at the former digs at 540 South Indian Canyon Drive announcing the space will soon be the home of La Bottega. The sign, which includes imagery of espresso drinks and a panini, bills the planned business as an “Italian coffee shop” (the restaurant’s name is Italian for “The Shop”) but does not list a planned timeline for its opening.
• Luna Grill Mediterranean Kitchen is moving east. The fast-casual chain, which specializes in kababs, gyros, falafel and the like, is set to open at the intersection of Highway 111 and Adams Street in La Quinta on Monday. The chain already has a location in Palm Desert.
• Many across California suddenly had to say goodbye to their local Rubio’s after the popular fast casual chain closed 48 of its California restaurants this week. The Los Angeles Times reported that the fast casual Mexican food chain attributed the closures to the rising cost of doing business in California, but said it had not elaborated beyond that. However, Coachella Valley-based lovers of the “Original Fish Taco” can rest easy: staff members who answered the phones at the chain’s Palm Springs, Palm Desert and La Quinta locations on Monday (the day the closures were announced) confirmed they were staying open.
• It’s the end of line for the Vue Grill & Bar at the Indian Wells Golf Resort, but the space’s future is still coming into view. The website for the upscale restaurant states that it will be closing on Sunday, June 9, and then be replaced sometime this new fall by what is described only as a “brand new concept.”
• It’s been a long wait for Palm Desert Greek food lovers to finally have a Santorini Gyro to call their own, but it's one the restaurant’s owner says will eventually pay off. Signage first appeared months ago for a new location of the Greek eatery, but the lack of progress had led one reader to wonder if it would ever really open. However, a staff member who answered the phone at the Vista Chino location said that despite delays in permits and other issues — setbacks that are common with new restaurants — the owners still plan to open in Palm Desert near the intersection of Monterey Avenue and Country Club Drive. It's not clear when that will happen, the staffer said. Santorini has two locations in Palm Springs and one in Cathedral City.
• Earlier this year, Palm Springs dining, drinking and dancing triple threat Reforma celebrated its first birthday by revamping (and rebranding) its restaurant. The new moniker, La Cocina at Reforma, is intended to give the restaurant a stronger independent identity while the menu includes new offerings like a duck confit rice dish, a sweet and spicy Oaxacan mole and a Venezuelan chocolate cake. The patio has also received a facelift and the restaurant has been redesigned to create more separation from Reforma’s nightclub space.

Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.