Beyond its recognition by the Michelin Guide, Workshop Kitchen + Bar has received a James Beard Award for its brutalist interior design.
PHOTO BY AUDREY MA, COURTESY WORKSHOP KITCHEN + BAR
These Palm Springs restaurants that attracted Michelin attention craft culinary experiences that transcend expectation.
Workshop Kitchen + Bar
Awarded the 2015 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant Design in the category of over 75 seats, Workshop is fastidiously devoted to all aspects of the dining experience. This includes a dedicated garden at chef/owner Michael Beckman’s home in Rancho Mirage that utilizes volcanic rock dust, worm castings, and biochar to grow nutrient-dense vegetables and aromatic herbs for a seasonal menu.
Bar Cecil
Cuisine: American
Hearty American fare, like a signature burger with Comté cheese, pairs with a section on the menu labeled “Why not?” that includes a $50 martini, served perfectly chilled with a caviar-topped deviled egg. Every inch of the restaurant feels like a celebration — of food, libations, art (check out the hallway and bathrooms!), and each lucky patron who has snagged a seat for the evening.
Boozehounds
Cuisine: International
The name suggests this restaurant’s top-shelf cocktail program, but it also hints at the four-legged guests welcomed through a separate “doggy door.” Executive chef Aric Ianni incorporates global influences with seasonally inspired Southern California cuisine, like miso Chilean fish and chips. (There’s a chef-crafted menu for pups, too.)
“We created an elevated cocktail menu to complement the diverse and robust flavors,” beverage director Jake Lemmen says. “A perfect example of this would be our Sichuan Fizz, a cocktail showcasing a punchy Sichuan peppercorn foam, resulting in an aromatic, spicy cocktail that perfectly enhances the complex flavors found in our signature dishes.”
