96
summer
|
fall
The Accommodations
O
urs was up a flight of stairs and featured a private outdoor patio with
fireplace. The warm and inviting room (and patio) overlooked one of
the resort’s 41 pools. Inside was a high-definition plasma television on the wall,
a king-size bed, gas fireplace, separate sitting area with couch and a couple
chairs, a small refrigerator with, refreshingly,
nothing
inside (no extravagantly
priced bags of nuts, cookies, or half-bottles of wine). There was also a coffee
maker with a varied selection of pods (including tea), extra blankets, and
pillows. The room was clean and quiet, the bed, big and comfortable.
Morgan’s in the Desert
T
his is chef Jimmy Schmidt’s domain (look him up; his résumé is deep
and impressive) and his name has held a coveted spot in my wall of
gustatory memories. Here’s why: whenever I try a new restaurant, if there
is duck on the menu, I
always
order the duck. A couple years ago, my
wife, Helen, and I dined at Morgan’s. I ordered the duck special, and chef
Schmidt’s creative use of a reduced blood-orange (they were in season)
sauce with my duck breast remains a highlight of my many fowl encounters,
including those at a number of Michelin three-star restaurants in France.
Schmidt was an early and influential proponent of the “farm-to-table”
movement, so much of his menu is dependent upon what local elements are in
season. We shared a roasted beet salad with baby arugula, goat cheese, black
walnuts in a sherry vinaigrette ($14) and a crispy baby Coachella artichoke salad
with almonds, olives, and smoked paprika aioli ($15). Our main courses were
pan-roasted maple leaf duck breast with a two-apple salad, and a little crispy
ginger in a pinot noir essence ($34); and the hazelnut-crusted Top Hill spring
lamb with asparagus and chanterelle ragout in a forest herb essence ($44).
The main dishes were generous, but if one wanted more, the side dishes
($10) were especially tasty and the selection of fries – sea-salt fries, sweet
garlic fries, smoked paprika fries, Parmigiano fries – were all “crisped in
golden oil.” Ooh, so good. Bread crisps and dinner rolls, made in-house,
came with butter, oil, or both.
And then there was dessert: we had the Buttered Popcorn Ice Cream
Parfait ($9.50) with a bittersweet (nocturne) chocolate fudge and sea-salted
caramel. It was ridiculously sweet and
sinfully
good.
After dinner, we headed for the Plaza, where a profusion of torches lit up
the night and a live band sang soft rock and country tunes.
The inside of Greta Garbo’s La Casa, built in 1932, is
available for public viewing on a limited basis. Nearby is
the villa built by silent-film director Dorothy Arzner, who
directed one of the first talkies. It is now called the Arzner
Suite, and it is through her that Ms Garbo, who famously
lay around the yard naked, learned of La Quinta.
Center Court at La Quinta was where the tennis
tournament now famous as BNP Paribas at Indian Wells
was played until the event outgrew La Quinta’s limited
capacity. Tennis remains an integral part of the resort’s
appeal. Tom Gorman, director of the La Quinta tennis
program is the winningest Davis Cup coach in U.S.
history. Many of the Indian Wells players stay here during
the tournament and many are friends of Tom’s. The 2015
tournament was held March 9-22. Comic Will Ferrell
hosted this year’s (11th annual) Desert Smash on March
10, held at La Quinta in conjunction with the tournament.
Proceeds benefited his Cancer for College charity and
featured top ATP and WTA Tour pros.
FYI: if you are a polo aficionado, that season runs from
January through March in the desert.
WEEKEND GETAWAY
