Kurt Cyr, Hip Owner of Mod Squad Tours Thu, April 18, 2019 by Randy Garner Get A Taste Of Palm Springs Mod-Style Design For as long as humankind has lived indoors, architecture has fascinated us. The curve of a rooftop, the flow of a corridor, and the towering triumph of the walls surrounding us are the hallmarks of who we are and what we aspire to be. And for Mod Squad Tours owner Kurt Cyr, the love of architecture begins at home. “Our first house in 1999 was one of the last Alexanders,” he reminisces. “I just knew that we wanted a sexy house with glass walls that opened out to the swimming pool. That’s what we got. It’s been a learning process for me about the specifics of the design. I knew of some of the architects but then really started deep diving into learning more about the specific desert modern architects here. When you live here in Palm Springs, the local architects are celebrities.” Cyr savors names like Bill Krisel and Donald Wexler like he’s sipping a fine wine, and continuing this metaphor of a desirable vintage, his knowledge of the Palm Springs aesthetic aged beautifully over the next decade. It Began With Modernism Week “2010 is when we moved here full time. It was during the depths of the recession, so there wasn’t much design work going on.” Ever resourceful, Kurt began constructing a new legacy for himself. “I started volunteering during Modernism Week because, as a designer, I loved architecture and midcentury design, and there were so many cool houses. This was a way for me to get inside the houses during Modernism Week. So I docent’ed and was tapped a couple years later to get on top of the double-decker buses and do the tours. My buses started selling out, and then they were getting chartered, and I thought, ‘This is pretty cool!’ I enjoyed doing it.” After wading through the necessary licensing process, Cyr was ready to hit the road in style. “And I founded Palm Springs Mod Squad Tours five years ago.” A Love for Mid-Century Modern Since its inception, Kurt’s business has enlightened scores of visitors to the hidden wonders of our hometown. “Most people are quite surprised that Palm Springs, being such a small city, has such a wealth of impressive architecture. The fact that it survived is really quite amazing.” Cyr regards mid-century modernism with the dedication of a first responder rescuing it from the ashes of time. “This was going on everywhere in Southern California. Los Angeles had this type of architecture. But because Palm Springs was a resort community, people didn’t constantly remodel, change, and upgrade their houses. They only used them a few months out of the year… Development passed Palm Springs by in the 70’s and 80’s towards the down valley.” Like an archaeologist of awesome, Kurt’s voice swells with hope as he recounts the happy ending to this chapter of history. “The fact that it was such an extensive group of intact mid-century modern homes, in a way Palm Springs was the deep freezer of midcentury design just waiting for the thaw to happen in the mid-1990s.” Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway The Resurgence of Palm Springs The warmth of Cyr’s delivery flickers into a blaze as he continues, “They started to get rediscovered. And they were cheap! So, as a young designer out of Los Angeles, you could get a house that was 125 to 150 thousand dollars and have it as your second home. So they were really cool designs and eminently affordable.” Accessibility breeds notoriety, and Kurt Cyr is riding a wave that continues to refresh the architectural world. “With the popularity of Modernism Week and Mad Men, midcentury design is very much of the zeitgeist right now. Everybody is interested in midcentury design.” Planting a flag in said zeitgeist, Cyr pronounces, “Palm Springs has become an architectural destination for the world.” Kaufmann House See The Architecture With Kurt And he’s ready to welcome these curious caravans, one ride at a time, with his Mod Squad tours. “In my daily tours, I fit five people comfortably. It’s a minivan, so these are intimate tours. It’s not uncommon to have someone from England, a couple from Australia, someone from Germany, somebody from Brooklyn, we get an incredible cross-section of the world coming to Palm Springs specifically to see our architecture.” If Kurt sounds like the perfect host, he appreciates the warm embrace of the Palm Springs community that he now calls home. “What we discovered when we moved out here was that within six months, we had a richer, deeper social network of friends than we ever did in the 20-some years in Los Angeles. People in Palm Springs choose to live here. They’re not here by accident. The fact that they chose to be here makes me think they’re happy. And that makes for a very happy town. A wonderful creative class lives in Palm Springs and comes from all over the world.” Cyr wants to nurture this creativity so that the collective enthusiasm for midcentury modernism never again fades into the shadows of history. “We must continue to preserve and maintain our architecture, but it’s also important not to just live in the past. Continuing this architectural tradition by bringing younger people in with schooling is important. I think that there needs to be an architectural school here.” Big passion yields big dreams, and Kurt yearns to “bring young people in to see and learn from the past but also to create and design the future. That’s an important lifeblood for Palm Springs. We have such a rich, architecturally historic past, and we can build upon that for the future.” And it is a bright future as long as Palm Springs Mod Squad Tour is at the helm. Book a Tour You May Also Like: Palm Springs Tours Guide 48 Hours in Palm Springs for the Modernista
Delicious Meals Served With A Side Of Art Fri, April 5, 2019 by Alex David The Artistic Style at LuLu California Bistro Almost everyone knows that Lulu California Bistro serves the best breakfasts, brunches, lunches, and dinners in the Coachella Valley just by the number of awards they’ve received over the past eight years. Still, not everyone may realize that this landmark Palm Springs restaurant houses one of the most eclectic collections of artwork found in any dining establishment here. The display of art begins before you enter: the 15’x15’ mural, “Love & Peace- Roses”, by Curry Mendes, portrays one of the city’s iconic and frequent visitors, Marilyn Monroe, with a beautiful, multi-colored flower crown of roses along the side of Lulu on Arenas Road. This is just the beginning of the journey. “We created Lulu in Palm Springs and Acqua in Rancho Mirage with a good measure of fun,” says founder Jerry Keller. “I love collecting and sharing art that we enjoy and the pieces we’ve acquired are a reflection of the happy times and good feelings found in our restaurants.” The Lulu Palm Springs art is a showcase of local artists. Curry Mendes is a Palm Springs resident who, in addition to his mural at Lulu, has four other pieces hanging in the restaurant, including images of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor from his Big, Bold and Beautiful series. A personal friend of the Keller’s, famed portrait photographer and Rancho Mirage resident Michael Childers, has some of his classic images hanging at Lulu, which include Raquel Welch, Demi Moore, Olivia Newton-John, and John Travolta, Cher, among other Hollywood celebrities. Pairing a Menu with Art The artwork at Lulu Palm Springs complements the award-winning meals that bring people from all over the world to this popular restaurant along Palm Canyon Drive, which is often credited for reviving this city block. From its bountiful breakfasts, award-winning brunches, and day happy hour (and the best bar menu in Palm Springs) to its 3- and 4-course dinner menus, with guests raving, Lulu is the place to dine for locals and visitors. Beyond the art-filled dining spaces, Lulu also features one of the most popular patios with outdoor dining and the best views of the bustling sidewalk along the city’s most famous street. The art collection at Lulu and its terrific meals- which are uniquely Palm Springs- are available for viewing and dining seven days a week. Dining reservations can be made at Lulu Palm Springs by calling 760-327-5858 or by visiting lulupalmsprings.com. It is centrally located downtown at 200 S Palm Canyon Dr.
Hermann Brothers Reinvent Local Resorts Thu, April 4, 2019 by Randy Garner Steve and Mark Hermann Help Reinvent Palm Springs Iconic Resorts Known as the “Capital of Cool,” Palm Springs has become synonymous with a sexy retro vibe that can be seen in stylish digs, open air lounges, poolside soirees, and scores of annual celebrations. Early modernist architects created a seamless indoor/outdoor lifestyle that has become a defining characteristic of Palm Springs. We celebrate our mid-century design and desert modern style every year during Modernism Week each February. Now the Hermann brothers have brought their style to Palm Springs to contribute to the retro, yet modern design, with two iconic resorts; L’Horizon Palm Springs and The Weekend resort. Steve Hermann Steve Hermann, an L.A. based designer and luxury-hotel devotee began his journey in Palm Springs with the purchase of the 1952 property L’ Horizon, built by legendary architect William F. Cody for Jack Wrather, a producer of Lassie and The Lone Ranger. After a $5 million retrofit, the 25 rooms set in original white bungalows reopened in 2015, largely with the concept of a large home feel. No two rooms are the same, mixing collectible vintage and new modern pieces, sweeping walls of glass and original artwork. With Frette robes, 600-thread count bedding, Le Labo bath product and Dean & DeLuca minibar goodies, this resort is unique and highly awarded. L’ Horizon Resort & Spa Mark Hermann Now enter Steve’s brother, Mark Hermann, who recently purchased and opened another iconic mid-century modern boutique luxury hotel called “The Weekend” resort. This newly renovated 10-suite resort is located in the Uptown Design district. Just a block from the prestigious Old Las Palmas neighborhood, it has undergone a multimillion renovation. While rooted in Palm Spring’s signature mid-century style, it offers a modern and timeless space. Villas come in one or two bedrooms with spacious living rooms and private patios. Amenities include Frette linens, L’Occitane toiletries, rain showers, and multiple Smart TV’s per suite. “What people really love is the space and attention to detail,” says owner Mark. L’ Horizon Resort & Spa | 1050 East Palm Canyon Drive The Weekend | 111 South Las Palmas
Meet Michael Stern, Owner of The Modern Tour Fri, March 22, 2019 by Randy Garner The Architectural Luxury Modern Tour Conventionally, buildings are constructed to protect us from the elements. Roofs keep out the rain, walls battle back the cold, and our respective abodes create a shelter from the dreaded world outside. But in Palm Springs, the architecture is designed to amplify our wondrous surroundings. “Weather has such an impact on human behavior,” muses Michael Stern, founder and owner of The Modern Tour. “Because we have 35 0 sunny days a year, it puts everyone in a good state of mind. In Palm Springs, people are here because they want to be here, not because they have to be here. So everyone’s in Palm Springs for basically the same reason, which is to have a good time. Y’know, it’s a party town. The locals indulge as well as the tourists!” Putting a rosy flourish on his heartfelt sentiments, Stern asserts, “It’s a happy place because everyone’s in a good mood.” And we have reason to be joyous: Michael has been ushering visitors through the luxe landscape of our hometown for eight glorious years. Hailing from New York (but resenting the hail), he quips, “We moved here from Tribeca in lower Manhattan, and I hate cold weather. So that really predicated the move.” An Architectural Historian Upon arriving in the gleaming Shangri-La of SoCal, Stern discovered a newfound perspective on his own classic training. “I’d done a lot of architectural tours, being an architectural historian, as you can imagine. Very often it’s exteriors only. And I thought, for the modern tours we do, we’re going to go inside the houses. Inside private residences. So people can have an idea of what it’s like to live in Palm Springs as opposed to just visiting here.” Summoning up his boundless enthusiasm for the access he is thrilled to give his tour guests, Michael concludes, “I can’t think of another place in the world where you can go inside private, fabulous architectural houses on a routine and daily basis. I literally don’t know of anyplace else in the world.” While he is gleefully verbose on most matters, Stern answers the next question with one word. When asked how he would characterize Palm Springs architecture, he quickly responds, “Understated.” Cody Glass House Discreet To The Street After a savory pause, Michael is happy to elaborate. “There are some buildings that have a lot of oomp on the outside, but typically, I call Palm Springs architecture ‘discreet to the street.’” When that clever turn of phrase elicits a reaction, Stern proudly requests, “Put a little TM with a circle around it!” While creativity is indeed Michael’s trademark, he tempers it with a healthy dose of expertise for the architectural flair of Palm Springs. “Street presence is understated. Very often these houses are very unassuming from the outside. Once you go through the gate, however, everything changes and it completely opens up.” Franz Alexander House Craving the embrace of the homes he loves so much, Stern explains, “So that was another reason why I wanted to show interiors because in Palm Springs particularly, everyone has a pool. Everyone wants privacy in their backyard, so people often hedge out the house. Palm Springs houses are typically fairly opaque to the street. They open up to the poolside or the view side.” The Modern Tour’s Perspective Through Art Pivoting deftly from analytical to amiable, Michael asserts, “The Modern Tour is not a hardcore architectural tour. We talk about the Hollywood history of Palm Springs, we talk about the geology of Palm Springs; we give context to provide for the architecture. Like why did this architecture occur at this place at this time? It’s something we answer by coming at it from a variety of perspectives.” Drawing from his passion and his past, Stern continues, “My background is in studio art, so I can see things in some of these buildings that many of my tour guests don’t see. I’m able to point out little details that are significant that they would never have noticed if they weren’t on our tour. There are a lot of observations that I make coming from an art background. So you get to look at architecture through the eye of an artist.” Some artists paint with watercolors, other with oils, but Michael’s medium is smiles. “The Modern Tour is really fun! They’re fun for me, they’re fun for our tour guests, and we do a TON of corporate tours. We do a lot of big group tours. We have tours with 150 people on them, and it’s become a substantial part of our business.” Frey House II Business equals pleasure for Michael Stern, who takes capital-p Pride in his role in the architectural Renaissance of our desert community. “We like to discuss preservation and how important it is to a city like Palm Springs. I always say, ‘What art deco had done for Miami, mid-century modern has done for Palm Springs.’ It’s put it back on the cultural map after it had been forgotten for decades.” It’s a map he is proud to illuminate, every day with every tour. Stern’s romance with Palm Springs deepens as his words reach a crescendo. “The desert is seductive, and it improves with time. The longer I live here, the more beauty I see.” We’re running out of TM’s, Michael – you’re brimming with originality! To experience his wit, wisdom, and whimsy for yourself, book a Modern Tour today… The Modern Tour | Official Tour of the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture + Design Center All photos are credited to Michael Stern By Kevin Perry
Seaplane Shirts Will Make You Radiant Fri, March 22, 2019 by Randy Garner By Kevin Perry Beauty is skin deep, but sometimes it has trouble shining through the everyday façade. To cull the dazzling wonders that simmer beneath the surface, it takes a keen eye. “There are 10,000 colors in your iris,” analyzes Schuyler Brown. “We use that, and we use skin tone and we use hair color, creatively with our shirts. When the customer comes out of the dressing room with the piece that’s just spectacular, everybody turns and looks.” Brown is the creative force behind Seaplane Shirts, a blast of brilliance nestled stylishly in the Uptown Design District. “We grab and celebrate the beauty that’s in the wearer. Seaplane Shirts is about all the colors in the sea and the sky. In these colors, we have exactly what’s necessary to make each person radiant!” His quest for opulence brought Schuyler from his hometown of Philadelphia to North Carolina, France, and San Francisco, but there were several designer detours along the way. “When I decided to start Seaplane Shirts ten years ago, I didn’t have a product and I didn’t have a customer.” Stitching together his myriad recollections, Brown continues, “I only existed online; I started the company in my mom’s attic. Then I did all these shows all over the country, these Pride shows and artisan fairs and rock festivals like Bonnaroo. We worked hard on the road to build our customer base.” Finally, Brown’s traveling show descended on our grateful hometown, and his reception was raucous. “I never experienced in all my life the uptake of my product than when I did my show in Modernism Week in one of the houses on the tour. I set up a little boutique in one of the bedrooms. It was exhilarating for me because I had customers following each other around the room, this little room with like three of my racks in there, a couple hundred shirts, looking and going, ‘Are you gonna buy that?’ Following each other around the room. It was so exciting!” Punctuating his gleeful stroll down the memory runway, Schuyler concludes, “I never sold shirts faster than I did in Palm Springs.” “I was on the road until 2017,” he continues. “Everything that is fun and the essence of what I’ve done is here in this little store at 1009 North Palm Canyon. So this is ten years of work in here.” And it’s been a labor of luxury. Brown’s process is uniquely painstaking, blanketing the globe for resources while focusing on each shirt with an unparalleled intimacy. “I buy up these remnants in LA from these brokers. Stuff comes from all over the world – France, Britain, China, India, Pakistan. So, I buy up these last bits of materials that I think are fun for one reason or another.” Schuyler then produces a limited series of garments from the finite yardage he harvests. “I’ve probably done more than 1,000 prints in small batches… So, for instance, the shirt that I’m wearing was done in 12. Only 12 pieces were made. And I’m in number one. Each one has these digitally printed tabs that give the name and the unit of the collectible (we hope) shirt!” The resulting designs are so personal to Brown that he names each one and writes a story about them. With a conspiratorial aside, he exclaims, “And some of the stories are true!” Turning from playful to purposeful, Schuyler narrates, “What I wanted to do years ago was to create a direct to consumer brand and so that’s what I’ve done. I wanted to cut out all of the turkeys in the middle… To try to make a fashion brand is really, really, really grueling.” And Palm Springs is reaping the benefits of Schuyler Brown’s diligence. Seaplane Shirts has emerged as a fleet-leader in the fashion scene, but their feet are still firmly on the ground. “We’re not trying to be too dressy or snobby or anything. These are accessible products.” Stepping back and taking the long view, Brown concludes, “People get confused about Palm Springs. They think it’s just supposed to be ritzy and old and big, big money – well, actually, I want to celebrate the part of Palm Springs that’s about bringing good design to the people. That’s what I think I can contribute. And also helping people feel beautiful. That’s a gift, and I want to give that.” It’s a generosity of spirit and creativity grand enough to warm the Inland Empire… yet cool enough to keep turning heads. Thanks for landing in Palm Springs, Schuyler. Seaplane Shirts | 1009 N. Palm Canyon Spotlight on Destination PSP
Great Shakes: Where Sip Meets Hip Fri, March 15, 2019 by Randy Garner Gourmet Shakes, Malts and Floats There’s a glorious alchemy that goes into concocting the perfect milkshake. The decadent waltz between sweetness, dairy, and chill as the disparate elements conspire to win over our palates, one silky sip at a time. And when you add malt? We surrender! Meet Owner Doug Nelson “Having grown up with malts,” Great Shakes owner Doug Nelson reminisces, “I was pretty excited to do something different and carve our own little niche, which we’ve done.” It’s a retro, candy-coated niche, shimmering like a sucrose oasis on South Palm Canyon Drive. “A kind of an old-fashioned soda shop, but it does have a little bit of a modern flair still. It’s got a colorful Will Wonka kind of an atmosphere, so it’s a fun place.” Founded in 2012 by Doug and his wife Patricia, Great Shakes is the product of foodie passion blended liberally with traditional market research. “I kinda looked around and saw at least four, maybe five, outlets for scoop ice cream and yogurt already downtown,” notes Nelson. “We serve only shakes, malts, and floats. We don’t do scoop ice cream and we don’t do cones or anything of the like. So we were looking for a differentiation in the market. It was a personal love of ice cream but also a business decision that seemed to make sense at the time and it’s served us well to differentiate us from the others.” Blueberry Hill Made with Ingenuity But the main ingredient that sets Nelson’s shop apart from the rest of our hometown’s desert desserts: ingenuity. “Let me tell you a little bit about how we make it, which I think makes all of our shakes and malts unique from anything you’re gonna find anyplace else.” Now that Doug has whetted our collective appetites, he delves into the method to his mmmadness (emphasis on the mmm). “What we do is we take a premium ice cream, which is of our own recipe. We have Scott Brothers create it for us in liquid form down in Chino, so we’re using a local dairy to make our mix. It’s then frozen at the shop at a temperature that is warmer than hard-scoop ice cream, so it comes out of our machine at a temperature that is perfect for a thick, creamy milkshake. Lastly, we use that as the base for all of our milkshakes.” The Creamiest Switching hats from confectioner to chemist, Nelson continues. “We don’t add any milk to it, which is important, because if you go some place that makes you a shake… what they’ll do is they’ll put hard-scoop ice cream in a cup and then they’ll pour some random amount of milk in it to thin it out. If you think about it, what that does is changes the formula of the ice cream, so in other words, it dumbs down the butterfat content, which is what makes ice cream so creamy and have that wonderful mouth-feel. So we don’t do that.” Brownie Almond Crunch The texture of this Great Shakes formula is a molten tundra of flavor that serves as a perfect landing pad for their succulent ingredients. “We make our caramel, our fudge, and our butterscotch, as well as marshmallows and any number of other ingredients, in house, so you’re getting a lot of homemade ingredients that go into it.” “We strive to be all-natural and wholesome with the ingredients as well,” explains Nelson – but with a crispy caveat. “By customer demand, like Oreo cookies, for example, we’ve had to compromise because people just love ‘em so much.” The crowd favorite of cookies is featured in one of the shop’s most popular menu items. “Probably the regular Oreo with our homemade caramel swirl, that might be our top seller.” Cake Shake Flavor, Flavor, Flavor Not to be outdone, we’ve got a date with another Great Shakes crowd-pleaser. “The date shake,” Doug announces. “We source our dates from a farm down in Coachella. It’s a family owned farm by the name of Leja, and I drive down there periodically to pick up cases of dates. Y’know, so that’s one of the favorites.” But the cherry on top of this shop is its dedication to the community. “For me, it’s a level of customer satisfaction that you rarely see anymore. Even though people talk about it a lot, I think we implement it better than just about anybody.” And the online public has responded in kind. “If you look at our reviews on Yelp – we’ve got, I don’t know, over 1,200 reviews and we’re a solid five stars. If you read ‘em, you’ll see that a lot of them include a mention of our customer service. That’s true on Google and Trip Advisor as well. We’re very proud. We have five stars on Trip Advisor, Yelp, and Google. We’re even Zagat rated! Which is kinda cool for a local little Palm Springs shop.” Tempering his pride with a bracing dollop of humility, Doug demurs. “Forgive me for being a shameless promoter, but I really do love the place!” Nelson’s staff concurs, showing a loyalty as cohesive as their irresistible malted treats. “We have three employees who have been with us since we opened, so we treat ‘em well. We’ve been opened for six years, so three employees for six years in this kind of industry is pretty much unheard of. We do our best to make it a great environment.” Speaking of great environments, Great Shakes fits perfectly with its jovial downtown surroundings. “It’s very vibrant, lots of younger people both living here and also tourists coming in,” assesses Nelson. “We’re very reliant on the tourists coming out of LA and San Diego, and as for the locals, they’ve treated us very well over the years.” Whipping his enthusiasm into a frothy finale, Nelson concludes, “The eclectic nature of it and the acceptance of all different kinds of people, it’s just a very unique area. We love Palm Springs.” The feeling is deliciously mutual, Doug. Sincerely, Palm Springs. Great Shakes – 160 S. Palm Canyon | 760.327.5300 By Kevin Perry
F10 Creative: Delivering stay, play and dine experiences Fri, March 15, 2019 by Alex David Food + Drink + Hospitality Great leadership is less about what you say and more about what you hear. Opening your mind, heart, and ears is essential to understanding the needs of the customer and the community at large. F10 Creative Is Founded On The Art of Listening. “The market spoke and we adapted.” These words resonate as a mantra for Tara Lazar, the restaurateur/entrepreneur behind the delectable success that is F10 Creative. “When we opened Cheeky’s, there was an open lot next to us and we thought it would be great to serve cocktails on the grass. Apparently, that’s not allowed, so we had to construct a building there, and we decided to serve pizza along with the cocktails. As it turned out, people wanted more than just pizza, so we started offering salads, and that’s how Birba was born.” Lazar continued this macro-conversation with her clientele as her next gastronomic venture began taking shape. “Birba and Cheeky’s are casual, but we figured that people occasionally like to dress up in Palm Springs. That was how we approached Mr. Lyons. Then, we realized that some people really don’t want to dress up, so we created the lounge, which invites a scaled down kinda style.” Tara Lazar F10 Creative Recipes for Variety The recipe for F10’s success includes variety, variety, and – just to mix things up – even more variety. “It’s important for all of the restaurants to have different vibes. If they were all the same, there would be no point in going to different places.” Whether she’s devising an upscale steakhouse menu or a downright amazing Sunday brunch extravaganza, Tara brings a singular savvy to all of her establishments. “I’m big into the culture and the people. We have a strong belief in hospitality.” Taking the idea of hospitality to its logical and luxurious extreme, Lazar opened a hotel on the grounds that Cheeky’s and Birba made fabulous. Alcazar lives up to its locale in the epicenter of the Uptown Design District, treating guests to fine Italian linens, a sprawling yet serene courtyard, and entertainment galore. “We have live music to bring the community together and we love to support local artists,” beams Tara. “It’s great to showcase what’s special about our community. That’s why we pride ourselves on serving local food, and we also work with local charities. At Birba, we do an event called Piece of the Pie, and all of the proceeds go to a local charity.” Alcazar Generosity Generosity is always at the top of the menu for Tara Lazar. As a Palm Springs native, she is intent on providing fruitful culinary careers to some of the area’s brightest burgeoning talent. “Loving our staff is a major priority at F10 Creative. We have grown dependent on them and we do everything we can to make them part of our family.” With a reflective note of camaraderie, Lazar adds “Many of them have been with us since we started 11 years ago.” F10’s flourishing success permeates the Inland Empire, elevating their competition as they ascend to new levels of fulfillment. But unlike many businesspeople, Tara welcomes her rivals unabashedly. “I love Palm Springs and it’s exciting to see such growth happening. It used to be tough to recruit fresh, young talent, but now young people are taking another look. It’s always exciting to see new businesses open up and continue us down the path toward growth.” Cheeky’s Mom & Pop Along with her partner in cuisine, husband Marco Rossetti, Ms. Lazar savors the opportunity to provide for her fellow citizens, be it with refined meals or continued charitable efforts. “We are a true Mom & Pop and we love to give back to the community that has given so much to us.” Her closing sentiment is perfectly earnest and sweet, like a decadent dessert after a gloriously satisfying meal. But F10 Creative still appears to be in its appetizer phase of development; you can expect more philanthropy and fabulousness to unfurl in the years ahead. Bon appétit, supreme! Mr. Lyons Palm Springs Pizza and Italian Food
Meet Escape Room Owner: Dominique Fruchtman Fri, March 1, 2019 by Alex David Stick your head in a cauldron, call up Scotland Yard, and sleuth your way over to Escape Room Palm Springs, a quizzical playground that unleashes your inner explorer. Don’t worry; you won’t stick your head in an ACTUAL cauldron, nor will you be locked in the game space, but you will have a rare opportunity to bond with your chosen teammates in a private setting. Players conquer themed challenges in an attempt to bust out of an enclosed area by solving a series of engaging puzzles. It’s an intensely innovative experience that participants are encouraged and delighted to survey their surroundings with a newfound sense of awe. “When people get into the room, and they’re in this unfamiliar situation, we call them ‘adult toddlers’ because they’re touching everything, handling everything, and not sure what they’re supposed to be doing, and trying to learn it as they go along.” So says Mark Fruchtman, who owns and operates the fantastical facility with his partner in creativity, Dominique Fruchtman. A Great Way to Unplug “During our games,” explains Dominique, “we request that people put their phones in lockers that we provide and unplug them for the 60 minutes that they play in our escape rooms. Many people are resistant to this, but we just tell ‘em there’s no need to Google anything; they don’t need any outside knowledge; we provide everything you need. You need each other, and you need your wits, and that’s it.” Easy for her to say; she and her husband have savvy to spare. “When we first opened, we knew it was a perfect endeavor for us because I have a background in creative writing, and Mark is a trained programmer. So it’s a perfect match between the two of us.” They design and execute every facet of these immersive experiences, which dive to the depths of the Titanic and soar to new heights of intrigue. Gamers can crack into a bank vault, unearth the gothic tale of a vampire romance gone sour, or mix it up with Merlin the magician, all with the help of their own personal puzzle guides. “It’s a live game master,” punctuates Dominique. “It’s unique and individualized for each team because the questions are unique, so the answers should be too.” Speaking of unique, this is a phenomenon unlike anything else in Palm Springs. “One of the reasons that we wanted to open the Escape Room,” Mark recounts, “is that there wasn’t really a lot to do out here for 20- and 30-somethings other than pool time and the many outdoor activities. So we wanted to have an alternate activity for younger people to be able to do. That was our primary goal in opening here.” The Fruchtmans originally hail from the East Coast, but hail was just the issue. The couple coveted the warm weather of SoCal because, as Mark playfully puts it, “You don’t have to shovel sunshine!” And Palm Springs warmed up to these entertaining entrepreneurs as well. “The community has been great. Everybody’s been really supportive and really excited about what we’re doing,” beams Mark. “They had no idea what it was when we first pitched it,” recalls Dominique, “but they sort of trusted us and said, ‘We trust you not to lock us up, so let’s do this thing.’ We’ve had great success from the get-go. It’s been wonderful.’ Welcome All Sherlocks Wonder is indeed at the epicenter of Escape Room Palm Springs. The establishment welcomes fledgling Sherlocks of every age, bridging familial gaps and breaking proverbial bread. Mark opines, “This is an activity that all of the generations can participate in; they can all talk about it afterward, and it really makes a bonding experience for families.” Dominique elaborates, “Everybody puts their phones away, they go into a room, they look each other in the eyes, they have human interaction… they work things out!” Source: Escape Room Palm Springs Her comments resonate from the micro to the macro. The Fruchtmans aren’t just coaching small teams to communicate and collaborate; they’re reconnecting participants with their own innate sense of curiosity and discovery. It’s a passion for play that ripples through the community and flows back to Dominique Fruchtman. “When people ask me why I love what I do, I tell them it’s because people come in smiling, and they leave laughing.” Book your Escape Room Palm Springs today to enter this mystical realm of heists, history, and herculean fun. The clock is ticking… 2500 N Palm Canyon Dr B3, Palm Springs, CA 92262 (760) 779-8888 By Kevin Perry
Meet Bongo Johnny’s Owner: Robb Wirt Fri, March 1, 2019 by Alex David By Kevin Perry After suffering a fire in March 2018, the ebullient eatery has triumphantly returned to the Palm Springs stage, although its owner eschews the spotlight. “I don’t really do interviews, so I’m not good at talking about myself.” Robb Wirt is endearingly humble, but his zeal for hospitality drives him forward. “For me, Bongo Johnny’s was my choice for an end-of-life career. I used to work in the pharmaceutical industry, so coming to a customer service industry was scary, but I figure I like people, so what could go wrong, right?” Wirt’s optimism spilled over as he recounts the wildly casual way he began his foray into the restaurant industry. “Bongo Johnny’s has been there for about 15 years now, and I bought it four years ago, kind of on a whim. I got laid off from my job in Orange County after being there for 20 years. So, I was sitting at Bo Johnny’s , and I jokingly said to the server, ‘Is this place for sale?’ because I needed to buy myself a job, and it was for sale, so I bought it!” To put a finer point on this chaotic crossroads, Wirt exclaims, “I had never worked in a restaurant before. It was a risk!” Come As You Are But instead of focusing on the shadows, Wirt sheds light on his humanist philosophy. “A restaurant is a community. People come there to celebrate events, y’know, everybody eats!” And exactly where they choose to eat speaks volumes. Wirt revels in the warmth of his dessert surroundings, emphasizing the liberation he discovered amidst the cactuses. “Come to Palm Springs, and you realize you can go to this restaurant, you can be yourself, you don’t have to mind your conversation, you don’t have to hide your cell phone so people don’t know what you’re looking at or talking about. You know, it’s freeing!” Wirt applies a similar signature cheeriness as he discusses his upcoming relocation efforts. When asked what to expect from the impending move, he chirps, “I’ve learned in life not to have expectations,” followed by an infectious laugh. Initially, he was worried about losing his foothold on the iconic Arenas Road real estate where Bongo Johnny’s made its mark. However, Wirt decided that success is less about location, location, location and more about heart, soul, and identity. “You don’t have to feel like you can ONLY be yourself on Arenas; you can be yourself in Palm Springs.” His love for our hometown flourishes in the way he treats his clientele, his menu choices, and especially his beloved staff. Wirt rebuilt the new Bongo Johnny’s to be an even more popular place than it was on Arenas. “It’ll continue to serve the same great food we have, the same comfort food. Everyone will get the same great level of service that they were used to and still have that camaraderie that they had with the staff.” Just Like Home Wirt is his best customer, treating visitors like dinner guests at a fabulous feast for loved ones and newcomers alike. With a frugal flippancy, he jokes, “I save money because now I don’t have to eat out. Instead of going out, the people come to me. I try to make it an environment that I would like to be in because I’m there every day.” Shifting from pragmatic to personal, Wirt confides, “I really don’t have a big family; I have my dad and my grandma, that’s about it. So, Palm Springs and Bongo Johnny’s IS my family.” Bongo Johnny’s| 301 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 (760) 318-3960
Polynesia Style at Toucans Tiki Lounge Thu, February 28, 2019 by Alex David In case you hadn’t noticed, darlings, we are experiencing a drag revolution. Genders are bending, avant-garde is in-your-face, and RuPaul wins ALL the Emmys. Nowhere in Palm Springs is the spirit of this seismic/pelvic shift fiercer than at Toucans Tiki Lounge. The Pacific island themed club welcomes a righteous roster of Playgirls; that’s Toucans-speak for badass bitches. They strut their stilettos for the festive crowds every night of the week except for Wednesday (through the summer) – hey, even a Queen needs her beauty rest, so back off! “The talent of these performers is phenomenal,” sings owner Tara Lazar. “I was impressed by the seriousness the Drag Queens bring to their work seven days a week, 365 days a year. They are so creative and hard working.” And the audience has responded to the tune of do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-DOUGH. “Did you know we have the highest tipping demographics?” Lazar asks rhetorically. “That’s why we attract the crème de la crème of the industry. Our girls can make so much each night that we have a wait-list for performers.” Credit: Christopher Kennedy So get in line, gurls, because the estrogen is a-flowin’. You best get out the way or you might just drown! It’s a lesson that Tara took to heart when her company F10 Creative acquired the rollicking hotspot last year. “Toucans is an institution in this town,” assesses Lazar, “so we were careful not to change it too much. We just wanted to make a few tweaks and help it along. Some of the staff has been here for 16 years. We didn’t want to rock the boat, so we really let them do their thing.” Hmm, I think it’s pronounced thang, and don’t worry; they’re doing it raw! The ladies of Toucans pride themselves on delivering showstoppers supreme, so bust out your boa and feather the storm… Toucans Tiki Lounge | 2100 North Palm Canyon | 760.416.758 By Kevin Perry
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