Author: Lindsay

Ron Levin’s Former Home

As a Los Angeles aficionado who has long been obsessed with true crime, it is rather shocking that I had no knowledge of the infamous Billionaire Boys Club murders of 1984. Sure, I’d heard of the 1987 The Billionaire Boys Club miniseries, but figuring it a tale of financial woe, dismissed it as not something that would interest me. It was not until earlier this year when the Grim Cheaper suggested we watch the 2018 film of the same name that I learned about the case – and became appropriately transfixed. I spent the next few days fastidiously reading anything I could get my hands on concerning the killings. Of course the tidbit I was most interested in finding out was the real-life location of murder victim Ron Levin’s house. As it turns out, the movie played a bit fast and loose with its locales. While Ron is shown living in a massive Beverly Hills mansion onscreen, he actually called a modest duplex at 144 South Peck Drive, just steps from Rodeo Drive, home. What follows is the story of what occurred there, per newspaper articles, court documents and witness testimony (because the movie played a bit fast and loose with the facts, as well – as least as far as to what I think happened).

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The Billionaire Boys Club was established in 1983 by Joe Hunt, who was born Joseph Gamsky (on Halloween, incidentally) to a lower-middle-class family in Chicago. At some point, Hunt’s family relocated to Los Angeles, where he secured a scholarship to the prestigious Harvard-Westlake School. Following graduation, Joe enrolled at USC for a brief time before dropping out and moving to the Windy City, where he began trading stock. Not licensed to run an investment group, he did so anyway and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange booted him for it. He promptly changed his last name, headed back to L.A. and formed another investment group – the BBC, named in honor of the Bombay Bicycle Club, one of his favorite Chicago restaurants. He enlisted his wealthy former classmates from high school to provide capital for his new venture, which was essentially a Ponzi scheme involving commodities that I can’t properly explain here because I don’t entirely understand it myself (where’s Margot Robbie in a bathtub when you need her?). It was not long before people began referring to the group as the “Billionaire Boys Club” thanks to is members who were all very young and very rich. (That’s Hunt pictured below in a still from the Season 1 episode of Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege, and Justice titled “Billionaire Boys Club,” which aired in 2002.)

Though Joe was initially successful in his trades, the group started spending money like water, buying fancy cars and clothes and leasing high-end office space, and it wasn’t long before more was going out than was coming in. Once initial investors began seeing zero ROI, the high-end investments stopped pouring in, as well, and the BBC found itself in dire financial straits, only a year after being established. That was when Ron Levin entered the picture. (That’s him below, again in a still from Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege, and Justice.) Joe thought the wealthy Beverly Hills businessman, who wanted to invest $5 million in the BBC, would be the club’s ticket out of debt. In truth, Ron was nothing more than a flimflam man, though. Not only did he not have $5 million, but he was setting Hunt up as part of an even bigger scam. When Joe discovered that he had been played – and that his financial circumstances were more dire than ever as a result – he set out to murder Ron. But not before getting some cash out of him first.

On the evening of June 6th, 1984, Joe and his bodyguard, Jim Pittman, entered Levin’s Beverly Hills duplex (pictured below). Still believing him to be a wealthy man, they forced him to write a $1.5 million check to the BBC and then shot him in the back of the head. (In actuality, Ron hardly had two nickels to rub together – a reality Joe learned shortly after the killing when his check bounced. I guess Ron ultimately got the last laugh!) Pittman and Joe then wrapped Ron in a comforter, put his body in the trunk of Joe’s car, drove out to Soledad Canyon and buried him. (At least, that is what has been testified to and confessed by Pittman. Joe has denied all of it and Levin’s body has never been found.)

Ron had been scheduled to head to New York the following morning with Dean Factor (Shannen Doherty’s ex) of all people, as well as two other friends. When the trio arrived at the duplex to pick him up, though, he was nowhere to be found and the men noticed that a few things in his bedroom seemed to be out of place. Despite these anomalies, police initially assumed Ron had skipped town, largely due to his long history as a conman.

When Levin’s check didn’t provide the funding Hunt had anticipated, BBC member Reza Eslaminia suggested the group kidnap his father, an exiled former Iranian dignitary named Hedayat Eslaminia supposedly worth a whopping $30 million. (That’s him below, once again in a still from Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege, and Justice.) Reza figured the boys could get Hedayat to sign over his vast fortune to them via some good old fashioned torture. Knowing he wouldn’t give up his money easily, the group rented a house in Beverly Glen with which to hold him until he turned, after which they’d kill him. Bernice Rappaport, the realtor who leased the boys the residence, told Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege, and Justice that during the tour they were only interested in seeing the basement. Way to be inconspicuous, guys! A van was then rented, a steamer trunk procured, and Hunt, his closest friend Dean Karny, and a few other BBC members headed to Belmont in Northern California where Eslaminia lived (and very near to where I grew up, which makes it all the more strange that I knew nothing of the case!). On July 30th, they entered his apartment, beat him, put him in the trunk, stuck the trunk in the van, and began driving back to L.A. Somewhere along the way, though, he died due to lack of air. Hunt still tried to acquire his assets, but once again the joke was on him. As he quickly learned and as was the case with Levin, Eslaminia was worth far less than originally thought. Per a 1998 SF Gate article, following his death his estate was valued at around $200,000.

By this time, many members of the BBC had grown fed up with Hunt’s continual failure to dispense dividends. Two in particular, brothers Tom and Dave May (heirs to the May Co. department store fortune) were especially frustrated and went to the police to report both that Joe was swindling people out of millions and that he had murdered Levin. Detectives immediately got a warrant to search Ron’s duplex and made a startling discovery. Sitting half-hidden behind a trash can in the office was a veritable murder checklist, pinpointing items like “tape mouth” and “hand cuff.” Running seven pages long and hand-written by Joe himself, the list was titled “At Levin’s TO DO.” Joe was arrested soon after.

As the police closed in on other BBC members, Joe’s BFF Dean (pictured below) quickly turned state’s evidence, agreeing to testify about Ron’s murder in exchange for immunity. He also told police that Hunt was responsible for Eslaminia’s killing and led them to his body. Joe was eventually convicted of Ron’s slaying in 1987 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He later went on trial for Eslaminia’s death, during which he inexplicably represented himself! I guess he did an OK job, too, because jurors wound up deadlocked, a mistrial was declared, and prosecutors declined to pursue the case further. Hunt’s bodyguard, Pittman, was also tried for Ron’s murder – twice actually and both resulted in a hung jury. He eventually pled guilty in November 1987 to being an accessory after the fact, though when he tried to lead police to the body, none was found. (Dun dun dun!) Dean was put in witness protection immediately following the trials, where he has remained ever since.

Despite the violence that took place there, Levin’s former home truly is an idyllic little duplex, each unit boasting 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, about 2,900 square feet, a den, formal living and dining rooms, a fireplace, crown moldings, walk-in closets, plenty of built-ins, a courtyard, and parking for 3 cars. You can see interior images of both apartments here.

I am fairly certain that Ron’s unit, addressed #144, is on the bottom floor of the two-story French Traditional building, which was originally constructed in 1936.

Interestingly, per court testimony given by a friend of Levin’s, in the early ‘70s Ron lived at 148 South Peck Drive, right next door to the building he would eventually be murdered in.

You can see the neighboring structures and their proximity to each other below.

Levin moved to 144 South Peck in the mid-70s and never left – or if you believe Joe Hunt and his defense team, perhaps he did leave one summer night in 1984 and is now living the good life somewhere, completely off the grid.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Ron Levin’s former duplex, from which he disappeared on June 6th, 1984, is located at 144 South Peck Drive in Beverly Hills. Prior to that, he lived next door at 148 South Peck.

October 11, 2019
Stu’s House from "Scream"

At the risk of my October postings turning into a full-fledged Scream-fest (and there ain’t nothing wrong with that, honestly!), I’m coming at ya again with another locale from the 1996 horror flick – the Tomales-area farmhouse where Stuart Macher (Matthew Lillard) lived. Situated up a long, winding driveway and barely visible from the road, the pad is typically off-limits to passersby. But I had the amazing good fortune of seeing it up-close-and-personal during my 2016 visit to Sonoma County. As fate would have it, I happened to drop by on a Saturday morning, at which time a wedding was being set up on the premises. While I was posing for the above photo, one of the party planners pulled up, took pity on me and asked if I wanted to come onto the property for a better look. I just about died right on the spot, stuttered out a “YES!” and promptly hopped in my car and followed her up the driveway, practically hyperventilating the entire way! It was definitely a day for the record books!

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In real life, Stu’s house boasts 5,500 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 4 baths (3 with clawfoot tubs and marble counters procured from a hotel in San Francisco), a formal dining room, a library, 4 fireplaces (though one is covered over), 2 wood stoves, fir wood detailing throughout, a gourmet kitchen with a walk-in pantry, a grand staircase, rear and front foyers, a 3-car garage with a bonus room upstairs, 298 acres of land, creek frontage, 2 barns, 2 guest cottages, and a span of eucalyptus groves.

I was a little uncertain about the home’s provenance when I originally published this post. Thankfully, a fellow stalker named Mandy went on a deep dive into the nitty-gritty of the property’s history as well as that of its original owners and has filled in all the blanks! Honestly can’t thank you enough, Mandy! A real estate listing I came across early on in my research stated that the dwelling was built in 1991 by a Mr. and Mrs. McPhail, who were in their 70s, and was designed to match to the Victorian where Mr. McPhail’s grew up – a factoid that just about made me, ahem, scream! A replica of Stu’s house existing somewhere in Marin County? I couldn’t think of anything cooler! As Mandy discovered, though, virtually none of the listing’s reporting was correct. The property was actually commissioned by John (aka “Jack”) and Carolyn MacPhail, not McPhail, who were in their late 50s, not 70s. A photo of a plaque displayed on the front of Stu’s house that was posted to Instagram by a guy named Ben who attended the Scream Comes Home event in 2018 further confirms Mandy’s information. It also shows that the pad was completed in 1990, not 1991.

But the erroneous reporting doesn’t end there. Mandy further uncovered that John’s childhood home is located at 7 Marin Street in San Rafael. That’s it below. As you can see – and as I was sorely disappointed to discover – it looks absolutely nothing like Stu’s. It’s not even a Victorian!

Now, the house next door at 11 Marin Street, where John’s father was born and raised and where a cousin of the family lived during his childhood, does bear some resemblance to the Macher residence. Some. While it is Victorian and has bay windows and a porch overhang similar to the Scream home, that’s certainly not enough to claim it is a replica of it – or even that it was inspired by it. So yeah, the whole story about the Tomales property being built to match John’s childhood home appears to be just that, a story – probably intended to make the history of the place more interesting and therefore more attractive to buyers.

Per their obituaries, the MacPhails both passed away in their Tomales home in 1991 at the age of 59 – John from a “brief illness” on March 6th and Carolyn “after being in ill health for several years” on November 12. Matthew Lillard discusses the deaths in an on-set interview that is included in the Behind the ‘Scream’ documentary featured in The Ultimate Scream Collection DVD box set. He says, “It’s kind of, like, an eerie house. Actually, two people have died in this house. Literally – two people have died in the house. So coming up the hill and you’re doing a Wes Craven film and somebody tells you, ‘Oh, by the way, two people have died in the house,’ it brings on an entirely new thing.” Though both John and Carolyn passed away from natural causes, Matthew is right – it’s certainly eerie!

The MacPhails left the sprawling property to their children and it sat vacant in the years following, which I’m sure is a big part of how it came to be used in Scream. A huge, deserted and unoccupied Victorian situated up a lonely dark road? There’s no better spot to shoot the final sequence of a horror movie! Of the find, Wes Craven said in a 1996 interview that my friend Ashley of The Drewseum was kind enough to email me a scan of, “We wanted Stu’s home to have elements of a dark and haunted Gothic house and it needed to be very isolated. We looked a long time for some place that had all of those elements. The house we found was actually brand new. It had not quite been completed when both of the owners died, and the family of younger kids didn’t quite know what to do with it. When we found it and offered to use it, they were very happy to let us. The art department went in there and did an enormous number on the house. We put in all sorts of beams, and stained-glass windows, darkened all the colors, and brought in all the set dressings. It was done in a sort of farmhouse style, and we changed it into a Gothic farmhouse.”

Production designer Bruce Miller furthers in the same article, “It just doesn’t make sense that in a normal American home, murders could be happening in the upstairs bedrooms, and people watching television downstairs wouldn’t know about it. So the house had to be big enough, and the rooms had to be separated by enough distance, to convince the audience that these things could really be happening, without the other people knowing about it. This particular house was perfect for that, because it was very convoluted, and kind of Victorian on the inside. It was actually a little scary to some extent, and then we added big paintings and a chandelier. Because the house was so Victorian on the inside, we didn’t want to fight that, but we didn’t want to over-stress it either. We even put a volleyball net in the front yard, because it had to be believable that a normal teenager lives there with his parents, who just happened to be away for the weekend.”

The production team must have really, ahem (again), screamed with excitement when they saw that the home’s garage is situated on the rear side of the property, not at all visible from the front, making Tatum Riley’s (Rose McGowan) death scene (which was a part of the original script) – as well as the fact that her body is never seen by any of the partygoers – all the more feasible.

Stu’s house was put up for sale in November 2011 for $2,795,000, but there were no takers. It was eventually removed from the market, then returned and finally sold in June 2014 for $2,820,000. Today, it is known as “Spring Hill Estate” and, as I mentioned, serves as a wedding venue. Despite being remote, isolated, situated on a lonely hill and the site of one of filmdom’s most famous horror movie sequences, it is nothing short of peaceful and pastoral, not to mention stunningly beautiful. I can think of no better place to host a wedding in Northern California. The nuptials we saw being set up, situated in one of the property’s barns, looked like something out of a magazine! Rustic, inviting and lit with hundreds upon hundreds of twinkle lights, it was all I could do not to try to secure myself an invite!

Scream’s epically bloody finale, which counts for a whopping 42 minutes of screen time, was comprised of one scene, Scene #118. Broken up into more than 20 different parts, the sequence, titled “People live, people die,” makes up the entire third act of the film. And all of it takes place at Stu’s house! Pretty much every single area of the residence is featured, including the front exterior.

The pad looks exactly the same in person as it did onscreen, minus the large stained glass window situated over the front door which was a prop added for filming, I am guessing to give it even more of that Gothic Victorian farmhouse feel.

For the shoot, the home’s real life dining room was transformed into the Macher family’s TV room, where audiences were gifted with Randy Meeks’ (Jamie Kennedy) legendary break-down of “the rules” of horror movies. As you can see in the MLS image below from the property’s 2014 sale, even without Stu’s red floral curtains and rust-colored couch, the room is very recognizable from its cameo.

And the kitchen is even more so! Looking at MLS images of it makes my heart beat a little faster! The room is absolutely frozen in time from its big screen appearance!

The only thing missing is a set of ceiling-mounted cabinets that ran along the edge of the space in Scream. I am not sure if said cabinets were a real element of the house since removed or just set dressing, but I am guessing the former.

The 2014 listing mentions that the home boasts “a kitchen desk and planning center” which cracked me up as that is the spot where Stu sits while speaking on the phone with Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell). It is there that he utters his famous line, “My mom and dad are gonna be so mad at me!”

The residence’s breakfast nook also makes an appearance in Scream;

as does the foyer;

one of the bedrooms;

the attic (of which, Wes Craven says, “The attic wasn’t very creepy, so we darkened it down, and filled it up with all sorts of strange stuff.”);

and, of course, the garage!

Had to do it!

As I mentioned earlier, the garage is situated on the back side of the house . . .

. . . completely hidden from view from the front.

It is in the middle garage door that Tatum meets her untimely end and from the dormer above it and to the left that Sidney jumps out of the attic and first sees her body.

The finale sequence, which took a whopping 21 nights to shoot, was so grueling that cast and crew started referring to it as “the scene from hell” and “the longest night in horror history.” It was not long before “I survived Scene 118” became a running joke and t-shirts bearing the phrase were made for everyone involved, as seen in the still from ’Scream’: The Inside Story below.

All I could think while making screen captures for this post was how in the heck did they ever get the house clean again following filming?

Fun fact – Dewey Riley (David Arquette) was originally set to die at the end of Scream, but Wes Craven had a last-minute change of heart and shot the bit with the deputy being taken out of Stu’s house on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance on the final night of filming, as he had a feeling audiences were going to fall in love with him. And he was right! I can’t imagine the sequels without Dewey!

Per the Spring Hill Estate website, Stu’s house is quite a hotbed for filming, with more than 15 productions lensed on the premises. I was only able to identify 2, though.

The interior is utilized briefly as the home where Sara Gold (Allison Paige) lives with her parents in the 2016 drama The Dog Lover.

And Stu’s house also serves as the residence of Stella Davis (Dorian Brown Pham) in 2017’s Running Wild.

Coincidentally, shortly after I began penning this article, the Grim Cheaper texted me a link about a Halloween party taking place at Stu’s house on October 31st, hosted by the same guys who put on Scream Comes Home. Apparently, the homeowners have recently decided to move onto the premises and though the place will still be available periodically as a special event venue, this will be the last time it is opened up to Scream fans. You can get your tickets here! And if you are interested in checking out more interior shots of Stu’s house, the Real to Reel website has some fabulous ones from the Scream Comes Home event.

Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Mandy for unearthing so much of this home’s history and to my friend Ashley, of The Drewseum, for sharing several articles about the property with me!

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Spring Hill Estate, aka Stu’s house from Scream, is located at 3871 Tomales Petaluma Road in Tomales. The home currently serves as a special event venue. You can visit its official website here. The residence is situated up a long private drive and only the back of it (which did not appear in the movie) is visible from the street. (Pictured below is the view of it from the road.) You can catch an up-close glimpse of it, though, by attending the Halloween party being held there on October 31st. More information can be found here.

October 9, 2019
The “Scream” Grocery Store

I love a good grocery store locale (as evidenced here, here, here and here)! My dad worked in markets throughout my childhood and I spent a lot of time with him at “the office,” which is where my affinity stems from. So even though I had already blogged about Pacific Market, the Santa Rosa bodega that cameoed in horror favorite Scream (which my aunt and uncle, who live in the area, stalked on my behalf back in 2008), I still had to hit the place up when I traveled to Sonoma County in October 2016. Going through my photos from that trip in preparation for this post made me a bit misty-eyed. While in town, I dragged my mom, aunt, two uncles, longtime BFF, and her boyfriend to every.single.locale. featured in the 1996 flick. Oh, how I wish I could do it all over again – especially the visit to Pacific Market, where my stalking resulted in a free bottle of champagne! But more on that in a bit.

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Per newspaper ads, the property that currently houses Pacific Market has been a grocery store since at least as far back as 1950, at which time it was known as Pohley’s Market.

It has gone through several different grocer iterations in the years since – as well as a few renovations, I’m sure. When the Scream cast and crew descended upon the area in the spring of 1996, the shop was known as Town and Country Market.

The upscale store was known for its fine wines, gourmet foods, and other specialty items. A former ad for the place I found on Newspapers.com touted Town and Country as a spot “Where old-fashioned courtesy and relaxed shopping are yours at supermarket prices.”

Town and Country became the third store in the Pacific Market chain when it was acquired by the Mohar family in 1997, a year after Scream was filmed on the premises. Initially established in 1948 by Stan and Mary Mohar, the grocery company was light years ahead of its time as far as healthful eating was concerned, dedicating an entire section of each outpost to organic produce from the start! Unfortunately, with the purchase came some renovations, which I’ll cover further down.

The Santa Rosa outpost was subsequently sold on two more occasions (first in 2012 and then again in 2016), each time retaining the Pacific Market name. The latter sale occurred just prior to my visit, during which I had the good fortune of meeting the new owner, who could not have been nicer! Turns out, he had no idea of his store’s cinematic history and was thrilled to learn about it! As I filled him in on Pacific Market’s role in Scream and where filming had taken place, I couldn’t help but relish in his enthusiasm over the cameo and had to throw out a few suggestions to honor it, such as stationing a Ghostface mask in the freezer aisle so that its reflection could forever be visible in the glass doors. I am unsure if he implemented the idea, but it’s genius, right? As our chat wound down, he asked me what I like to drink. I told him champagne (of course) and he promptly grabbed a very nice bottle off the shelf and gifted it to me – which was the first time any of my stalkings ever resulted in free bubbly!

In Scream, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan) head to what was then Town and Country Market to buy party supplies for the soiree Stuart Macher (Matthew Lillard) is hosting to celebrate classes being canceled due to the murder of two fellow Woodsboro High students. Sadly, the part of the store the girls walk by at the top of the scene was extensively remolded after filming took place, with the side window and wooden patio railing removed, as you can see below.

This was done to allow for a new entrance (pictured below) to be built at the corner of the market, one that would be more accessible to the surrounding wraparound parking lot.

As such, the southeast tip of the building was essentially blown out and diagonally-situated doors installed in its place. (The support beam visible below marks exactly where the demolished corner used to come out to.)

The store’s original main entrance, which was situated on the south side of the market and which Sidney and Tatum walked through in Scream, is just a set of windows today.

Completely framed in, the windows are situated behind seasonal displays and grocery cart storage and semi-obscured from view.

The bulk of the Scream scene takes place inside Pacific Market, in aisle 5 to be precise – the freezer aisle (dun dun dun!) – which Tatum and Sidney walk the length of.

It, too, has been remodeled, unfortunately. The freezer aisle used to be zigzag in shape. It was in the shorter section, where the aisle zagged off toward the front of the store, that Sidney grabbed popsicles and ice cream and announced she was “sexually anorexic.”

Today, the freezer section is one straight line with an open refrigerated display case situated in the spot where Sidney and Tatum perused frozen desserts. Though I don’t have a photo taken from the same angle shown in Scream, the area where the girls were positioned is pretty much right where the woman in blue is standing below. Because the freezer aisle pretty much ends where the new front doors stand, I believe the alteration was made to accommodate for their construction.

It is as the girls leave the aisle that Ghostface’s reflection becomes visible in a freezer case door – as I said, dun dun dun! (I accidentally took the photo below from the wrong angle, but as you can see the freezer doors have also since been swapped out for new ones.)

It is not at all hard to see why Wes Craven and the rest of the production team landed on the store as a location for Scream. Pacific Market is the perfect little neighborhood grocer. And while the segment shot there is short, it is significant as it not only encapsulates the idyllic small town nature of Woodsboro, but the naivete of the teens at the center of the story who are out buying ice cream and Tostitos for a party celebrating school being cancelled due to the murder spree ravaging their town! Talk about a juxtaposition! (The song that plays at the top of the scene is also perfection, btw.)

I really could not have timed my visit to Pacific Market better as the fall decorations adorning the store only added to its homey feel. I mean, if that’s not the perfect slice of Americana pictured below, I don’t know what is!

And yeah, had to do it!

Even my aunt got in on the fun!

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to my aunt and uncle for originally stalking this location for me back in 2008, taking me to stalk it myself in 2016, and then re-stalking it for me again this past weekend. When I sat down to edit my photos for this post, I realized I hadn’t taken any that matched what was shown in Scream, so I asked if they might head out there to snap better comparison shots. They happily obliged and sent me all that appear in this post. (For those counting, that’s their third stalk of the place – and no, they’re not fans of the movie in the slightest.) I honestly can’t thank them enough!

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Pacific Market, aka the former Town and Country Market from Scream, is located at 1465 Town and Country Drive in Santa Rosa. You can visit the store’s official website here.

October 7, 2019
The “Scream” Video Store

Extremely nostalgic by nature, I was recently thinking about the demise of video stores and how many movies would suffer if made today because of it – movies like The Holiday, Clerks and, of course, Scream. Without the scene set at Woodsboro’s local VHS rental spot in the latter, in which Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) schools buddy Stuart Macher (Matthew Lillard) on the “very specific formula” followed by slasher flicks, much of the tongue-in-cheek nature of the storyline would have been tragically lost. I blogged about Santa Rosa’s Bradley Video, where the segment was shot, back in 2008, though I had never actually stalked it myself, instead sending my aunt Lea, who lives in the area, to do so on my behalf. By the time I next made it up to Sonoma County in 2016, the shop had long since shut down, but I still included it in my Scream stalking itinerary, which encompassed every.single.location featured in the 1996 horror classic down to the hotel where the cast and crew stayed during the 55-day shoot, as well as the warehouse that served as the production’s soundstage. The vast majority of those sites remain on my To-Blog List and I figured today was the perfect time to get to posting about them, starting with Bradley Video.

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When Lea stalked Bradley Video for me in 2008, the store was still in operation. In fact, it was her local rental place and she and her husband would visit it regularly. Sadly, it went the way of most VHS leasing establishments, initially closing its doors in 2005 after its owner, William Bradley, filed for bankruptcy. There were 11 shops in the chain at the time, all of which shuttered that same year. In a fitting twist, the majority of the company’s outposts, including the one from Scream (located on Marlow Road) were curtained on October 31st! As The Press Democrat reported a few days later, calls to the Sebastopol outlet were met with a message stating, “Bradley Video is closing its stores for good, and this store is closed. Happy Halloween.” Though I am sad it is no longer open, if a horror movie location has to shutter, I can think of no better day to do it than Halloween!

That wasn’t the end of the Marlow Road store, though. In January 2006, the shop was was re-opened by West Coast Video, along with 6 others in the Bradley chain.

The rebirth was short-lived, however, and the Marlow Road BV closed once again in early 2009, shortly after my aunt’s stalk of it.

Amazingly, the space has remained vacant ever since, which is great news for us Scream aficionados as it has resulted in very few changes to the exterior.

The same goes for the interior, which I was thrilled to discover as I peeked through the windows! Despite the passage of 23 years, two separate closures, an ownership change, and an almost-decade long vacancy, the Bradley Video site still looks exactly as it did onscreen!

I cannot express how thrilled I was to see the very same muted fuchsia carpeting that Stu and Randy walked upon still lining the floor of the space! Also visible? Faded markings surrounding the areas where the shelving used to stand!

The rectangular pillar stationed behind Randy throughout the scene also remains intact, though today it is mirrored.

Per Scream’s production notes, Sonoma County was chosen as a backdrop for the lurid tale thanks to its “innocent, familiar” locales which provided the perfect setting for the movie’s more macabre sequences. And no site is more innocent or familiar than a local video store! It is at Bradley Video that Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), Stu, and several other Woodsboro High students head to rent movies after classes are cancelled due to the murder spree taking place in town. While there, we get these choice words from video store employee/resident slasher flick expert Randy, “See, the police are always off track with this sh*t. If they watched Prom Night, they’d save time. There’s a formula to it – a very simple formula! EVERYBODY’S A SUSPECT!” As I was not able to venture inside the former Bradley Video space, my photographs were, obviously, not taken from an angle matching that of the movie, but I believe the image below shows basically the same vantage point, minus the anteroom visible in the foreground.

As for the detritus strewn about, per a commenter named Rich Brasil on the Bloody Disgusting website, the location is currently used to house supplies for a neighboring Chinese restaurant.

Filming of the Bradley Video scene took place on Monday, May 6th, 1996 (the 16th day of production) according to the Scream call sheets, which my friend Ashley of The Drewseum was kind enough to give me copies of. Actors were required to report to the locale at 9:15 a.m. and the weather was “sunny and cloudy, dry, breezy at times” with highs in the mid-60s. There were a total of 40 extras on set (including “2 babes for Billy”) and the shoot was scheduled to wrap at 6 p.m.

And while I am thrilled the Bradley Video space remains so unchanged from that 1996 cameo, at the same time it is a bit disheartening that the site of such a famous cinematic moment exists in such a sad state. I would love to see the place re-open, but with the interior left intact, of course. Scream video store pop-up, anyone?

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to my aunt Lea for initially stalking Bradley Video for me and taking the images dated 2008 that appear in this post.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Bradley Video, from Scream, was formerly located in the Rosewood Village shopping center at 3080 Marlow Road in Santa Rosa. Its former storefront, Unit A19, is denoted with an orange arrow below and its onetime frontage marked by orange lines.

October 4, 2019
Mountain View Mausoleum from “Lucifer”

Given my proclivity for graveyards and extensive knowledge of Los Angeles (especially the Pasadena area), it is shocking that I only learned of Altadena’s Mountain View Mausoleum a few months ago. Sure I’ve visited the neighboring Mountain View Cemetery numerous times and even dedicated a post to it, but somehow I never knew about its mausoleum, situated directly across the street on Marengo Avenue. It was only while watching the latest season of Lucifer, which Netflix dropped in May, that I discovered the place. More beautiful than scary, I figure it’s still a perfect spot to include in my Haunted Hollywood blogs. (How fitting is that orb in the photo above, by the way?)

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In the Season 4 episode of Lucifer titled “Somebody’s Been Reading Dante’s Inferno,” Mountain View Mausoleum masks as the church library in Italy where Los Angeles police detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German) researches biblical stories about the devil in an attempt to gain clarity on the disturbing things she has recently learned about her partner, Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis).

Producers went to great lengths to transform Mountain View into a library for the shoot, sparing what seems to be no expense on set décor including tables, chairs, desk lamps, red curtains, and large bookshelves filled with tomes to cover the crypts. The result was extremely convincing. While initially viewing the episode, I was sure filming had taken place at an actual area athenaeum. Being that I am something of an aficionado of such spaces (as evidenced here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), I was shocked I had never come across the place in all of my stalkings. It wasn’t until taking a closer look at the scenery while scanning through “Somebody’s Been Reading Dante’s Inferno” the following day that I realized the site where Chloe researched was actually a mausoleum.

From there, it was not very hard to pinpoint the exact spot used. A simple Google search for the terms “ornate mausoleum,” “arched ceilings,” “stained glass,” and “Los Angeles,” led me straight to Mountain View. I finally ran out to stalk it this past weekend.

Though I do intend on penning another post about Mountain View Cemetery (since my previous one was published way back in 2010!), I will only be covering the mausoleum itself in this column.

Designed in 1925 by architects Clarence L. Jay and Cecil E. Bryan (the latter was a one-time student of Frank Lloyd Wright!), Mountain View Mausoleum is a sight to behold!

While certainly compelling from the outside . . .

. . . it is the interior of the Neo-Mediterranean-style structure that is truly special.

Though Bryan designed more than eighty mausoleums throughout his lifetime, he considered Mountain View his pièce de résistance. So much so that when he passed away in 1951, it was there that he chose to be interred. And it’s not very hard to see why.

Unsurpassed beauty is found around every turn.

The mausoleum’s focal point is easily its 180-foot-long Great Gallery featuring an ornate vaulted ceiling hand-painted by artist Martin Syvertsen. The massive mural, depicting a frescoed version of the story of Christianity, took four years to complete and is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

The Mausoleum also boasts stained glass windows created by Judson Studios, surfaces fashioned from more than 64 varieties of Italian marble, and intricate tile work.

It is, hands down, one of the most beautiful spaces in Los Angeles.

I mean!

Sorrow coexists with lightness seamlessly here . . .

. . . and there are plenty of eerie tucked-away corners to explore for those who are so inclined.

At one point, while perusing the mausoleum, I found myself separated from the Grim Cheaper, on a lower floor by myself, sans cell signal and surrounded by a quiet permeating the space so strongly it was almost deafening! In my haste to get back to civilization, I wound up lost and wandered through the basement level for what felt like hours, though I’m sure it was only minutes. Needless to say, I was sufficiently spooked. Those looking for a scary experience can definitely find it here.

Not initially associated with the cemetery, the mausoleum was acquired by Mountain View in 1971 and adopted its name at the same time.

Of the building, Altadena Historical Society President Jane Backman said, “This is Altadena’s own Sistine Chapel. Most Altadenans, even those who have lived here all their lives, have driven past the mausoleum on Marengo but have never gone inside.” It is such a shame that most locals (myself included, until just recently) don’t even know it’s there! Mountain View is a true hidden gem.

There seems to be quite a bit of misinformation floating around concerning the mausoleum’s cinematic history, so I’ve decided to rectify that.

Sebastian Stark (James Woods) gives Jennifer Randolph (Elizabeth Lackey) a stern talking to at the mausoleum in the Season 2 episode of Shark titled “Partners in Crime,” which aired in 2008.

In 2011, D.B. Russell (Ted Danson) and Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda) encountered a distraught Joanna Sapphire (Frances Fisher) there in the Season 12 episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation titled “Maid Man.”

James Woods returned to the mausoleum in 2013, this time playing Sully Sullivan in the Season 1 episode of Ray Donovan titled “New Birthday,” which I learned about thanks to Geoff, of 90210Locations. He also provided the screen captures that appear below. Thank you, Geoff!

That same year, the mausoleum appeared in Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” music video.

Geoff also informed me that Rick Stevens (Nat Wolff) went to confession there in the 2014 comedy Behaving Badly.

Elizabeth (Lady Gaga) visits the tomb of Rudolph Valentino (Finn Rittrock) at Mountain View Mausoleum – and learns that he’s not actually dead – in the episode of American Horror Story: Hotel titled “Flicker,” which aired in 2015.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) head to the mausoleum to investigate the murder of a Navy lieutenant in the Season 15 episode of NCIS titled “Twofer,” which aired in 2017.

In the finale of the new Netflix series Hollywood, Avis Amberg (Patti LuPone) gives Henry Wilson (Jim Parsons) the green light for his new movie at the mausoleum.

And (spoiler alert!) the funeral for Dick Samuels (Joe Mantello) also takes place in the mausoleum’s onsite chapel, The Chapel of the Gardens.

The mausoleum also appears as the funeral home that Emily Dodson (Gayle Rankin) and Della Street (Juliet Rylance) visit in the second episode of the new HBO series Perry Mason titled “Chapter 2.”

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Mountain View Mausoleum, from the “Somebody’s Been Reading Dante’s Inferno” episode of Lucifer, is located at 2300 North Marengo Avenue in Altadena. The property is open to the public daily and photos are not only allowed, but encouraged!

October 3, 2019
The “Waxwork” House

It’s finally that time again, folks – time for my annual Haunted Hollywood stalkings! I intended to commence this year’s postings with a real doozy of a murder case, but got held up a bit in my research. I am currently awaiting some documents from the County of Riverside that should provide more clarity as to the precise location where the killing took place and will write about it just as soon as they arrive. In the meantime, I thought I would instead kick things off with a locale from a horror classic. Now, as I’ve mentioned many times, a fan of slasher flicks I am not. But this past July, my friend Owen tipped me off to a spot that he thought would figure in nicely to an October post – the Hancock Park home that masked as a waxwork, aka a wax museum, in the 1988 horror film of the same name. As he informed me in his email, the “cool-looking” brick pad boasts “great windows and a turret!” Interest piqued, I added the address to my To-Stalk List and headed right on out there this past weekend.

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Finally watching Waxwork last night did little to turn me into a horror fan. In fact, I have to say the movie was pretty darn terrible (though star Zach Galligan sure is a cutie!). The premise? A morose old man named David Lincoln (David Warner) attempts to set off the “voodoo end of the world” by bringing eighteen of the most evil people who ever lived back to life. How does he do this, you ask? By creating wax effigies of each person and feeding them the souls of the various patrons who visit the waxwork he has built inside of his private home in the middle of suburbia. And he would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for two meddling high schoolers, Mark (Galligan) and Sarah (Deborah Foreman), who thwart his plan. Like I said, Waxwork isn’t good.

But Owen was right – the house is fabulous . . . and fabulously creepy!

Though burned to the ground by Mark and Sarah at the end of Waxwork, in real life the pad still stands proudly at 255 South Rossmore Avenue. (In actuality, a miniature was used in the filming of the fire scene.)

While it looks much the same as it did onscreen in 1988, sadly views of it from the street are largely eclipsed by a massive hedge that now lines the front of the property.

Only the exterior of the residence appeared in Waxwork. The interior of Lincoln’s eerie home was just a set, as evidenced by the double doors that opened from the living room into his onsite wax museum.

Originally built in 1924 for L. Milton Wolf, in real life the dwelling boasts 7 bedrooms (!), 3 baths, 3,878 square feet of living space, a pool, a detached garage with what looks to be an upstairs in-law unit, and a 0.43-acre plot of land.

The house is somewhat historically significant, too! As Owen informed me, its longtime owner Loretta Lindholm was responsible for the installation of the many ornamental lights that now dot the streets of Hancock Park. For her efforts, she received a Los Angeles City Council Commendation!

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to my friend Owen for telling me about this location!

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The Waxwork house from Waxwork is located at 255 South Rossmore Avenue in Hancock Park.

October 2, 2019
The House from “The Bradys”

Today we are gifted with another stellar guest post penned by my friend Michael, whom you may remember from the myriad other columns he has written for IAMNOTASTALKER over the years. Like many of those, this one is Brady Bunch-related and, let me tell you, I am here for it! So, without further ado, take it away Michael!

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My guest posts have traditionally focused on previously unknown or unpublicized locations. Well, consider that paradigm thrown out the window of a 1950s split level, as this post is about one location that is certainly not without publicity—the Brady house. Its address has been long known, many an article has been written about it, and heck, there’s even a current television program centered around its iconic status.

When the house went up for sale in 2018, HGTV purchased it with the goal of altering the structure, so that not only would the exterior match 50-year old The Brady Bunch establishing shots, but the interior would also align with the show’s sets that were only ever a reality on the soundstages of Paramount. A Very Brady Renovation, currently airing on HGTV, documents the overhaul, complete with help from a slate of HGTV personalities, the original surviving Brady Bunch cast, and impressively exacting and talented project managers.

In order to properly Brady-ize the house, some architectural elements of the façade needed to be altered. With so much focus on making the old new(ly old) again, I thought it was time for a look back at the house pre-renovation and how it relates to Brady canon—specifically, the 1990 television drama The Bradys.

An hour-long weekly drama, The Bradys premiered in early 1990 following the success of the late-1988 television movie A Very Brady Christmas. Nearly the entire cast reprised their roles, with only Leah Ayres portraying Marcia for this incarnation. Like the preceding series, Mike and Carol’s home was prominently featured, and while the set remained architecturally the same, the interior décor was updated to a more contemporary pastel color story. Going without an update, however, were the exterior establishing shots of the Brady residence. The same shots filmed in the late-60s and 70s for the original series and recycled throughout most of the show’s iterations were dusted off again for the earliest episodes of The Bradys. The Brady kids may have grown, but the palm tree by the front door apparently never gained a frond.

Even though The Bradys was canceled after only six episodes, a wide variety of establishing shots were used—eventually including updated views of the house. In the third episode of the series, “A Moving Experience,” Mike and Carol nearly lose their house to freeway construction. Thanks to last-minute inspiration from Marcia’s son and his Legos, Mike and Carol decide to have the house moved to a new lot.

A live-action scene was optically produced on Paramount’s backlot to depict the move. Greg’s son, played by a young Jonathan Taylor Thomas, was swept from harm’s way as something vaguely resembling the Brady house—balancing like a teeter-totter on a flatbed truck—paraded through the city streets. Now, of course, this seems a little much, but as an 8-year-old when it first aired, I was fascinated by this scene.

The move also allowed for a charmingly vintage CGI shot of the house on its ‘new lot.’

After ‘the move,’ new establishing shots of the house were filmed. Since the real home never budged an inch, more 90s CGI was used to replace the familiar Studio City background with new skyscapes. Mike and Carol must have paid a fortune for all of the mature foliage—I suppose after living with an AstroTurf lawn, and a palm tree that hadn’t grown for 30 years, they didn’t want to take any chances.

Though never addressed on the show, the changes in paint color, windows, roof, and landscaping could have been explained away as post-move touchups.

As was done for the original establishing shots, a window (albeit sized and placed differently than the 60s/70s version) was added to the front gable of the house. Until HGTV’s recent project, the home never had a window on its front peak. It did, however, have a large window near the front door. This window was covered in the original establishing shots, but left alone for the 90s updates. HGTV’s crew recently closed off this ground-floor window to honor the original establishing shots.

The ornate wooden doors, not original to the vintage establishing shots, were also left on the house, even though they also didn’t match those on The Bradys soundstage set. These doors were also recently replaced with new blue doors at the actual home to match the style from the original establishing shots and the color from the first season of The Brady Bunch.

Viewers got an even better look at the now displaced window in the fifth episode of the series, “Bottom’s Up,” when a pixilated Marcia and her kids walked to a car in front of the house. This scene also has the historic privilege of elevating the Brady house from an establishing shot into a full-fledged filming location.

After six episodes, The Bradys halted production and was subsequently canceled. Airing opposite ABC’s TGIF lineup up of Full House and Family Matters, my 8-year old allegiances were tested from the first episode. Although far from the target audience, I faithfully set my VCR each week, while spending my Friday nights with Urkel and the Tanner family.

For me, the fun of filming locations, other than solving the mystery of where they’re located, is comparing what they look like in person to the perception gleaned from their time on the screen. Some places look exactly as you’d expect, and others surprisingly different. Until recently, pulling up to the Brady house meant seeing something familiar yet different—a fence, a warmer paint color, larger trees, missing windows, extra windows—not quite the Brady Bunch house tucked away in your memory, but close enough.

Having grown accustomed to the residence more closely resembling its stint on The Bradys rather than The Brady Bunch, I went by the house in May and was excited to see the exterior work progressing through its very Brady transformation. Imagination is no longer needed to match the house up with your mind’s eye thanks to the tremendous amount of effort HGTV has put into both the interior and exterior of this project, as evidenced each week on A Very Brady Renovation. Now, the question is, what will become of this 70s throwback after the program concludes?

[Editor’s Note – Thank you, Michael, for another fabulous – and fabulously retro – post! I have yet to see an episode of The Bradys or A Very Brady Renovation (I know, I know), but now you have me chomping at the bit to watch both!]

Stalk It: The house from The Bradys is located at 11222 Dilling Street in Studio City . Note: The residence now more closely resembles the 1970s exterior seen on The Brady Bunch and there is currently a temporary privacy fence surrounding the property.

September 30, 2019
My Guide to Palm Springs – See/Do/Shop

With 365 days of sunshine a year and a plethora of gorgeous lodgings, Palm Springs is the perfect vacation venue to sit around the pool and do nothing. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a wide array of things to do while in town. Below is a list of my favorite local sites to see, activities to experience, and spots to shop.

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1. Robolights (1077 East Granvia Valmonte, Palm Springs) – Easily the most unique attraction the desert has to offer, Robolights is a massive immersive art installation located on the grounds of a private residence in the tony Movie Colony neighborhood. The brainchild of artist Kenny Irwin, who as a youngster began building robot displays in the yard of his family’s home using trash and scrap materials, the exhibition has since grown to encompass the entire two-acre plot of land the pad sits on. Christmas in theme, the site (which boasts over 9 million twinkle lights!) is only open to the public from November through December but has become something of a staple for locals no matter what month. Left intact year-round and visible from the streets that surround it, even during the daylight hours of the off-season, it’s a spot that would make Clark W. Griswold jealous! Though Robolights is said to be heading to Detroit this December before being installed at a new permanent location in Desert Hot Springs in 2020, it currently still sits intact in the Movie Colony and, per the official Facebook page, visitors wishing for a close-up peek can make an appointment for a tour by texting (760)774-0318.

2. Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway (1350 Ladera Circle, Palm Springs) – A rarity when it comes to former celebrity residences, Elvis Presley’s onetime desert pad is not only open for tours but looks exactly as it did when The King called it home from 1966 to 1967. From the sunken living room to the curved banquette couch to the tufted pink bed, the place is so well-preserved it honestly feels like the singer just stepped out to grab some milk (or perhaps peanut butter and bananas) and will return within minutes to strum you a little tune on his guitar. Known as the “Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway,” it was there that Presley spent his wedding night with Priscilla on May 1st, 1967. But that’s not its only claim to fame. Built by architect William Krisel for developer Robert Alexander, the dwelling is both architecturally and historically significant, as well. Tours (held daily) are hosted by Elvis expert Michael Ochoa and trust me when I say there’s no better person to guide you through the singer’s former stomping grounds. You can read an in-depth post about my visit to the home in 2017 here.

3. True Serenity Skin Care Spa (73890 El Paseo, Palm Desert) – My pick for the best spa in the Coachella Valley goes to True Serenity, mainly because of its owner. I originally discovered Arlene shortly after moving to the desert many moons back when I found myself desperately in need of a facial one hot summer day. A Google search for “the best esthetician in Palm Springs” led me straight to her. She was working at another salon at the time and once I started seeing her, so did my mom, my dad, and even my apartment manager! We all were devotees for years. Then, one day, the salon announced that Arlene had left (no information about her new location was given) and I was devastated. Considering my stalking skills, it took far longer than I care to admit to finally track her down at her new spa, but I am so happy I did. Arlene designed True Serenity herself and it is like a little piece of heaven right on El Paseo. The treatments also feel heaven-sent. Besides facials, True Serenity offers massages, waxings and other body treatments, including a mean spray tan! [Honorable mention – If you’re looking for a fabulous facial experience, but do not care about a full-blown spa atmosphere, I cannot recommend Kahnema Melkesian more. Working out of a casita at her home and offering prices at a fraction of those of a salon, she honestly gives one of the best facials I’ve ever received. Kahnema can be booked directly via her cell – (760)485-2420).]

4. Kitchen Kitchen (74945 Highway 111, Indian Wells) – I am not into cooking at all, but I still have hearts coming out of my eyes whenever I visit this place. Kitchen Kitchen, which originally opened in 1979, literally has something for everyone, from specialty spices to decorative wine glasses to every culinary gadget and gizmo imaginable! In fact, to steal the Yellow Pages motto – if it’s at all related to cuisine and it’s not in here, maybe it doesn’t exist! After visiting Switzerland in 2013, the GC and I headed to Kitchen Kitchen hoping to buy a traditional Swiss raclette oven. When we asked owner Jan Boydstun (who is always on hand and is a wealth of knowledge on all things culinary) if she happened to sell them, she responded, “Yes, of course! What color are you looking for and would you prefer one with a grill or without?” We walked out with our very own raclette oven minutes later (red and with a grill, in case you were wondering). Though boutiquey in nature, Kitchen Kitchen’s prices rival that of Amazon. And there’s nothing like the amazing customer service the employees provide. Every item sold is tested by Jan herself and if something stocked is returned by more than three customers, she stops selling it. The shop also offers a plethora of ever-changing cooking classes and events at its onsite kitchen. This place is a true desert gem!

5. Mollers Garden Center (72235 Painters Path, Palm Desert) – Though this site is actually a nursery, it feels more like a botanical garden. Situated against a dramatic mountain backdrop and stocked with every kind of cactus you can imagine (not to mention countless other perennials), it’s a gorgeous spot to wander and familiarize yourself with the landscape of the desert. And it’s massive! You can easily spend an entire afternoon perusing the selection, as well as chatting with the employees who are veritable walking/talking encyclopedias of plant knowledge with answers to any and all foliage-related questions. And the gift shop! Oh, the gift shop! It’s one of my favorite boutiques in town. Though on the pricey side, it sells highly unique décor, art, and antiques. Let’s just say I can really do some damage in there. Actually, being that he loves the nursery, neither the GC nor I can walk away from Mollers without making some sort of fun purchase. (Big THANK YOU to my friend Kim for supplying the photo below.)

6. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (47900 Portola Avenue, Palm Desert) – The GC and I visit this spot on the regular. In fact, it is one of our favorite places to spend an afternoon during Palm Springs’ temperate months (though it is open year-round for those who don’t mind being outdoors in the heat). Condé Nast Traveler rated it one of the Top Ten Zoos in the United States and it is not very hard to see why – but I think calling it simply a “zoo” is a disservice being that The Living Desert is so much more! Featuring wide vistas that showcase the animals in their natural habitats, journeying through the 1,200-acre site feels more like being on a safari, as evidenced by the photo below. There are also gardens, ponds, a massive model train exhibit, walking trails, camel rides, giraffe feedings, a butterfly sanctuary, and an animal hospital to peruse! The Living Desert is truly one-of-a-kind and offers a new experience each and every visit.

7. Just Fabulous (515 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs) – My favorite area gift shop, the Grim Cheaper and I have always referred to Just Fabulous as the “Lula Mae of the desert.” It reminds us so much of my beloved Pasadena boutique, though with a Palm Springs slant when it comes to style, theme and aesthetic. Featuring a wide array of Mid-Century décor items, design books, art pieces, whimsical cards, and unique novelties (there’s even an entire selection of The Golden Girls-inspired trinkets!), the offerings here can’t be found anywhere else. Not to mention, with the vibrant color schematic, vivid accoutrements and Old Hollywood prints adorning the walls, visiting the place is like stepping into a modern art museum – or the living room of a really chic friend. Just Fabulous is, well, just fabulous! The store also regularly hosts celebrity book signings and special events, so check the calendar when you’re in town.

8. Destination PSP (170 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs) – Just a few blocks away from Just Fabulous on downtown’s main drag is Destination PSP, the best store for all things Palm Springs-related. Here you’ll find artwork, fantastical gifts, Mid-Century Modern décor, architecture books, unique tchotchkes, and a myriad of other desert-themed merchandise (there’s even a Palm Springs Opoly board game for sale!). It is the spot to find souvenirs to bring to loved ones back home – or to secure the perfect little trip memento for yourself. From specialty maps to Palm Springs Film Festival posters to tissue boxes fashioned after famous local homes, there’s literally something for everyone on your list! Even if you’re not looking for a gift, the eccentric inventory is a blast to explore.

9. Downtown Palm Springs (Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs) – Speaking of downtown PS, the area itself is a must-see! Formerly consisting of a stretch of kitschy shops, sunglasses marts and t-shirt emporiums, Palm Canyon Drive has been revamped in recent years and is now a true contender when it comes to shopping. Not only will you find specialty stores like Crystal Fantasy (Robert Downey Jr. is a regular!), Trina Turk, and the Christopher Kennedy Boutique, but the vast majority of storefronts are fabulously modern and sleek, so even just walking around and taking in the sights is a joy. Some of the not-to-miss spots here besides Just Fabulous and Destination PSP include Starbucks Reserve, Ernest Coffee, Koffi and Ristretto (all featured in My Guide to Palm Springs – Coffee), Music Box & Clock Shoppe (a Pandora and Swarovski wonderland!), Lolli & Pops (champagne-flavored gummi bears- yes, please!), Jill Home Accents and Gifts, and Sinfulicious Bodycare. Bonus – each Thursday night (summers included), the main drag is closed to traffic for VillageFest, a lively street fair featuring over 200 vendors selling art, jewelry, food, and gifts.

10. El Paseo Shopping District (El Paseo, between Portola and Monterey Avenues, Palm Desert) – Often described as the “Rodeo Drive of the desert,” El Paseo is the Coachella Valley’s other best shopping destination. In fact, running about a mile long and boasting such upscale boutiques as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and Ralph Lauren, as well as staples like Sephora, Pottery Barn and Banana Republic, the street is Palm Springs’ premier retail district. Not into shopping? There are also salons, restaurants and art galleries galore. Dotted with gorgeous foliage, fountains and plenty of tucked-away chaises to rest your weary feet, you won’t want for anything here.

11. Moorten Botanical Garden (1701 South Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs) – Initially established as a nursery by Hollywood-actor-turned-horticulturalist Chester Moorten in 1938, today this virtual cactus museum is one of Palm Springs’ most popular attractions. In fact, its cactarium (pictured below) has even been dubbed “the most Instagrammed greenhouse in the world!” Though a scant 1.5 acres in size, Moorten Botanical Garden is definitely not lacking in foliage! Home to more than 3,000 varieties of plants and boasting 9 geographically-themed gardens, not to mention a gift shop and a menagerie of desert animals, this spot is a must-see.

12. Araby Trail (Trailhead and parking at Rim Road and Southridge Drive, Palm Springs) – I am not typically a hiker, but this stroll is one-of-a-kind and even involves some stalking! A 4.2-mile round-trip jaunt, Araby Trail not only offers stunning views of the surrounding valley, but an incredible peek at Bob Hope’s former home (it’s that wavy-roofed structure below) and the famed Elrod House, which cameoed in Diamonds are Forever (both were designed by John Lautner), as well as Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw’s one-time pad. Be aware, the hike, while thoroughly enjoyable, is semi-strenuous, so plan accordingly by wearing good shoes and bringing plenty of water, snacks and other fortification. And for goodness sake, do not attempt it in the summer months, when temps often get up into the 120-degree range! (I would think that last bit goes without saying, but local newscasts are rife with reports of hikers needing rescue during extreme heat. Some are lucky, some not so much.)

13. Coco Rose (74855 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert) – Bright, colorful and sourced entirely from Bali, Coco Rose boasts some of the desert’s most beautiful finds. Started by a mother-daughter team who vacation regularly on the Indonesian island, the boutique stocks necklaces, bracelets, earrings, purses, hats, cover-ups, dresses, and home décor items – all handmade by Balinese artisans and, for the most part, adorned in some way with a tassel. I cannot resist a good tassel, so I was invariably drawn into the store shortly after it opened a few years back. Situated next to what used to be my local market, the GC almost banned me from grocery shopping because each time I did so, I’d invariably come home with a new treasure from Coco Rose. Thankfully, the prices are entirely affordable. The shop is a great place to pick up presents for your fashion-forward friends. There’s also a sister store right across the street in the JW Marriott Desert Springs which is just as fabulous.

14. Cabot’s Pueblo Museum (67616 Desert View Avenue, Desert Hot Springs) – World traveler Cabot Yerxa built this spot as both his private residence and a public museum in 1941. Constructed from reclaimed materials from abandoned nearby cabins and housing the art he collected on his many journeys, the Hopi-inspired site is one of the most unique dwellings in the Coachella Valley. The sprawling home – constructed entirely by hand by Cabot himself – boasts 4 stories, 5,000 square feet, 30 rooflines (!) and views for days. Though the interior (which you can tour) is amazingly unique, the surrounding property is even more intriguing, dotted with unique installations like a 43-foot carved Native American bust, huge wood letters spelling out “CABOT,” and staged street signs half-covered by brush. Though not abandoned, Cabot’s Pueblo Museum definitely has that feel. Tours run $13 a person, but the grounds are free to explore. And there is a fab gift shop on the premises.

15. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (1 Tram Way, Palm Springs) – I hesitated putting this one on the list, but I do feel like everyone should experience it once, especially those who love to hike. While the peak offers stunning views and the tram ride is an experience in and of itself, I did not particularly enjoy my visit thanks to a bout of motion sickness. As someone who has always been able to read in the car and has no problem on boats, I was shocked that the tram made me nauseous. It slowly rotates as it makes its 5,873-foot journey upward and, for whatever reason, the turns did not agree with me. So if you are easily motion sick, I would avoid this one, sadly. Once at the top, though, the vistas, climate (it’s about thirty degrees cooler than Palm Springs), hiking opportunities, and topography can’t be beat. There are also three dining options at the apex! While I had every intention of hitting up the upscale Peaks Restaurant, described as “a culinary experience above the clouds” and ranked by Architectural Digest as one of the world’s best cliffside eateries, unfortunately, food was the last thing on my mind once I got off the tram. I have heard nothing but excellent things about the place, though, and wish I could have partaken.

16. Palms to Pines Scenic Byway (Start at Monterey Avenue and CA-111, Palm Desert) – Those wishing to see scenic views of the Coachella Valley without having to travel on a spinning tram to do so should head to the Palms to Pines Scenic Byway in Palm Desert. Though it does have its own share of twists and turns, a quick 8.5-mile drive south whisks you away to a stunning lookout featuring sweeping vistas of practically the entire desert. Heading even farther up the mountain brings even more dramatic views and eventually leads to Idyllwild, a charming mountain community with shops, restaurants and cafés – the perfect place to spend a chilly afternoon.

17. Day Trip to the Salton Sea – If you’re spending more than a few days in the desert, there’s nothing quite like a road trip out to the Salton Sea! In fact, it’s one of my and the GC’s favorite spots to take guests. We recommend the east side of the sea as the west isn’t all that unique. The journey takes at least five hours if you do it right and though there are some bathrooms along the way, they are few and far between. As such, a stop at the Mecca Travel Center at the start of your road trip is suggested. Not only can you fill up your tank with gas at the Arco on the premises (90480 66th Avenue, Mecca), but you can utilize the bathroom at the neighboring Starbucks (90496 66th Avenue, Mecca). The plaza is the last retail you are going to see for a while. Our typical Salton Sea itinerary is as follows:

First stop – the International Banana Museum (98775 CA-111, Mecca, hours vary)! Well, if we find it open, at least. Boasting what the Guinness Book of World Records has deemed the largest collection devoted to a single fruit (yes, that’s a thing!) and with over 25,000 banana-related items on display, this place has to be seen to be believed! Though there is a $1 admission fee, it is well worth it, especially considering that dollar can be put toward a frozen banana, or another treat, if you are so inclined. There is a restroom here, as well – with yellow walls and a picture of a monkey sitting on a toilet eating a banana (natch!).

Your next destination, the North Shore Yacht Club (99155 Sea View Drive, Mecca), is a short one-mile journey south. Once a luxury vacation destination, today the Salton Sea is a virtual post-apocalyptic dreamland thanks to agricultural runoff that turned the water toxic, as well as massive flooding that forced residents out in droves. At the height of the area’s popularity, though, the Sea was the place to be and the Albert Frey-designed North Shore Yacht Club the hangout for visiting A-Listers such as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and Dean Martin. Shuttered in 1984, the structure sat abandoned until being renovated in 2010 and today serves as a recreation center, though I’ve never seen it open. Regardless, the club site provides some of the best views of the Salton Sea, as well as all of its secrets. In fact, nowhere is the dichotomy of the area illustrated more than at the Yacht Club. Standing in the parking lot offers vistas of a gorgeous blue expanse of water and pristine stretch of white sandy beach. Venture down to the shoreline, though (which is a must!), and it becomes apparent that the sea is actually brown and the picturesque blue seen from afar just a reflection of the sky. And that sandy beach? As your nose likely alerted you during your journey to the tide, it’s actually dried and crushed fish bones from the thousands upon thousands of carcasses that regularly wash ashore. Both beautiful and harrowing at the same time, the Salton Sea has to been seen to be believed.

Stop number three, twenty miles south, is Bombay Beach (Highway 111 and Avenue A, Niland), a small census-designated township made up of about two hundred homes and trailers, the vast majority of which are abandoned. The lowest city in America, elevation-wise, Bombay Beach is also the most filmed spot in Imperial County! And it’s not very hard to see why. Half-vacant and dilapidated, half-populated, it’s like no other place in the world. Thanks to the Bombay Beach Biennale, founded in 2015, the area is also now home to countless highly unique art installations (like the signage below) which are dotted throughout the various streets. Like the Salton Sea, Bombay Beach truly has to be seen to be believed.

After perusing Bombay Beach (and you really should drive up and down every single street!), I highly recommend popping into the Ski Inn (9596 Avenue A, Niland) for a bite to eat (and yes, there’s a restroom on the premises). Though a bit rough around the edges, the restaurant serves up some truly decent food (in fact, Anthony Bourdain had his very first patty melt there!) and is a filming location!

From Bombay Beach, head twenty miles southeast to Salvation Mountain (603 Beal Road in Niland), yet another has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed site (are you noticing a theme here?). A monument to God’s love created in the 1980s by Leonard Knight and fashioned out of adobe, straw and local junkyard trash, the vibrant bluff stands like a beacon on an otherwise wide, flat expanse of dusty desert land. Though Leonard passed away in 2014 after almost 30 years of maintaining the mountain, it is still intact thanks to his legions of devotees who work painstakingly to keep it going. Today, thousands upon thousands of visitors make pilgrimages there each year, both to meditate and reflect and to view the spectacle of it all. (If you need a restroom, the last one out this way can be found in between Salvation Mountain and Bombay Beach at the Soco Mini-Mart located at 8004 CA-111 in Niland.)

The last stop on your Salton Sea journey is Slab City (Beal Road, Calipatria), the entrance to which is located a mile east of Salvation Mountain. Originally a World War II training facility, the township takes its name from the concrete slabs left behind after the base was shut down, where those wishing to live off the grid eventually set up homes. With no running water, sewer system, or electricity, most residents inhabit tents erected on the slabs or RVs situated next to them. Though it might sound desolate and dreary, the citizens have really created something unique and most couldn’t be more friendly or inviting. Again, there is quite a lot to see here, from The Range (887 Beal Road, Calipatria), Slab City’s local BYOB bar/open-air nightclub, to East Jesus (East Jesus Road, Calipatria), an incredible outdoor immersive art museum. (That’s one of the exhibits pictured below.) Highly unique, celebratory of its surroundings and offering endless photo opportunities, Slab City is an amazing slice of Americana.

18. Day Trip to Yucca Valley – Another worthwhile day trip is to the Joshua Tree area on the other side of the Coachella Valley. Offering more has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed sites, these more pastoral in nature, the region is strikingly desolate but dramatically beautiful at the same time. Our usual journey there is a literal round trip, so you can follow the suggested route below backward as well as forward.

The area’s most notable attraction is, of course, Joshua Tree National Park. Boasting three access points, I recommend starting at the South Entrance (Pinto Basin Road and Cottonwood Oasis Road, Twentynine Palms) and driving all the way through the park, exiting at the West Entrance (6554 Park Boulevard, Joshua Tree). Joshua Tree is a must-see in its entirety, but some notable spots include Skull Rock (the name speaks for itself – that’s it below), Keys View (an incredible vista providing panoramic views of the Coachella Valley), and Barker Damn Loop (a short 1.1-mile trail leading to the so-called “Disney Petroglyphs”, a smattering of Native American etchings that The Walt Disney Company painted over during a film shoot so as to make more visible onscreen).

All that exploring has likely made you hungry, so upon exiting the park via the West Entrance head straight to Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace (53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown), my favorite area restaurant, for lunch! Established in 1972 as a burrito/biker bar and then re-envisioned as an eatery/live music venue in 1982, the place is still going strong today. Housed in a ramshackle wooden building, Pappy & Harriet’s can best be described as a whimsical honky-tonk with adobe walls, posters from the many bands who have played on the premises lining the walls and ceiling, and signs stating “Hippies Use Side Door!” plastered at the front. Though you might think the place shabby, it’s actually fabulously hip – and serves up some of the best food the desert has to offer! As such, and considering its charmingly unique aesthetic, it has attracted hordes of celebrities including Emma Stone, Anne Hathaway, Paul McCartney, Helen Mirren and Anthony Bourdain.

If you find Pappy & Harriett’s closed (as it is every Tuesday and Wednesday), hit up my other favorite area restaurant, Crossroads Cafe (61715 Twentynine Palms Highway, Joshua Tree), which stands literally steps away from the park’s West Entrance. With a welcoming atmosphere and an incredible menu (Taco Pollo is my fave offering!), you can’t go wrong with a meal there. (Big THANK YOU to my friend Kim for the photo below!)

Surrounding Pappy & Harriet’s is one of my favorite spots in the desert – Pioneertown (Entrance at Pioneertown and Curtis Roads, Pioneertown). A collection of rickety wooden buildings lining a dusty dirt road, the site began life as a permanent movie set created by Hollywood heavyweights Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in 1946. Hundreds upon hundreds of Westerns were shot there during the genre’s heyday. When the film shoots dried up in the late ‘60s, Pioneertown was, for whatever reason, left intact and amazingly still looks much as it did when John Wayne and Bud Abbott roamed the premises. Today, the majority of the storefronts are occupied by fabulous specialty shops, there’s an operating onsite motel, and most weekends you’ll find the street bustling with people. Live western shows are even staged on occasion during Palm Springs’ high season. Pioneertown is a must-stop for kids and adults alike.

The drive from Pioneertown back to Palm Springs drops you in the heart of Yucca Valley, where there is much to explore including antique shops, high-end boutiques, and cafés. Some of the standouts include The End (55872 Twentynine Palms Highway), a vintage store owned by 90210 costume designer Kime Buzzelli which I wrote about here (I don’t know what’s better about this place, its fabulous wares or chatting with Kime, who is the absolute best!), Acme 5 Lifestyle (55870 Twentynine Palms), a modern interior design studio, Ricochet Vintage Wears (61731 Twentynine Palms Highway), a kitschy resale store, Jen’s Pirate Booty (61729 Twentynine Palms Highway), an upscale women’s clothing store, and on the way out of town Cactus Mart (49889 Twentynine Palms Highway, Morongo Valley), one of the area’s best nurseries!

Well, that brings us to the end of My Guide to Palm Springs! I hope you enjoyed reading through the series as much as I enjoyed putting it together. I also hope my recommendations direct you to some fun adventures in the desert. In case you missed my previous posts, you can check them out here – My Guide to Palm Springs – Hotels, My Guide to Palm Springs – Restaurants, My Guide to Palm Springs – Coffee, and My Guide to Palm Springs – Cocktails. And, as always, for more stalking fun, you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

September 27, 2019
My Guide to Palm Springs – Cocktails

Palm Springs has long been a playground of the show business elite, largely because back in the days of Old Hollywood, the studios required their stars to always be within a two-hour drive from Los Angeles. The desert – picturesque, secluded and a scant 100 miles from Lalaland – therefore became the obvious go-to spot for celebrities to get away. Private and void of paparazzi, the area also became a venue for the rich and famous to cut loose, far away from the watchful eye of the press. So, of course, the city has never been short on places to imbibe. Read on for a list of my favorites.

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1. Adobe Grill (49499 Eisenhower Drive, La Quinta) – It is not so much about the quality of cocktails at this joint, but the picturesque surroundings and stellar views. Situated on the second floor of the La Quinta Resort & Club’s main plaza, Adobe Grill boasts a killer elevated patio overlooking a huge meandering fountain, the vibrant red roofs of the neighboring adobe buildings, grassy expanses, and the Santa Rosa Mountains. Strung with twinkle lights and dotted with small tables and outdoor couches, you won’t find a prettier place in all of the desert to enjoy an aperitif or two al fresco, especially during Palm Springs’ more temperate months.

2. The Nest (75188 CA-111, Indian Wells) – This spot is a trip in all the best ways! The Grim Cheaper and I started coming here about twenty years ago when it was the place in the desert for retirees to cut a rug. Dressed to the nines and sporting pretty amazing moves, 55+ locals (with a heck of a lot more stamina than me!) ruled the establishment’s dance floor till the wee hours of the morning. As such, The Nest offered the best people-watching in the area! As word has gotten out about the place, the clientele has grown to include much younger out-of-towners who not only want to observe the reverie but participate in it as well. Though much different than it was back in the day thanks to the new semi-club-like atmosphere, The Nest remains a guaranteed good time! And it’s still the premier people-watching spot in Palm Springs! Bonus – the food here is excellent, so if you do hit this place up, I suggest grabbing dinner in the main dining room before moving over to the bar area for cocktails and dancing. You pretty much won’t ever find The Nest not at capacity, so reservations are recommended.

3. Tropicale Restaurant & Coral Seas Lounge (330 East Amado Road, Palm Springs) – Though this place opened in 2008, it feels authentically old-timey. Decked out in bright pinks and greens with a decidedly tropical feel, Tropicale is easily the prettiest of all the lounges on this list. With an indoor/outdoor bar, an expansive 2,000-square-foot patio, high-backed banquettes, and a truly retro look, this is the spot to come if you are seeking a true Palm Springs experience. Bonus – it’s also great for dinner!

4. High Bar (100 West Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs) – Palm Springs’ only rooftop bar! As such, the views can’t be beat. Situated around the Kimpton Rowan Hotel’s sparkling pool, lined with glass walls, adorned with huge golden barrel cacti and dotted with vibrant fuchsia and orange chaises, you’ll be hard-pressed to decide what’s prettier – the mountain vistas or High Bar itself. Even during one of the desert’s uh-ma-zing pink sunsets, it’s pretty much a toss-up. Romantic, gorgeous and intimate, you won’t regret grabbing a cocktail here.

5. Copley’s Restaurant (621 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; seasonal) – Craving some Hollywood history with your drink, you say? Well, then run, don’t walk, to Copley’s Restaurant! During the 1940s and ‘50s, the picturesque eatery was owned by none other than Cary Grant, who utilized it as an off-site guest house for famous friends visiting him in the desert. Tinseltown connection notwithstanding, Copley’s (named for head chef/owner Andrew Manion Copley) is one of the desert’s most fabulous spots! Featuring a huge central courtyard (with a fire pit and plenty of casual seating for those wanting to imbibe), a shaded patio, an intimate bar, and a myriad of tucked-away corners, Copley’s is romantic, picturesque and oh-so unique. And while I’ve never dined there, I’ve heard it serves up a mean meal!

6. Melvyn’s Restaurant & Lounge (200 West Ramon Road, Palm Springs) – This place is similar in vein to The Nest as far as being a hot spot for desert denizens to show off their ballroom skills, but Melvyn’s is much classier and more low-key. Nevertheless, the people-watching is top-notch, as is the musical accompaniment. There’s nothing more fun than being a fly on the wall, drink in hand, listening to the live tinkling of the ivories and observing local retirees living their best life. Melvyn’s also boasts quite the Hollywood history. Opened by Mel Haber in 1975, it was a favorite watering hole of such luminaries as Liza Minelli, Joey Bishop, Elizabeth Taylor, and the Rat Pack. Frank Sinatra loved the place so much he held the rehearsal dinner for his wedding to Barbara there and was even known to occasionally offer his voice as accompaniment to the piano that still sits on the premises today. If Melvyn’s walls could only talk!

7. La Quinta Cliffhouse (18250 CA-111, La Quinta) – One of the most popular happy hours in the desert – so much so that if you want to partake, you pretty much have to get to the bar right at 4 p.m. when it opens (if not earlier!). Built right up against the edge of a mountain, La Quinta Cliffhouse provides stellar views, killer drinks, and a fantastic atmosphere no matter what time you go, though. With a massive two-story waterfall, two large patios, and copious windows showcasing the surrounding vistas, you can’t go wrong with cocktails (or a meal – I’m partial to the grilled shrimp) at this place.

8. Ristorante Mamma Gina (73705 El Paseo, Palm Desert) – Another favorite, hard-to-get-into happy hour spot, the offerings at Mamma Gina are extensive (you can check out the HH menu here)! Though jammed from about 5 to 10 p.m. every single night during the season, happy hour is offered all day so you can pop in at any time and enjoy a $15 filet (grilled to perfection and served with a homemade mushroom sauce) and a $6 martini (poured just the way Don Draper would have wanted). Established in 1986 by Piero Pierattoni (who also gave us Piero PizzaVino, which I wrote about in My Guide to Palm Springs – Restaurants), the food served is authentically Italian and incredibly delicious – so good, all of the selections are worth it even at non-happy-hour prices.

9. Jackalope Ranch (80400 CA-111, Indio) – Easily the largest lounge on this list, Jackalope Ranch boasts a 21,000-square-foot main restaurant and 6.5 acres of land! As its website notes, “There is quite a bit to relish here – on and off the menu.” I’ve never actually eaten on the premises (though I’ve heard the fare is solid), but I have grabbed a cocktail and can say the ambiance is lush, divine, and sprawling. Wandering the manicured grounds, champagne in hand, makes for quite the unique cocktail experience. Whether you sit at the main bar, on the lawn under the shade of one of the eatery’s many trees, or next to the onsite pond, I can pretty much guarantee the surroundings will be extraordinary.

10. Vue Grille & Bar (44500 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells) – The name really says it all – it’s about the view at this place, though the drinks and food offerings are stellar, too. Overlooking the gorgeous Indian Wells Golf Resort, Vue Grille & Bar is, simply put, stunning! Locals also love the brunch here (complete with a make-your-own Aperol Spritz station!) and the Shots in the Night golf experience, but for me, there’s nothing better than cozying up at one of the patio tables with a crisp glass of bubbly and watching the sunset.

11. Lulu California Bistro (200 South Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs) – All-day happy hour with a bustling, colorful front patio and the best mushroom soup in town – what more could you possibly need? Most locals agree. As such, Lulu California Bistro is always packed. A true Palm Springs staple, the service is friendly, the ambiance cheerful and both the food and drinks solid. Sister restaurant Acqua California Bistro at The River in Rancho Mirage (which was also started by Piero Pierattoni and shares the same menu as Lulu) is just as good and boasts fabulous views of the shopping center’s large pond.

12. Stuft Pizza Bar & Grill (78015 Main Street #100, La Quinta) – Yet another beloved, hard-to-get-into happy hour, but, trust me, it’s worth the wait. With an extensive selection (there are over 40 food offerings!) and $4 glasses of wine, you cannot go wrong with a visit to Stuft! I always opt for the crab cakes and a glass of champagne (natch!) and walk away full and perfectly buzzed. The pizzas here are also incredible (and yes, they are available on the happy hour menu). Stuft boasts a sister restaurant located in the Westfield Palm Desert mall, as well, but I prefer the La Quinta outpost with its fabulous side patio and mountain views.

Be sure to check back Friday for my last post in this series, My Guide to Palm Springs – See/Do/Shop. And don’t forget to read my previous guides about the desert’s best hotels, restaurants, coffee houses and places to see/things to do. As always, for more stalking fun, you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

September 25, 2019
My Guide to Palm Springs – Restaurants

As I’ve mentioned many times on this blog, I am in no way a foodie, preferring chicken strips and ranch dressing to foie gras and jus. My Guide to Palm Springs – Restaurants will reflect that. Here you’ll find the best of the best comfort food, down home cooking, delis, and cafés, with a few fine dining options thrown in. If you are looking for a more epicurean experience while visiting the area, I defer to my friend Molly of Almost Makes Perfect. You can check out her desert recommendations here.   (From what I’ve heard from others who are of the gourmand variety, Cork & Fork, Farm, and Workshop Kitchen + Bar are the best foodie spots in town and Wilma & Frieda is the place for homemade baked goods, which, being diabetic, I don’t eat.) For my list, I based my dollar rating on The New York Times restaurant key and grouped the eateries from least to most expensive. A few of the spots are seasonal (in other words, closed during Palm Springs’ hot summer months, typically from June through September) and are denoted as such next to their address. So without further ado, bon appétit!

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1. Keedy’s Fountain & Grill ($) 73633 CA-111, Palm Desert – The Coachella Valley’s best greasy spoon and the kind of place that serves breakfast all day, Keedy’s has long been a family favorite. Somewhat of a hidden gem (despite the fact that it has been in operation at the same spot since 1957!), I am always flabbergasted when locals have never heard of it. Open for breakfast and lunch (and always packed to the gills), we typically hit this place up in the morning. I prefer the basics (poached eggs and sausage patties), but Keedy’s is most loved for its pancakes, which are often described as “the best in town.” The ‘50s atmosphere is great here, too. And despite being constantly crowded, Keedy’s is run like a well-oiled machine, so the wait times are never terrible.

2. Bobby’s Detroit Coney Island ($) 79630 CA-111, La Quinta (seasonal, closed for the month of August) – My family’s other favorite greasy spoon, this spot serves up great breakfasts, though my preferred dish is Nancy’s Crispy Chicken Salad, topped by chicken strips that I would have bet money were homemade on the premises but apparently are not. (The creamy garlic dressing – a secret family recipe – is crafted inhouse daily, however.)   The hot dogs here are also out of this world and the service is insanely friendly. My mom and I popped in once for a late lunch around 1:45 p.m., not realizing the restaurant closes at 2. We were welcomed right in, served a fabulous meal and it wasn’t until they starting locking up when we headed to the door that we realized our gaffe. Though we apologized, our server would have none of it, thanking us profusely for coming in. Bobby’s is a gem!

3. The Sandwich Spot ($) 276 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs – Tucked away and tiny, one can easily walk right by this spot without realizing it is there, which is a true shame because it serves up some of the best sandwiches in the valley! With an extensive menu of over 24 hoagie offerings (each of them fabulous!), my favorite thing about this eatery is that any choice can be made as a salad, so it’s diabetic-friendly for me! (I’d be remiss if I did not give an honorable mention to TKB Deli & Bakery here. I don’t love the place, but everyone else I know does. In fact, I think I might be the only person in the Coachella Valley who is not a fan. The restaurant is so beloved that it secured the Number 1 spot on Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in 2018. I think the homemade bread is what sets it apart. Being diabetic, I typically don’t eat bread on sandwiches and, sadly, without it, the offerings at TKB are seriously lacking, IMO. That is, thankfully, not the case at The Sandwich Spot.)

4. Sunnylands Café ($) 37977 Bob Hope Dr, Rancho Mirage (seasonal) – This is my favorite spot to grab a quick bite whenever the GC and I are in the area running errands. The salads here are great and inexpensive, but the real draw is the ambiance. Overlooking Sunnylands Gardens, this place has views for days! If you eat here and have a few moments, be sure to explore both the attached museum (admission is free and exhibits change regularly) and the surrounding landscape. It is all spectacular!   And if you’re architecturally inclined, book a tour of the historic Sunnylands estate, former home of philanthropists Walter and Leonore Annenburg and a stomping ground of countless U.S. presidents.

5. Luscious Lorraine’s ($) 73910 CA-111 Suite F, Palm Desert – Vegan, gluten-free and, paleo friends – this is the spot for you! Specialized offerings for every kind of dietary restriction (there’s even a pregnancy-prep menu!), this place is health-minded, but incredibly good. As I’ve mentioned before, my family has pretty disparate dietary needs, but that’s never a problem at Lorraine’s. From lentil mushroom patties to macro nutrient bowls to tempeh sandwiches, there’s something for everyone here, no matter what ails you! (Photo below via the Luscious Lorraine’s website.)

6. La Quinta Baking Company ($$) 78395 CA-111, La Quinta – My mom’s pick for the best breakfast in town, La Quinta Baking Company is quaint, intimate and charming. And while not a big breakfast person myself, I have to say the spread here is exceptional. The baked goods (all homemade, as is most of what is served on the premises) stretch as far as the eye can see in the front case and the omelets (with American cheese melted on top!) are revelations! Truth be told everything is good here and the restaurant is picturesque both inside and out, especially the front patio. It’s like a little slice of Europe right in the desert.

7. Eureka! ($$) 74985 CA-111, Indian Wells – Another of my mom’s picks, she has a particular affinity for the hamburgers at this place. Eureka! is famous for them, no doubt. I am not a burger person myself, but the salads here are excellent, especially the cobb. The eatery also offers great drinks and appetizers, as well as full blown meals. In fact, whenever the Grim Cheaper doesn’t feel like cooking and suggests take-out, Eureka! is my first request.

8. Sherman’s Deli & Bakery ($$) 401 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs – The club here (which I order non-stacked, the bacon extra crispy, with added cheddar and avocado, sans bread) is hands-down one of the best.sandwiches.anywhere. Sherman’s has countless offerings, though, including salads, pastas and pretty much anything else you could ever hope to order. You almost need a full day to go through the menu! And you honestly can’t go wrong with a selection. Sherman’s is a true Palm Springs landmark! The deli also boasts a sister location in Palm Desert (which was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives!), but I prefer the original.

9. Manhattan in the Desert ($$) 2665 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs – My other favorite area deli, Manhattan in the Desert truly is like a little slice of the Big Apple right here in PS! I’m partial to the turkey, bacon, cheddar and avocado sandwich (and yes, it’s great even without bread), but this is another spot where you can’t go wrong with a selection. All sandwiches are “mile high,” stacked to perfection and served with a free sampling of delicious pickled goods.

10. King’s Highway ($$) 701 East Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs – I rarely eat carbs or breakfast, but when I am craving both, this is the spot I head. King’s Highway at the Ace Hotel serves up some of the best avocado toast in the world! The place seems to change up the dish on the reg (currently it’s served with confit tomato, onion sprouts, crispy shallots and a soft-boiled egg), but each variety I’ve had has been nothing short of spectacular. The GC finds the rest of the menu a little odd (I’m a creature of habit and have only ever ordered the avo toast), but all the others I’ve taken here really enjoyed it. A reimagined Denny’s, the ambiance is pretty cool, too.

11. The Old Spaghetti Factory ($$) 71743 CA-111, Rancho Mirage – For me, this one is all about the décor, though the food is excellent, too. Walking through the doors of The Old Spaghetti Factory in Rancho Mirage is like stepping onto a highly stylized movie set. Towering red tufted booths, crystal chandeliers, wood-beamed ceilings (there’s even a vintage trolley car!), the place feels more like the Beast’s castle from Beauty and the Beast than a restaurant. Fantastical, whimsical, and oh-so-much fun, there’s truly no other spot like it in the desert.

12. Murph’s Gaslight ($$) 79860 Ave 42, Bermuda Dunes – This place may be a little rough around the edges, but it cooks up some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had! The plastic dining ware it’s served on? Well, that’s just part of the charm – as are the questionably-colored gravy and ubiquitous canned fruit/sponge cake dessert. It’s all about the chicken here and trust me, it’s fantastic! Friends who I’ve brought to Murph’s undoubtedly say, “This is just like my [insert relative who hails from the south] used to make!” And it’s served bottomless, family-style with mashed potatoes, corn bread, veggies, biscuits, salad, and dessert included. Dining here is a true experience. And yep, Murph’s has a full bar with champagne, as pictured below. Fried chicken and champagne? That’s pretty much my perfect meal.

13. The Pink Cabana ($$$) 44985 Province Way, Indian Wells – Hands-down the Coachella Valley’s prettiest restaurant, The Pink Cabana is a designer’s dreamland! All soft blushes and subtle greens with incredible tilework, the newcomer (it opened in 2018) is gorgeous! And the food is fabulous to boot! Go for the Instagram opportunities, stay for the chicken tacos (my fave menu item)!

14. Bella Vita ($$$) 74970 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert – This is the site of one of my and the GC’s favorite Coachella Valley meals. Fairly close to where we used to live, we wound up here unexpectedly during a particularly disastrous anniversary. I can’t remember the circumstances now (as is the case with most things that initially seem disastrous), but our initial plans somehow got ruined and we found ourselves at Bella Vita last minute. I was in the worst mood, the kind nothing nor no one can get me out of. And then I walked through the front doors into one of the most warm and inviting spaces I’d ever visited, the scent of homemade Italian food promptly hitting my senses, and by the time we sat down and that first sip of bubbly hit my lips, I was immediately transformed. The night turned out being one of our best anniversaries ever – all thanks to Bella Vita!

15. Piero’s PizzaVino ($$$) 73722 El Paseo #1, Palm Desert – Florence-born Piero Pierattoni is behind numerous desert eateries, each one more fabulous than the last! (Several will be included in my upcoming Guide to Palm Springs – Cocktails thanks to their excellent happy hours.) This casual spot serves up authentic Italian food (all culled from generations-old family recipes straight from Italy), but is best known for its traditional Neapolitan Pizza, which is perfectly airy, crisp and cheesy! I typically go for the more diabetic-friendly pancetta-wrapped asparagus and grilled artichokes, though truth be told we’ve never had a bad meal here. Piero is often on hand to chat with patrons and, let me tell you, the guy is a character! There’s nothing better than grabbing a drink at the bar and listening to him regale guests with tales of his beloved native country.

16. Armando’s Dakota Bar and Grill ($$$) (73260 El Paseo, Palm Desert) – My pick for the best Mexican food in the desert and I’m not alone in that assessment. Pretty much everyone who comes to the area makes it a point to eat at Armando’s. A Palm Desert staple since 2001, the offerings here are exceptional, the service friendly and the margaritas strong (so strong, in fact, the restaurant limits patrons to two per visit!). The front patio, overlooking the shops on El Paseo, is an especially idyllic spot during more temperate months.

17. Arnold Palmer’s Restaurant ($$$$) 78164 52nd Avenue, La Quinta (seasonal) – Fine dining at its, well, finest, Arnold Palmer’s (opened by the golf great in 2004) serves up some of the desert’s best food. And the ambiance is priceless. With huge rear and side patios, mountain views, a club-like interior, unique mementos on display (including one of The King’s four Masters jackets), and even a putting green where patrons can hit balls, it’s also one of the area’s prettiest and most unique spots. You can’t go wrong with a meal here. (For the record, I’m partial to the crab cakes.)

18. Lavender Bistro ($$$$) 78073 Calle Barcelona, La Quinta (seasonal) – The food here is excellent, some of the best I’ve had in the desert (the mushroom soup is a can’t miss!), but this spot’s real claim to fame is its courtyard. Central, sprawling, decked out in shades of purple, and adorned with about a million twinkle lights, the space made me gasp aloud the first time I saw it. It is a magical little fairyland that the photo below really does not do justice to. As such – and very deservedly so – Lavender Bistro is regularly named Palm Springs’ most romantic restaurant by just about every publication out there.

19. Misaki Sushi & Grill ($$$$) 46600 Washington Street, #1, La Quinta – This hard-to-find spot (it’s hidden away behind a Trader Joe’s) is hands-down the Coachella Valley’s best sushi restaurant. And I would know, I’ve been dragged to pretty much all of them! While not a sushi fan myself, both the GC and my best friend, Robin, are. The two were devastated when their favorite desert spot, Gyoro Gyoro, closed in 2018 and promptly went on a quest to find another local place up to par. That quest ended as soon as they landed at Misaki. It’s been our go-to spot ever since. During their first visit, they ordered the dish below and it was so intricately plated, Robin commented that he was shocked a miniature train circling the sashimi hadn’t been included. And yes, it apparently tasted just as good as it looked!

20. Cunard’s Sandbar ($$$$) 78120 Calle Tampico, La Quinta (seasonal) – Don’t make the same mistake the GC and I did by judging a book by its cover with this one. Rather dumpy from the outside, we assumed Cunard’s Sandbar was a dive bar and avoided it the first few years we lived here. It was not until my friend Kim touted the place’s virtues on Facebook that I realized it was actually a restaurant. We decided to give it a whirl shortly thereafter and haven’t looked back since!

Sandbar is Old School Italian at its finest! In fact, it reminds me a lot of my beloved Vitello’s before it was completely revamped. Dimly lit, cozy and intimate, the restaurant even has quite a few celebrity fans including Gena Rowlands who dines on the premises so regularly she has her own table! Though the food is good, it’s really the ambiance and retro vibe that set this place apart. Sandbar is tiny and typically packed, so reservations are recommended.

21. Zin American Bistro ($$$$) 198 South Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs – My and the GC’s favorite Palm Springs restaurant! When we stayed at the nearby Korakia Pensione for a week, we ate at Zin every. single. night. Though other eateries were recommended to us, we found ourselves returning night after night, craving one of the place’s delectable dishes. There’s literally nothing I’ve tried here that I didn’t absolutely love, but some of the standouts include the Wild Mushroom Truffle Soup, Vegetable Tartar, Fresh Burrata salad, Carpaccio, and the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. The nice part about Zin is that you can overindulge in a decadent meal or keep it extremely healthy and, either way, it will be delicious!

Bonus – Tiffany’s Sweet Spot (79410 CA-111 Suite 101, La Quinta) – Craving dessert? Do not pass go, do not collect $200, head straight to Tiffany’s Sweet Spot in La Quinta! While this place is not a restaurant, I felt compelled to include it on my list for those wanting a a to-go treat. The tiny walk-up bakery, situated in a strip mall, serves cupcakes that are on par with Magnolia Bakery in New York (the best cupcakes in the world, IMO). Over 20 varieties are available each day and all are made to order. Each flavor can also be purchased gluten free and I actually think the gf samplings are better than the regular. This is my neighborhood’s go-to spot when anyone on the street is celebrating a birthday. Favorites include the Triple Chocolate, Salted Caramel Mocha, and Tres Leches.

Be sure to check out the other posts in My Guide to Palm Springs series about the desert’s best coffee houses, hotels, bars and places to see/things to do. And, as always, for more stalking fun, you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

September 23, 2019