What to Eat in Palm Springs: Medjool Date Shakes (Shields Date Garden), Cheeky's, Tiki Bars & Supper Clubs

Because the sunny, subterranean-water-fed floor of the Coachella Valley mirrors the climate of Iraq and North Africa, over 90 percent of all dates grown in the United States come from the 250,000 date palms surrounding Palm Springs. Pair that heritage with poolside brunch culture, Mid-Century tiki bars and Old Hollywood supper clubs along Palm Canyon Drive, and you have one of California's liveliest dining scenes.

1. Signature Desert Ritual: Where to Drink an Authentic 'Medjool Date Shake'

Invented in the late 1920s, a California Date Shake blends vanilla ice cream and milk with caramel-rich Medjool or Blonde and Brunette Date Crystals into a frosty milkshake. Top spots include:

1. 1924 Shields Date Garden (80225 Hwy 111, Indio): order a Shields Date Shake at the 1950s counter, watch the free 15-minute vintage film 'The Romance and Sex Life of the Date', and walk the shaded 17-acre Date Grove & Biblical Garden Loop.
2. Downtown Palm Springs: 'Great Shakes' (160 S Palm Canyon Dr) or 'Monster Shakes': hand-spun date shakes garnished with a mini cinnamon-sugar doughnut on the straw.
3. Windmill Market (North Indian Canyon Dr) & 1931 Hadley Fruit Orchards (Cabazon).

2. Best Palm Springs Brunches, Delis, Retro Tiki Bars & Supper Clubs

• Three Classic Brunches (Arrive Early): Cheeky's (622 N Palm Canyon Dr, rotating its menu weekly and famed for its Flight of 5 Artisanal Bacons and cheddar scones), Provençal courtyard spot Farm (in La Plaza downtown, for crepes, brioche French toast and lavender mimosas), and Sherman's Deli & Bakery (401 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, a 1953 kosher-style New York deli famous for hot pastrami sandwiches and towering cakes).
• Sunny Patios & Dinner Spots: Las Casuelas Terraza (downtown since 1958), Tac/Quila (Jalisco Shrimp Tacos and Margarita Flights), Rooster and the Pig (Vietnamese-American dinner; join the waitlist at opening), Workshop Kitchen + Bar, and dog-friendly Boozehounds.
• Retro Tiki Bars & Supper Clubs: sip rum cocktails inside 1953 Bootlegger Tiki (1101 N Palm Canyon Dr) or Tonga Hut (with a hidden speakeasy), and dress up for martinis and steak at Frank Sinatra's favourite haunt, Melvyn's at the Ingleside Estate, or Mr. Lyons Steakhouse.