Cuistot is an elegant Palm Desert French restaurant located on El Paseo (72-595 El Paseo, Palm Desert) at the southwest intersection of Highway 111.

The restaurant features multiple dining areas, including a wine room, a heated outdoor patio, and a large dining room with a fireplace.  If you like watching a chef at work, opt for Bernard’s Room which offers a view of the kitchen and the energy of the cooking staff at work.

Open for lunch (Tuesday – Saturday, 11:30 am – 2:15 pm) and dinner (Tuesday – Saturday, 5:30 – 10 pm, and Sunday 5:30 – 9 pm). 

A perfect location for a romantic dinner or simply a great glass of wine.

Five years ago – on January 31st, 2000, at about 4:46 pm Pacific Time, a tragedy occurred at Point Magu.

Today I honor the memory of friends lost in the tragedy. 

I hope those of you know me well enough to understand the significance of today will join me in a moment of silence this afternoon.

Photo credit: wikimedia

Permanently docked in Long Beach, California, the Queen Mary represents an bygone era of elegance and style.  A time when it took an ocean liner to cross the ocean.

The Queen Mary served as both an elegant ocean liner and a WWII troopship, but for the last 40 years has been a California attraction, hotel, meeting center, and restaurant (actually three restaurants).  Although suffering from a little ship-worn look the past few years, the once elegant liner is being restored to its former glory with a major capital refurbishing campaign.

The ship is home to a 314 room Art Deco Hotel, decked out in the trappings of cruising in the 1930’s.  Adding to the charm is the largest collection of Art Deco artwork in the country. 

The ship also has a variety of boutiques, an Observation Bar with a killer ocean and skyline view, and fine dining at the Five Star Sir Winston Churchill restaurant.

General admission to the Queen Mary (includes a self-guided ship walk tour that explores 12 decks of the ship) is $24.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors (55+)/military, and $12.95 for children ages 5 – 11.  Parking is additional and runs $15/day.

A variety of other tours and packages are also available.

The Queen Mary is open daily from 10 am – 6 pm, with extended hours for restaurants and bars.  There are also special nighttime tours available.  Since the ship has long been thought to be haunted, and it’s sailing history is rich in unexplained events and activities. these tours can be a lot of fun.

During the month of January, as a special offer for California residents only, the Queen Mary offers a FREE general admission ticket.  This offer requires proof of residency (driver’s license or other photo ID), and can be claimed at the box office during regular hours.

The Queen Mary is located at 1126 Queen’s Highway in Long Beach (map it).

Photo credits:  All from flickr, exterior; bar; lobby

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Today’s Matchbook Monday is from LG’s PRIME Steakhouse in Palm  Desert, California.  Its location at 74-225 Highway 111 is the oldest commercial building in Palm Desert.

Established in 1991 by Leon and Gail Greenberg (that’s the L and the G), the husband and wife now have three locations in the Coachella Valley (Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and La Quinta).

Offering USDA Prime steaks, arriving at your table still sizzling, and a wine list of over 500 selections, the restaurant has carved out a loyal following with the desert residents and visitors. 

Image credit:  personal collection

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I’ve spent a couple days flying on the west coast, and there has been some very strange weather going on. 

There has been snow in places that normally never see snow, like Las Vegas and Southern California.  There has been torrential rain in San Diego, California.  There has been unseasonably cold weather (and I mean VERY cold) in Phoenix, Arizona and Palm Springs, California.  And there was snow in Seattle, my home town.

Today was actually a sunny day at 40,000 feet, making the snow on the mountain sparkle in the sunlight.

Too bad it wasn’t quite so pretty on the ground.

Photo credit:  personal collection

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Today’s Matchbook Monday comes courtesy of Anita, and is from Nello’s Place in Redding, California (3055 Bechelli Lane, Redding).

Nello’s Place is small family-owned Italian restaurant.

The restaurant was started in 1980, after Nello retired to Redding.  The family couldn’t find a good local Italian restaurant and so decided to open one of their own.  Having a long history in the restaurant business, this was just one more in a long line of successes.

If you’re driving in northern California, stop off for a bite to eat and a glass of wine.

Do you have a collection of matchbooks?  Or maybe you came across one in the bottom of a drawer?  Please share it with Flyaway Cafe readers by taking a photo and emailing it to me for use in an upcoming Matchbook Monday.

Image credit:  personal collection

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Today’s Matchbook Monday comes from Matt at The Chicago Traveler.

It’s from The Rooftop Bar at the Standard Hotel in downtown Los Angeles (550 South Flower at Sixth Street).

In addition to its sweeping views of the city, the Rooftop has a heated swimming pool, a dance floor, outdoor fireplace, vibrating waterbed pods, and a grassy knoll with sculptured topiary.  DJ’s play music nightly, and there are lots of special events.  Sounds like a great place a drink with friends.

Lunch, dinner, and a bar menu are offered noon – midnight, and bar service extends to 1:30 am.

Matt claims that this is one of the most chic bars that he’s been to, and after checking it out, I can see why.  And the hotel doesn’t look too shabby either!

Image credit:  Matt Bartosik

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Today’s Matchbook Monday is from Bighorn, a private golf community in the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountain, just outside of Palm Desert, California.

This exclusive community features elegant living for some of the top names in business, entertainment, sports, and politics.  It has golf courses, restaurants, and a fabulous spa.

Do you have a matchbook kicking around the house?  Or perhaps an entire drawer full of them?  If you’d like to share a photo and a memory with the readers of Flyaway Cafe, please send me an email.

Photo credit:  personal collection

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It’s October already, and another year continuing the Flyaway Cafe tradition of showcasing interesting, unusual and spooky Halloween events and attractions around the world.

You’ll still be getting a regular supply of travel tips and other suggestions, but I’m hoping that you’ll find a little ghoulish fun with all the Halloween posts as well.

Today we’ll go to Visalia, and to Vossler Farms’ Corn Maze.  They have a Pumpkin Patch, too, but it’s the 10-acre Dragon Slayer maze, with 12 hidden checkpoints, that captured my attention.

The maze has become a tradition with the Vossler family (yes, this really is a family business), and each year something new is added.  While this is still an old-fashioned country atmosphere, this year a paintball course and pumpkin canyon shooting range has been added.  I’m trying to imagine how fun it would be tracking friends and shooting paintballs among obstacles made of hay.

For the little ones there are train rides, pumpkin painting, mini-hay maze, a hay fort, tricycle races, and a corn box to play in.  A petting zoo is available on weekends.

The Corn Maze is open Wednesday & Thursday, 5 – 9 pm, Friday, 5 – 10 pm, Saturday & Sunday noon – 10 pm.  The pumpkin patch is open daily 10 am – dusk.

Admission is $8 for adults (ages 12+), $6 kids (ages 5-11), $5 seniors (55+) and military (with ID), kids 4 and under are FREE.   Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

You’ll find the Vossler Farms’ Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch at South Mooney Boulevard and Avenue 266 in Visalia, California.

Image credit:  flickr

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I’ve been spending some time in Palm Springs this month, researching lots of great things to do here.

If you haven’t been here for awhile, well. . . you haven’t been here!

There are lots of great hotels (old and new), restaurants, and bars. What was once a playground for the blue-haired, has evolved into a playground for the young, hip, and even a bit edgy.

But one thing that hasn’t changed in the sun and the palm trees.  It’s been over a hundred while I’ve been here, and despite it being a “dry heat” it’s still hot enough to discourage the faint of heart. 

Lots of good stuff coming up over the winter to keep you warm!

Photo credit:  Anita Rossi

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