Salt Flats - Étlap

This is a stunning addition to the Palm Springs dining scene and totally unexpected. It calls itself classic American food but it has a decidedly Middle Eastern flair (think lamb, zatar, hummus, etc. which is a good thing when you are tiring at the same menus at every restaurant. It is a small restaurant space to the side of a restaurant and bar complex on 111 in Cathedral City. It is opened limited days and hours and for dinner only, so be sure to make a reservation. The service was extraordinary for such a casual place from the moment you step inside. The menu is not extensive but there is something for everybody. The avocado and corn salad had an excellent dressing and the calamari consis...

What a great place! They characterize it is modern American cuisine, but it 's so much more than that. We started off with ginger/carrot soup. When I asked the chef about it, (who thoughtfully came out and was interacting the the diners) he said: oh, I 'll bring you a sample! And like that, he was gone and right back with a nice sample. It 's yellow, like Union, and served cold, like gazpacho. I ordered it! It was very refreshing and delicately spiced. We also ordered the beet root salad. One could call it beets three ways , with pickled red, spiced yellow, and raw pink and white beet slices on top of a delicate bed of greens, like perhaps, water cress? My wife had a traditional tomato and B...

We were skeptical of a newish small restaurant with uniform 5-star reviews. But we were even more surprised to find the reviews completely deserved. We arrived 10 minutes early for our reservation. We were greeted warmly by Vince, one of the owners, who gave us a comfortable chair to wait in, and a glass of ice water to counter the 106 degree outside weather. He took the time to chat for a few minutes, despite the restaurant being completely full. He exuded warmth, generosity, and friendliness. That set the tone for a wonderful evening. Most seats are at booths, with a few at an open kitchen counter. Once seated, the waitstaff continued the friendly welcoming vibe. The menu was not large, bu...