They serve seasonal, locally grown, and mostly organic food. This resulted is very fresh, healthy tasting items, but it wasn't always a good thing. For instance, my Grandma orderer the fruit plate, which had some great, unique choices: Asian pear, kiwi berries, and kumquats. The Asian pear was delicious, the kumquat was okay, but the kiwi berries were awful. They weren't ripe at all. Kiwi berries are one of my favorite forms of berries, and it was disapointing to be served such an unripe version. It was like Cheeky's wanted to serve something unique, cool and local, but those goals outweighed the most important requirement - that it still tasted great.
Cheeky's changes their menu weekly to match what is available in the market, which I think is really cool. It would be fun to live in Palm Springs and know there is always going to be something new. They also make all the batters, sauces and dressings in house. Below is what we ordered, and I think our total came out to be $41, which is pretty reasonable for 3 people eating in downtown Palm Springs.
Bacon Flight $4
Pretty lame, actually. The idea was fun - five different kinds of bacon, and the bacon was cooked exactly how I like it (crispy). However, it is pretty sad when there are five different flavors and we can't really tell them apart. I can make more flavorful bacon at home (sprinkle brown sugar and cayenne over bacon, place in oven, then die from happiness). This would be yummy if you just want five strips of bacon at a good price, but keep your expectations low for something called a "flight" of bacon. We did enjoy whatever flavor it was that had thyme on it.
French Herb Omlette with Avocado and an Apple Frisee garnish
This was a great omlette. The addition of avocado was genius - it made it creamy and smooth tasting. The apple frisee garnish sounded more like a salad on the menu, but this just went on top of the omlette. The apples were cut into cute tiny slices, and we loved the flavor of apple with onion.
Tomato and Asparagus Frittata
This is what my Mom got and it was good too. Big halves of grape tomatoes, and the asparagus provided a nice crunch.
Truffle Tater Tots
This was my favorite. These could quite possibly be the best tater tots I have ever had. Perfectly crispy, not greasy at all, and nicely salted. I am not sure what makes them "truffle" though - maybe they are cooked in truffle oil? There is no unique taste, but the texture is superb. Only problem? The ketchup was way too tiny!
Fruit Plate (see above)
The drinks sounded great, but were way too expensive. Orange juice, which I am sure is fantastic, was $6. However, I think it came in a carafe, so that is probably more than one serving. The slushee/smoothie type drinks sounded great, and they also had mimosas. I think the mimosas were $11 though, so I passed. They also had Intelligenista coffee and Mighty Leaf teas.
While the drinks you had to pay for were out of our league, the water was divine! The water came with no ice, but stayed chilled the entire meal. It was served in a large fancy looking carafe. It was great water - yes, it seems like water would be hard to mess up, but this water just tasted fantastic!
We didn't get any pastries, but they are supposed to be wonderful. They are all baked on site, by pastry chef Deb Menduno. She makes whatever appeals to her that day, which adds to the element of surprise in dining at Cheeky's.
Cheeky's also does catering
I love magazines, so I was really excited that Vogue recommends checking on Cheeky's. In their 2011 Guide to Coachella , Cheeky's is one of four restaurants they list as must-dine spots. Citing the restaurant as cheerfully laid back, but with a "menu that means business," they recommend trying the duck confit hash or the chilaquiles with homemade chorizo.
I recommend checking out Cheeky's. It was fun, totally in the spirit of Palm Springs, and healthy. We had a great brunch that didn't break the bank, and left feeling full but not that awful stuffed feeling. The service was perfect - the waitress knew when to stop by, but wasn't intrusive or rude.
We went around 10:00 am on a Thursday morning, so we were seated immediately inside. If we had elected to sit outside, there was a 10-15 minute wait, and I think on the weekends you can expect to wait much longer. However, they did have a civil sign-in sheet, which I appreciate. I hate when waiting in line is a free for all.
Definitely check this place out!
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