Native Foods - Palm Desert

Hot off the plane from San Francisco, a friend and I decided to detour to Native Foods in Palm Desert, to quell my withdrawal symptoms from staying in the belly button of foodie heaven which is SF.

I'd been to the NATIVE FOODS CAFE in Palm Springs a few weeks ago, so it was a good time to see how it's being done at another watering hole of theirs.

I'll be honest, I'd already eaten a bag of Rhythm kale chips on the plane, a Trader Joes seaweed snack pack, a Bunny Bar (obviously by name only!) and a plum sweetened vegan cookie so stomach was not exactly screaming for attention, but...in the name of research, I plucked a starter from the menu and sat soaking in the warm dry air and 'food watching', much the same as people watching but far more interesting, waiting for our food to arrive.

I'd wanted to have the tempeh reuben, but thought I should try something different, be adventurous, try and keep you amused.  A gold star beside the sweet potato taquitos signalled it was a new addition.  Coconut mashed sweet potato, with a flash of chipotle crema and a serving of guacamole.  The taquitos managed, despite being fried, to not appear overly oily and had a satisfying crunch.  Sweet, tangy, creamy, crisp and with a crafty kick.  Nice!





My friend Kirk is on a 'no grainer', so he opted for the Spring Kale Salad; Raw kale, cabbage, apples and hass avocados, almonds and currants, with a maple orange dressing and a drizzle of tahini.  It speaks for itself and he'd have licked the bowl if no one had been watching! 

The waitress kindly let me sample their homemade tempeh.  'Twas a tasty bite.  I get the impression, from ogling the other diner's entrees and the sail like brandishing of their signature tempeh, that Chef Tanya is mightily proud!

Now I'll just have to concoct a plan to get back down the mountain I'm staying on to try all the other menu options that tickled my tastebuds...thinking caps on.