Re-opens Thursday, August 28.
Purple Room Restaurant and Stage is thrilled to welcome Jennifer Town as its new Executive Chef.
Town is a graduate of the prestigious New England Culinary Institute. She also studied in Italy at Ristorante La Torre in Casale Monferrato where she learned the nuances of preparing fresh pastas, risotto and other delicacies of Northern Italian cuisine.
Before bringing her culinary talents to Purple Room Restaurant and Stage, she served as Sous Chef at the four-star Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. While there, she also worked in molecular gastronomy and studied under their Master French Pastry Chef. Most recently, she served as Executive Sous Chef at the Ace Hotel and Swim Club Palm Springs, which she help open in 2009.
Using her creativity and passion for fresh high quality ingredients, Town has designed a new, unique menu featuring classic dishes updated with fresh, innovative twists.
With Town’s contemporary approach to the classics, the menu offers delicious new dishes with creative flavor combinations and seasonal pairings. Diners can enjoy their favorite dishes in a new, distinctive way.
“I looked at the classic dishes and imaged new possibilities of flavors, aromas and textures,” said Executive Chef Town. “I want to elevate the classics to the present by combining inventive flavors from fresh, and whenever possible organic, seasonal ingredients. I strive for balanced and thoughtful dishes where the subtly of each ingredient comes through on the palate,” added Town. “I also believe that dining is a visual experience as well, so I also create a delightful presentation of the dishes.”
“I am very excited about the new dishes Jennifer has created. They are delicious, innovative and beautifully presented to make for an exceptional dining experience,” said Mark Van Laanen, co-owner and Executive Chef of both Purple Room Restaurant and Stage and the sister restaurant TRIO.
Some highlights from Chef Town’s new offerings include:
• Juicy tender Short Ribs braised in TRIO Private Label Red Wine and paired with flavorful light and creamy celery root puree and gently sautéed Swiss chard.
• Delicately pan-seared Sea Scallops drizzled with a brown butter bacon sauce and accompanied by sautéed mushrooms and velvety corn pudding.
• Plus her new starter, the Purple Room signature dish Purple Pear, a fresh pear poached in Port, crowned with a goat cheese mousse and served on a bed of crisp arugula and punctuated with spiced toasted pecans and a drizzle of pomegranate vinaigrette. Other new starters include Escargot in a phyllo cup with garlic herb butter and Ahi Tartare with capers, red onion, radish, pear and waffle chips.
A special vegetarian dish will be offered daily.
Purple Room is also the perfect spot for late night bites on Fridays and Saturdays. To satisfy a range of late night munchies, Town’s new Small Plates Late Night Menu includes Three Cheese Mac’n’Cheese with fontina, gruyere and parmesan cheese topped with a breadcrumb crust, Seafood Civiche and a juicy Burger with the Special House Ketchup, bacon and cheddar.
Co-owner Tony Marchese said, “We are thrilled Jennifer has brought her culinary talents to Purple Room. Her new, unique take on the classic dishes offers an inspired new cuisine for Palm Springs. She will definitely make Purple Room a destination restaurant for local residents and our visitors from around the world.”
To see the new dinner and other menus, visit www.purpleroompalmsprings.com
New Crafted Cocktails
Known for their vintage and crafted cocktails, the always innovative mixologists at Purple Room Restaurant and Stage have created for season two a new series of delicious and refreshing crafted cocktails, cleverly named in tribute to some of the iconic entertainers, including Frank Sinatra, who performed and frequented the Purple Room in the 1960s.
• The Golden Arm is named after Franks’ Best Actor Oscar winning performance. Prepared in an Absinthe rinsed hurricane glass, this new cocktail mixes Salveray White Rum, Cointreau and Velvet Farlarnum with fresh lime juice and is topped off with ginger beer.
• For The Duke Santos, named in honor to Caesar Romero’s character in Ocean’s 11, muddled fresh raspberries and basil are combined with Patron Silver, fresh-squeezed orange juice and a chamomile liqueur.
• The Hoboken Monk is dedicated to Franks’ hometown and to the monks that make the wonderful spirit Chartreause. Nolet Gin, mint, Green Chartreause and fresh squeezed lemonade is shaken and double strained into a proper cocktail glass.
A selection of wine and artisan beers is also available.
Purple Room has the best Happy Hour in South Palm Springs with $3 well and $5 call drinks and half price bar bites from 4 to 7pm in the bar area. Special Groovy Tuesdays Happy Hour in bar area all night beginning at 4pm, with half-priced bar bites.
Exciting New Shows and Entertainment
Purple Room Restaurant and Stage, with its state-of-the-art sound system and enlarged performance stage, is one of the best venues for seeing quality live music and entertainment in the greater Palm Springs area. Uniquely, this perfectly sized intimate space allows the audience to enjoy renowned entertainers “up close and personal” like no other venue in town.
For weekday diners’ enjoyment, live background music is offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays by such local favorites such as The Michael Holmes Trio.
On weekends, top-quality nationally and internationally known entertainers and performers light up the stage.
New shows for Season Two include:
• The Broadway Series, which kicks off with Tony nominated Sharon McKnight.
• Shirley King, daughter of jazz great BB King, with her medley of the blues, smooth jazz and R & B.
• A special Labor Day Weekend show features singer, recording artist and two-time Emmy nominated actress Bobbie Eakes.
• Back by popular demand, world famous celebrity impersonator Michael Walters as Dame Edna performs in a series of shows.
• In celebration of Modernism Weekend, the nationally touring band Nutty keeps the mid-century vibe going with their big band swingin’ signature blend of classic rock and timeless jazz.
• For Pride Weekend, two very special shows. The nationally renowned Miss Richfield 1981 brings her zany show to the stage, plus Disco Diva Linda Clifford (If My Friends Could See Me Now) brings back the glory of the disco years and more.
• Nationally touring Elvis impersonator Scot Bruce mesmerizes with his gyrating hips and uncanny voice.
• The always popular Gand Band makes sure “the beat goes on” with their signature blend of retro blues, rock, soul, and funk.
And because everyone loves to laugh, there is the monthly Comedy Night Palm Springs™ with comics stars from TV, film and the top comedy venues in LA and NY, and Michael Holmes’ The Judy Show,” a hilarious parody of the great Judy Garland and her friends Bette Davis, Carol Channing and more.
Purple Room also showcases some of the best local performers as well, including blues band Kal David and the Real Deal, Coachella 2014 favorite Machin’ with their eclectic Latin fusion sound and Johnny Meza and Company swinging to the standards. Plus, the summer’s big hit, the exciting Palm Springs Voice Competition continues this fall with the semi-final and final rounds featuring local talents vying for the chance to win his or her own debut show at the Purple Room.
“I am ecstatic about all the top-notch entertainment and live music we have lined up for the new season. It is all part of our effort to make Palm Springs a world class destination to live and visit,” said Marchese. “And we are pleased to offer our guests two options for their dining and entertainment experience. During the week, we will have live music to accompany dinner and on weekends guests can enjoy dinner and see exciting special shows with quality entertainers and performers.”
“It’s going to be a great season of exceptional dining, snazzy cocktails and amazing entertainment at Purple Room Restaurant and Stage and we can’t wait to share it all with you. Come join us for all the fun,” added Van Laanen.
To purchase tickets for these upcoming shows and for further information, please visit www.purpleroompalmsprings.com or call Purple Room Restaurant and Stage at 760.322.4422.
Purple Room is open for dinner from 5 to 11pm, Tuesday through Sunday, with a late night menu served from 11pm until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Purple Room is closed Mondays. Happy Hour in the bar area is 4 to 7pm, with half-priced bar menu. Special Groovy Tuesdays Happy Hour in bar area all night beginning at 4pm, with half-priced bar bites.
Purple Room Restaurant and Stage is located at 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, CA.
In the 1960s the Purple Room was the club where Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. performed and came with their friends to eat, drink and play and is one of only two remaining original Rat Pack hangouts in Palm Springs. In 2013, Tony Marchese and Mark Van Laanen, co-owners of TRIO Restaurant in Palm Springs, re-opened the space as Purple Room Restaurant and Stage.
