By Bobby Taffolla
If you have been to a local music venue, bar or brewery over the last 2 years, you may have heard some groovy tunes performed by musical duo Desert Moons. At the same location, you may have enjoyed the savory and tasty eats from CoVal Catering. And you may look down and see a flyer for the same event and see that it is being put on by CoVal Productions. That’s right, a trifecta of food, music and production brought to you by Esther Sanchez and Nick Hales!
Desert Moons features vocals by Esther Sanchez (The After Lashes) and guitar work by Nick Hales (Sleazy Cortez, The People of the Sun and many, many more). And while they are not serenading you while you are enjoying a tasty beverage, they are satisfying your hunger with the flavors of CoVal Catering. This pop up is known for their Sonora Style Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs, Elote Cup and more recently their deliciously crispy, yet juicy AF, Chicken Wings (try them with the homemade ranch, trust me). I had to ask this hard-working duo how they seem to balance food and entertainment so effortlessly…
CVW: So no longer known as Esther & Nick, but now as Desert Moons. What inspired the change in title?
Sanchez: “Honestly, we had been meaning to come up with something for a while but couldn’t think of anything that we both liked. Initially, we didn’t really have any long-term plans for ourselves as far as being a regular duo, per say. We are just a couple of music people who love to jam. We started doing gigs here and there and eventually, we realized we needed to come up with something. The street we live on is called Desert Moon. That’s what we came up with and here we are.”
Sanchez continues: “Although Desert Moons is technically our duo, we really see this project as a collaboration with our music friends in our beloved, local scene. We have already recorded some stuff with members of our other projects and are looking forward to much more of that in the future.”
CVW: CoVal Catering seems to be satisfying appetites multiple times a week at various locations. How did the creation of CoVal Catering begin, and how did you develop your menu? What inspired your recipes?
Sanchez: “During the pandemic, we found ourselves with an abundance of time, which we spent indulging our passion for cooking and experimenting with every recipe we could think of (Our waistlines post-shutdown was a testament to that!) Nick is a trained fine dining chef with a wealth of experience, while I embrace the role of a ‘badass home cook.’ Despite my more casual approach, I bring a solid background in food and beverage to the table. We always dreamed of starting something together, and when we both found ourselves laid off and unemployed at the same time, we looked at each other and said, ‘If not now, when?'”
Hales: “When it came to creating our menu, we wanted to do things that we didn’t see other food vendors in the valley doing at the time and we still implement that idea to this day. Esther and I are no strangers to seeing a show in LA and getting a ’danger dog’ afterwards. Because of the implications behind the name of this iconic street food, we decided to re-label it in consideration of its true origins, the “Sonoran-style Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog” which has a rich history throughout the southwest and beyond our borders.”
Sanchez: “It’s pretty much the same with our esquites which is the, “in a cup” form of elotes. It’s hardcore trendy right now and I have a technique that has become something that makes it extra special. And as far as the wings are concerned? Welp, you should just taste it for yourself. They are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and will basically rock your world.”
Sanchez continues: “It’s weirdly important to us to not be pigeonholed into being the people known for the dogs, corn, etc. We change up our menu, seasonally. My chili is coming back soon and it’s, ‘Slap your Mama good.’ If I do say so myself…and I do.”
CVW: In addition to food and music, you have added “production” to the menu, so to speak. How did Coval Productions come about?
Sanchez: “It was pretty much the natural next step. We already perform at many of the same venues where we cook and often do double duty. It’s funny when people who don’t know us order food and are in the middle of eating when the next thing, they know is that we’re on stage and they’re like, ‘Hey, those are the caterers!’”
Sanchez continues: “Seeing as though we are well established in the music community and happen to know a thing or two about running and booking shows, it wasn’t too long before our dear friends Jeanette Kriebel, (owner of Plan B Entertainment and Cocktails) and Wes Gainey, (manager at Coachella Valley Brewing Co.) offered us nights to book and run the entertainment at their establishments. We are beyond grateful for the opportunities they have given us.”
CVW: As I mentioned before, there have been multiple shows where you managed all three efforts in one night. Is there an art to the balance?
Hales: “Yes, a fair amount of caffeine and setting up as soon as the place opens is most ideal! Those days are pretty rough. They involve multiple car rides, not only setting up and breaking down the food side of things, but the sound equipment, instruments, etc., as well as performing anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour in the middle of it all. It can be quite exhausting, but luckily there are two of us! Most of all, it’s fulfilling for us that we can bring people together for these events using our backgrounds, industry knowledge and connections.”
CVW: What can we expect in the future from both Desert Moon and CoVal Catering?
Sanchez: “As far as the catering is concerned, we recently passed a year of being in business and the journey has been incredibly enlightening. Taking a leap of faith in ourselves has truly been rewarding. Currently, we have established regular setups at four different locations and various music events. As our reputation continues to flourish, we’re also receiving an increasing number of private party requests, which we absolutely love. We particularly relish the opportunity to get creative with our menus and setups. We’re eager to whip up just about any dish you can imagine!“
Hales: “The future of Desert Moons is looking very bright. We have been developing a style that is unique to us. We have become known for transforming popular covers into our sort of bluesy, soulful vibe with a dash of bluegrass and people really seem to dig it.”
Hales continues: “We’re beginning to create more original music and record our work using the amazing audio technology available today, which is making us quite self-sufficient. Our plans include continuing to collaborate with our incredibly talented friends, and we even have a music video shoot lined up before the year wraps up. We are excited to see what opportunities 2025 will hold for us! We definitely want everyone to keep us in mind for all of your food and entertainment needs in the future.”
To book or check out the musical Desert Moons experience, please check the following links:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564422901447
IG: @desertmoons760
To book CoVal Catering for your next event, please check the following links:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/covalcatering
IG: @coval_catering
