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ROMANTIC KORAKIA FOR PALM SPRINGS RESTAURANT WEEK!

05.31.11

Review by Sue Facter

Thousands of miles away from Morocco’s Tangiers, Korakia Pensione is the perfect exotic Palm Springs desert retreat for those seeking solace, romance and undeniable beauty. And, Korakia may be the best place to stay during Palm Springs Restaurant Week, which is coming to the desert June 3-12.

So why Korakia Pensione? This glamorous, yet down-to-earth bed and breakfast inn has no TVs, phones, clocks or kids. Located at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains, Korakia was built in 1924 for elitists from the worlds of movies, art and writing, Modeled after a Moroccan villa, Korakia has been a desert hideway for painters (Gordon Counts), heads of government (Sir Winston Churchill) and Hollywood stars (Errol Flynn, Rudolph Valentino).

Historic Property Turned Romantic Boutique Hotel

Rescued from disrepair in 1989, the 1.5-acre Korakia was completely revamped to include both Moroccan- and Mediterranean-style villas, bungalows, guest houses, gardens, fountains, stone waterfalls, outdoor beds, cushioned stone couches, pools, lanterns and fire pits. The courtyard was replanted as a lush citrus grove where guests leisurely relax for breakfast (complimentary each day!) or Moroccan mint tea. Certainly, a walk around Korakia enlivens the senses and relaxes the spirit with its citrus blossoms, olive trees, oleander bushes, date palms and bougainvillea vines.

Guests enter the property through two ornately-carved Moorish wooden double doors. Inside, antiques and handmade furniture compliment every room and create an environment that is romantic, spiritual, magical and relaxing. Speaking of relaxing, Korakia also provides yoga classes, bicycles and a bocce ball court.

Korakia features 16 Mediterranean and 13 Moroccan “villas,” all of which have a unique theme and complementary décor. We happily stayed in the Bedouin Suite. This one-bedroom suite had a huge stone indoor-outdoor tub and private patio for drying in the sun au naturel. Although our ground-floor suite was lovely, we prefer the second-floor suites because they look over the property and give an even better sense of desert beauty, privacy and seclusion.

Palm Springs Restaurant Week

Want to spend your money on a getaway to Korakia and save some money on fabulous food at the same time? Palm Springs Restaurant Week runs June 3-12 and features special three-course menus priced at just $24 or $36 (excludes beverages, tax and gratuity).

Need some restaurant recommendations? We visited the following Palm Springs restaurants and here are our picks:

Joannes Bacher, owner/chef Johannes is known for his Euro-Austrian cuisine. Besides schnitzel and seafood dishes, one of his specialties is a delicious red sangria.

Didier Tsirony, executive chef at Kaiser Grille on Palm Canyon Drive, concocts Modern American dishes such as a cappuccino appetizer with succulent mussels hidden in the mug with goat cheese foam floating atop.

Jakes Palm Springs, which is named after owner Bruce Block’s dog Jake, is a terrific al fresco stop for a watermelon salad and toothsome ribs (with pineapple teriyaki sauce!).

Andrew Manion Copley, owner/chef Copley’s on Palm Canyon wore a traditional chef coat and a pair of madras Bermuda shorts at his happy hour class. We dined al fresco with linens, crystal and silver. He was so informative we felt like we were watching the Cooking Channel with recipes for Thai curry, ginger-scented creamed corn and basil ice cream. Copley uses ingredients from his herb garden, which is located just a few feet away from the dining room.

A festive luncheon was hosted by the Delgado family at Las Casuelas Terraza. Margaritas flowed with authentic Mexican tacos, tamales and tostadas. The restaurant’s “tequila hall of fame” boasts one of the most extensive tequila lists north of Mexico.

Mister Parker’s at the Parker Hotel (where Beyonce and JZ just dined) is low key, sexy and dark. The food is just as sumptuous.

Melvyn’s, which is located inside the Ingleside Inn (a preferred spot for old-time Hollywood) specializes in a tableside-prepared Kahlua flan. If you come here just for this dessert, you can sit in the piano bar where live music plays in the evenings and servers don white tuxes.

Circa 59 is the signature restaurant at the very glamorous Riviera Resort & Spa. Located just off Palm Canyon Drive, this indoor-outdoor dining venue boasts Modern American comfort food fare and is especially known for its lavish desserts such as rice pudding (with rhubarb compote), crème brulee crepes (with fresh peaches) and a bittersweet chocolate tart (with sour crème gelato).

Sue Facter is a luxury travel connoisseur who owns a news agency that contributes to international publications, broadcast and the web. Follow her on Twitter @TheFacter.

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ROMANTIC KORAKIA FOR PALM SPRINGS RESTAURANT WEEK!

05.31.11

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