Blog/Post

I would never consider myself a foodie. Or a snob, though some may. But I like to give thought to what I put in my mouth. One reason why I'll never understand people who succumb to dental advertising. 

"Let us fix one molar and the second one is free. Now only $499."

That said, there is little or no attraction to a "restaurant" that presents itself with a sign like this. Situated in a strip mall, in the dirtiest, windiest side of Palm Springs, off Vista Chino. Ms. Muse and I had a good laugh when we spotted this.

Bar/Food? What kind of bar? Was it beer and wine, or did they have a full liquor license? Vodka? Gin? Whiskey aged in used shoe leather? Begging the next question, what type of food? Mexican? Italian? Or, as the veneer would suggest, Trailparkian?

The low hanging fruit on this one is delicious.

You can imagine how shocked we were, when on a return trip from the local Lowe's to replace some rocker light switches, we looked in the direction of the Bar/Food establishment, wedged between a Happy Ending Massage Parlor and a decidedly-downscale sketchy liquor store, there was a LINE!

Not an Apple iPhone 18 introductory type of line, but close to 40 people that extended all the way to the Vaping Emporium and the Second Hand Sock Store. Astonished? Absolutely. Our curiosity was piqued. 

With computer in hand, Ms. Muse took to clickin' and clackin.'

"You're not going to believe this, but Bar/Food is actually called Paul Bar/Food."

I guess the sign store ran out of S's and apostrophes.

"...aaaand (she added with emphasis) it gets 5 star reviews on Yelp."

With that, our inner journalists rolled up their sleeves. People were raving about the incredibly friendly atmosphere, the congeniality of the owner Paul, and the amazing cuisine. A deeper dive into their website revealed a cozy, New York style steakhouse kind of vibe. Leather booths, dim but inviting lighting, and a mahogany bar that could rival any found in West Village or Hell's Kitchen.

In a chat with one of the neighbors, we discovered the 105 year old decorative bar counter once belonged to the grand hotel that is now occupied by the Desert Regional Medical Center. Apparently Paul, owner/host/impresario wisely bought the bar and hauled it out of its dusty, scorpion infested storage.

Bar/Food — Paul Bar/Food — had all the necessary ingredients for further investigation and an adventure in local idiosyncracies. 

Not a fan of waiting in line, we arrived at Paul Bar/Food ten minutes after the doors officially opened. We were late, and there were a good twenty people in front of us. And soon there were twenty people behind us. Fifty or so people, all waiting to enjoy the Paul Bar/Food experience.

Who were these people? Snowbirds from Wisconsin, older folks from LA, tourists, and older gay couples who were locals and more than willing to regale us with their take on Paul Bar/Food. The waiting in line experience was a party unto itself (albeit without the benefit of alcohol which was prohibited from leaving the front door) and included an appearance from Paul. As we waited in line, he charmed us with his quick Bronx wit and eventually shuffled us into the place which looked just like the pictures on Yelp.

We were seated at the 50 yard of the bar, prime real estate location at Paul Bar/Food. And before we got our appetizers, we were sharing drinks and stories with the lucky patrons on both sides of us. It was only later that we found out that we had stumbled onto one of the desert's true culinary gems.

Do yourself a favor and stop in at Paul Bar/Food. Just don't go when we do, the line is long enough as it is.