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By Root 1446 0

to be a certified Old Hollywood hangout: retired stars, lots of sun, a pool, palm trees and a Jewish deli. Palm Springs has not one but two of the last, each with its passionate fans. As impartial journalists we see merits in both, so we’re not going to say that one makes you kvell, while the other one…feh! Sherman’s (Map; 760-329-1199; 401 E Tahquitz Canyon Way; mains $7-17; breakfast, lunch & dinner; ) has been in business since 1995 in a strip-mall storefront with long terrace. It serves early-bird dinners and is festooned with headshots of aficionados no less than Don Rickles and Milton Berle. Newcomer Manhattan in the Desert (Map; 760-322-3354; 2665 E Palm Canyon Dr; most mains $6-18; breakfast, lunch & dinner; ) has a more impressive deli counter, more polished surroundings and simply massive slices of cake, mirroring the enormity of its sandwiches.

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Copley’s on Palm Canyon (Map; 760-327-1196; 445 N Palm Canyon Dr; mains $25-35; dinner nightly & 10am-2pm Sunday Jan–mid-May, dinner Tue-Sun mid-May–Dec, closed late Jul–late Aug) On the former Cary Grant estate, Andrew Manion Copley gets seriously inventive: think prosciutto-wrapped duck breast and ‘Oh My Lobster Pot Pie’. Bring your sweetie and your credit card.

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THE PERFECT DATE

Coachella Valley is the ideal place to find the date of your dreams – the kind that grows on trees, that is. Some 90% of US date production happens here, with dozens of permutations of shape, size, juiciness, packaging and species, with exotic names like halawy, deglet, blonde and honey.

Dates grow around Indio, at the southeast end of the valley, atop some 4300 acres of date palms whose ancestries trace back to the Middle East and North Africa; they began to be imported about a century ago. The region’s most famous variety, the medjool, arrived in the 1920s from Morocco. Some varieties will keep for years without refrigeration.

Date orchards let you sample different varieties for free, an act of shameless but delicious self-promotion. Another signature taste of the valley is the date shake: crushed dates mixed into a vanilla milkshake. Be careful – they’re richer than they look! Shields Date Gardens ( 760-347-0996; www.shieldsdates.com; 80-225 Hwy 111, Indio; 9am-5pm) is typical. You can watch the film Romance & Sex Life of the Date, with the chirpy ‘Oh, you!’ feel of a 1950s educational film. Oasis Date Gardens (Map: 800-827-8017; www.oasisdategardens.com; 59-111 Hwy 111, Thermal; 9am-5pm) is on the way to the Salton Sea. Or for a quick grab-n-go on your way to or from LA, Hadley Fruit Orchards (off Map; 888-854-5655; www.hadleyfruitorchards.com; 48980 Seminole Dr, Cabazon; 9am-7pm Mon-Thu, 8am-8pm Fri-Sun) claims to have invented trail mix.

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Johannes (Map; 760-778-0017; 196 S Indian Canyon Dr; mains $25-35; dinner Tue-Sun) The chef-owner’s Austrian roots shine through the contemporary Euro-Cal cuisine at this sedately decorated storefront. Diners rave over imaginative cooking without a lot of fuss: pan-seared ahi in Japanese spices to Wiener schnitzel with cranberry jelly.

Falls (Map; 760-322-6300; 155 S Palm Canyon Dr; mains $29-39; dinner) Head upstairs for flaming martinis at this contempo-chic steakhouse with generous verandah. Steaks come with imaginative sauce choices (caramelized sugar and black raspberry, anyone?), or watch culinary prestidigitation as Caesar salad and bananas Foster are prepared tableside.

Please also see the restaurants at the Parker Palm Springs hotel Click here.

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DRINKING

Bars

Village Pub (Map; 760-323-3265; 266 S Palm Canyon Dr; wi-fi) A casual place for kicking back with your buds, the pub has live music, darts and beer on tap.

Citron (Map; 760-320-4117; www.viceroypalmsprings.com; 415 S Belardo Rd; ) Opinions waver about the food at the restaurant at the Viceroy, but everyone agrees that the bar scene is supercool.

Azul (Map; 760-325-5533; 369 N Palm Canyon Dr; dishes $6-16) This tapas restaurant develops a fun bar scene at night with a mod lounge feel inside and, outside, a