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MARCH 2019 VOLUME 7 ISSUE 3 THESTANDARDPS.COM

MODERNIST MENUS 2019 FOOD TRENDS

CONTENTS VOLUME 7, ISSUE 3

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Volume 7 Issue 3 COVER MODERNIST MENUS /CURATING OF CUISINE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY COVER 2019 FOOD TRENDS FEATURE FROM RUNWAY TO KITCHEN CAKE DESIGNER CHARLES LAURENT, MASTER BAKER FEATURE VELVET IBIZA LGBTQ WOMEN INVADE SPAIN PSP FOCUS CVREP FINDS A NEW HOME

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COMMENTARY

The Standard Magazine PO Box 2074, Palm Springs, CA 92263 760.831.4869 Nino Eilets Publisher Luciano McNulty Editor Maya Kalabic Art Director PHOTOGRAPHER David A. Lee

The “I’ll Just Have One More” Martini 3 oz. gin or vodka 1/2 oz. dry vermouth 3 olives 1 automobile 1 long day 1 diminishing attention span 1 too many Combine ingredients. Drink. Repeat.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Matthew Blanco, Jeff Dorta, Mona Elyafi, Dann Foley, Jeff Hocker, Jill Langham, Len Evans, Michael Khordoc, Christina Vronay Ruggles, Martha Tang & Terri Schlichenmeyer

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COVER

MODERNIST MENUS: CURATING OF CUISINE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY

BY DANN FOLEY

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Living in our resort towns of the Valley, we have a plethora of restaurants, from culinary artisans to the proverbial “diners & dives.”

I do not believe I am overstating myself when I suggest that the Valley is undergoing a bit of a restaurant renaissance.

This awakening is due, in part, to many years of cooking programming and TV networks. We have all become foodies. The restaurant experience has become about ingredients, exclusivity and farm-to-table freshness. Diners are savvy, they want to be inspired and challenged. From Palm Springs to La Quinta food hipsters and aficionados are demanding an immersive experience when they dine.

During this month each year, we at The Standard offer the best in Dining. This year I wanted to go deeper and give my readers an “experience.” The most successful restaurants are more than just a menu. They create a fully immersive atmosphere where food, service, décor and a creative nature come together seamlessly. They create a story. They become a production.

Case in point: Liz & Mark Ostoich, owners of FARM Restaurant and the soon to be opened Tac/Quila, both in downtown Palm Springs. Liz & Mark are both attorneys, Liz was looking for her “second act” and decided to focus her razor-sharp intellect, love of food and her organizational skills on an existing restaurant. She proves the point that dining excellence speaks to all senses.

Since purchasing FARM, she has transformed what was a charming, intimate café type restaurant into a garden dining experience like nothing else our Valley has ever seen. Diners sit among a living garden where the attractive young horticulturalists create performance art while tending the blooms that surround your experience (they even use the fresh blooms in the cooking, cocktail ice cubes and presentation!).

FARM leaves you with a sense of other-worldly dreamscape. It is casual by nature and set within nature. The cuisine is simple French cooking, the staff is well trained and well versed in the food they serve and its preparation. Their freshly made bread is served with house made strawberry preserves created in the kitchen from their garden’s berries. All of the ingredients used at Farm are locally sourced, when available and everything is the best quality on the market. As Liz says, “I know the difference and I know it shows.”

In a short-time Liz has grown FARM into one of the hottest tickets in town. Friday and Saturday nights also have dinner service, which is so popular, I would always suggest you have a reservation.

Rumor has it that they actually had to turn Beyoncé & JayZ away this holiday season because there was not a table to be had! The dinner experience includes live vocals perfectly suited to the atmosphere and in the small dining room there is original artwork, and all of its 1930’s architectural charm, including a working fireplace.

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COVER

So, what does one do when you have one of the most popular and successful restaurants in town? You open another, of course!

But, how do you top such a unique presentation? Where do you find inspiration for both the cuisine and the design? How do you build a restaurant experience from scratch and still maintain the same quality as your existing offering? I am thrilled to say that we are going to get the answers from the woman herself!

Q. Mark & Liz, how does one go from the courtroom to the dining room? What did your prior life bring to “the table”?

A. One weekend we took a short break from life as lawyers and decided to dream a little. We brainstormed, reminisced, reflected and projected, all with a goal of discovering where our dreams intersected.

It was clear after a while that our life change would involve hospitality.

We love people and their stories, and nothing brings people together like a great meal in a memorable setting. Our first restaurant [ad] venture was FARM, in Palm Springs. FARM allowed us to bring our love of the French countryside to a charming little courtyard, chock full of flowers and tucked away from the hustle and bustle. We love everything that has become FARM, but there was more to be said.

Q. Liz, being a fan of your current restaurant FARM, what is the goal for Tac/Quila?

A. Our goal at Tac/Quila is to share our passion for colorful, flavorful, authentic cuisine and cocktails, created, curated and served by people that love others and want to make your dining experience memorable.

Q. What does it mean to create an “immersive dining experience” and where do you begin?

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A. We believe that if we invest in the best possible ingredients and people, and focus our resources on presentation and environment, our customers will recognize the difference and will be excited to return and share their experience with others. We believe that a cocktail should be the creative expression of its author, and that a good meal must be an artistic blend of flavor, aroma and color. A true dining experience should involve an awakening of all of the senses and we hope to bring this delight to our guests...again, and again, and again.

Q. Is Tac/Quila your own name? What does the name suggest to a potential diner?

A. Part of our life story involves food - but it also includes travel, history, and of course, tequila! Tac/Quila is our made-up word for combining gourmet Jalisco style cuisine with specialty tequilas and mezcals, in an effort to transport our guests south of the border and into a culture rich in flavor, color, art, and authenticity.

Q. We still live by a casual resort vibe. How do you balance, personal interaction, technology, design and cuisine and not have it become overwhelming? How do you keep it from becoming too theatrical?

A. We probably eat out too much, but we really enjoy the social aspect of sharing a meal with others. To us, sharing involves getting to know the staff at a restaurant, from the owners, to the servers, bartenders, food runners and support staff. We love good food, but we also love good people. Our hiring and service philosophy is that kindness, generosity and grace must start with the ownership, flow through the team, and land gently on the customer. If we enjoy what we do, it will be reflected in every aspect of the Tac/Quila experience. We seek to hire joy-filled people with character, that

want to work hard at creating a memorable experience for their guests. Many skills may be taught, but these important traits must be individually chosen by each member of the Tac/Quila staff.

Q. Tell us about your chef and how you and he created a menu of “elevated Mexican cuisine”? Where does the tequila come in?

A. Tac/Quila is Executive Chef Alfredo Carrion’s dream come true. Since he began working in restaurants at the age of sixteen, Alfredo has wanted to bring high quality Jalisco style cuisine to the Coachella Valley. The third in a line of four brothers (all of whom are chefs), Alfredo has been surrounded by tremendous talent, and he is never afraid to seek input or collaborate with his peers. As with any good artist, you will often find Alfredo working into the night to perfect some new sauce or marinade.

Q. I have heard that you will be serving a number of signature tequila-based cocktails. Tell us about those and about the presentations?

A. Our lead bartender and master mixologist, Zach Wilhelm, recently relocated from Minnesota, where he spent his life pursuing creative passions, including playing guitar in local rock and roll bands, and producing music. He has taken his interest in mixology to a new level, creating house made syrups and bitters, and dressing each Tac/ Quila libation to be the life of the party. Zach has developed a full list of specialty cocktails featuring tequilas from Jalisco and Mezcals from Oaxaca. We are excited to share his artistically pleasing, regionally influenced cocktails, which embody the heart of agave.

Q. I know that you are both huge Midcentury Modern enthusiasts and collectors and that you live in an important modernist home in

Palm Springs. How did the love of all things modern influence Tac/ Quila?

A. At the same time Palm Springs was laying the foundation for its current international reputation as a mid-century modern mecca, Mexico City was producing and welcoming some of the most important artists of that same movement. From renowned painters like Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo to midcentury furniture and accessory artisans Pepe Mendoza and Arturo Pani, Mexico was sinking its cultural roots and solidifying its position as a leader of classic design.

Mexico’s artistry extends to its flavorful, colorful and specialized cuisine, which has been so richly honored in places like Austin, Los Angeles and San Diego, but has been otherwise largely ignored.

Our goal is to bring you authentic cuisine, crafted by experienced chefs, passionate about exposing you to the best Mexico has to offer.

We believe your experience at Tac/Quila should involve the highest quality ingredients, the best possible people, and a rich, inviting ambiance, that reflects the heart and soul of Mexico.

Q. Now that you have me salivating, please tell us how soon we can expect the grand-opening of Tac/Quila?

A. Look for our grand opening in mid-April. We are all just as excited to welcome everyone, every day for lunch & dinner. Or just stop by for drinks in our open bar and people watch from our patio while enjoying the very best of what Tac/Quila, Palm Springs will have to offer!

What Liz & Mark prove every day is that details and the extra effort make the difference between eating and dining.

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COVER Atmosphere and design work in conjunction with the menu and creativity is equally applied to both.

For our part, the Palm Springs based design firm of Foley & Stinnette, has been tasked with creating interiors equal to the culinary “high-bar” being set for Tac/Quila. The design style is pure Palm Springs, infused with Mexican Modernist cultural cues blended with sensuality and exuberance. We have chosen layers of both color and pattern as a backdrop to the traditional architecture to suggest and celebrate the excitement of midcentury Mexico City, just like the cuisine.

Diners will be treated to all custom furnishings, period artwork, handmade venetian lanterns and hand-wrought Spanish style fixtures. Surfaces will sparkle and glow under custom lighting and deep banquettes will invite patrons to revel, relax and indulge in both the surroundings and culinary offerings. Even the restrooms will be an experience in style. Don’t miss the handmade tiles, wallpaper and fixtures. Our partners at Cambria Quartz have worked with Beau and me to utilize the best quartz products in the industry in ways never before seen. It will truly be an event!

It truly takes a village. Liz & Mark made sure the entire team was up to the task of creating their vision from the ground up and I would be remiss in not including the importance of branding such a creation. From the logo, to the new website (www.tacquila.com) to the signage on the restroom doors, to the design of the roof beam stencil, every detail has been expertly and lovingly executed by Mike Berger of mbdx creative, in Riverside (michael@mbdx.com).

Keeping it local has been the mantra for everything!

Today, a successful restaurant is an experience for those lucky enough to partake but, it also has to be full of “Instagram-able moments. Every detail must make a visual statement that can be shared across the cyber world. It must stand the test of being shared, discussed and dissected, ad-nauseum. It can be a frightening and daunting proposition. As I have often said in these very pages, “successful lifestyle design is in the details.” That depth of detail and pride that true restauranteurs like Liz & Mark Ostoich possess is what sets them apart.

As both our Valley and our restaurant offerings continue to grow and flourish, so does the demand for something new and fresh.

Restaurants like FARM and now, Tac/Quila take what we know, or think we know about the food experience and they offer it up in a way we never before knew as possible.

Once again, we are reminded of our good fortune to live in a place of such natural beauty, that anything here that is done with style is enhanced by the backdrop of our gorgeous mountains and

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beautiful desert. With the addition of Tac/Quila it seems assured that we have another choice for fine dining as only we can do it here in Southern California’s Valley of the Stars, Palm Springs!

Live Well!

Dann Foley / www.foleystinette.com Find Designer Dann on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Houzz & Pinterest

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FEATURE

2019 FOOD TRENDS

From CBD to good fats and lab-grown meat to home cooking and exotic flavors, here are some culinary trends that promise to make 2019 interesting year for food.

PACIFIC RIM FLAVORS The Pacific Rim region, made up of land spanning Oceania and Asia to the Americas that surrounds the rim of the Pacific, looks set to be the “it” region for culinary inspirations. Expect a delicious hodgepodge of ingredients from the fusion medley of cuisines. Think hints of French influences in a Hawaiian poke bowl or a mishmash of Vietnamese and Thai elements in a dish. Condiments can include dried shrimp, cuttlefish and shrimp paste, while aromatics and spices can range from cardamom to cinnamon, and lemongrass to saffron.

Don’t be surprised to find fruit such as guava, dragon fruit and passion fruit in colorful smoothie bowls and cocktails. Instead of sugar, beverages can be sweetened with luo han guo, or monk fruit.

Other examples of Pacific Rim dishes include seared fish with peanut coconut sauce, shiitake mushroom quesadillas and lamb tacos with a pineapple chutney.

SEA SNACKS Instead of root vegetables like potato and tapioca, we will be turning to the ocean for snack inspiration. While paper-thin roasted seaweed strips were all the rage a few years ago, Whole Foods predicts that marine ingredients will show up in more food products in 2019. Examples include seaweed butter and kelp “noodles” that are made from the brown sea plant. More intriguing products include kelp jerky, a protein-rich snack that is mixed with mushrooms, and

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faux tuna produced from algae. Besides fried salmon skin, which is already popular in Asia, ingredients such as sea fennel and water lily seeds will find their way into the expanding pool of marine munchies.

PLANT-BASED PROTEIN “Plant-based” has become a key dining buzz phrase recently, but those who are health-conscious may still hunker for meaty flavors and textures—no matter how much “meaty” eggplant and mushrooms are crammed into a dish. This is where plant-based protein alternatives come in. Silicon Valley start-up Impossible Foods is making “meat” from four natural ingredients: wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein and heme. Heme raises some eyebrows as the iron-loaded molecule that is found in meat and plants, and gives off meat-like taste and aroma when cooked with amino acids and sugar. Nutrition-wise, the “meat” contains more protein and iron than a typical meat patty and has zero cholesterol. In Hong Kong, Omnipork, a plant-based protein that tastes and looks like pork, was rolled out last year. Omnipork is a blend of shiitake mushrooms, soy and pea proteins and rice. Los Angeles-based Beyond Meat produces meat patties that are mainly made from peas. Hailing from the United Kingdom is Quorn made from mycoprotein, a dough made from fermented fungus and is said to taste like chicken.

HOME SWEET HOME “In” will be the new “out” when it comes to dining. According to a report by global food and hospitality consultancy Baum & Whiteman, more people will choose to eat at home than visit

restaurants. This prediction can be attributed to surging food prices and restaurant bills. Cooking at home is becoming less intimidating and more hassle-free these days. Home cooks can turn to a growing variety of meal kits, which are pre-cooked or come as processed packs of ingredients complete with recipe sheets, and better quality of supermarket-packed food packages.

ECO-FRIENDLY PACKAGING Some headway was made last year when a growing number of brands opted to do away with plastic straws and switch to cutlery made from environmentally-friendly materials such as biodegradable corn starch and recyclable cardboard. More cutlery are also printed with soy-based inks so that they can be de-inked and recycled more easily. Other materials that could be tapped on include beeswax, waxed canvas and silicone. This ecofriendly practice looks set to grow as more brands and eateries are going straw-less and doing away with plastic sipper caps. More supermarkets in Asia are piloting schemes that encourage customers to bring their own shopping bags.

TAHINI DESSERTS : THE NEW PEANUT BUTTER DESSERTS The initial tahini wave happened a few years ago, when shoppers realized the ground sesame seed spread could do more than just give flavor to hummus. But expect those uses to go beyond savory foods next year. Soom Foods, one popular jarred brand, is starting to see its tahini—both the classic and chocolate-flavored— used in restaurant desserts across the country, like in ice cream bars at Honey Road in Burlington, VT, or in a milkshake at Jaffa in Los Angeles, or in banana muffins at Abandoned Luncheonette in Morrestown, NJ. Consider adding tahini to any dessert for which you might’ve used peanut butter CBD IS MAKING EVERYTHING BETTER Let’s get one thing straight: Cannabidiol—or CBD, as the cool kids call it—will not get you high, though it is derived from either marijuana or hemp plants. Rather, people take it to calm their nerves and anxiety, reduce insomnia, and alleviate pain related to inflammation. The stuff has gained momentum this year, but it’ll be mainstream by next. That means new CBD products in every shape

and form will join the ranks of the many that already exist CBDspiked sparkling water, gummies and craft coffees to name a few.

VEGETABLES TAKE CENTER STAGE For, well, ever, veggies have been relegated to side dishes— but not anymore. You don’t have to be strictly vegetarian to partake, either. The veggie-centric recipes we’ve created are showstoppers even carnivores can enjoy. You could whole roast an entire head of cauliflower or cabbage. Who knows, the mushroom steaks of your mother’s heyday could make a comeback FAT IS IN Blame it on the Keto craze, where you can eat avocado, olive oil, and nuts without a second look. Healthy fats—like the ones above and also foods including salmon and eggs—aren’t something to fear anymore. When eaten in moderation, they’re actually rather good for you. So fill up! Everybody’s doing it.

AFRICAN SPICES As more and more home cooks (and restaurant chefs) look to spice up their chicken, fish, and other dinnertime creations with flavor instead of fat, expect to see more African herbs and spices, including ras el hanout (a warm Moroccan spice mix), berbere (a heady Ethiopian blend), and rooibos (a South African herbal tea).

Even McCormick got on board with the trend, releasing spice blends including berbere and harissa earlier this year.

Special thanks to Michelin Guide, Delish and The Daily Meal for contributing to this article.

MARCH 2019 13

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FEATURE

4 TRENDS SHAPING HOME COOKING IN 2019 Today’s chefs and home cooks alike are seeking more meaningful food experiences, with smart, intuitive technology that’s high performing and saves time. This year, leading brands are changing the way culinary enthusiasts source and prepare their food, emphasizing a heightened level of respect for all ingredients throughout the process.

The result? Delicious food and healthier lifestyles. Here are four trends driving the evolution of home cooking in 2019: 1. FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS Interest in wine culture is always evolving, and many at-home chefs have an affinity for curating their collections. Investing in proper storage is also key, especially for wines that are best served chilled. New integrated wine column refrigerators are bringing unique “wine cave” technology to wine connoisseurs. This technology reduces vibration - a primary impediment to wine preservation that can cause chemical imbalances affecting the quality, flavors, aromas and texture. It also minimizes temperature fluctuations, limits light exposure and locks in humidity so aspiring sommeliers will have their sparkling wines, whites and rosés at the ready.

2. FARM FRESH, LOCALLY SOURCED FOOD More than ever, home cooks strive to use fresh, locally grown or raised organic products, both in the interests of sustainability and to achieve the best tasting, most nutritious dishes. While some at-home chefs grow their own produce, others turn to sources like farmer’s markets and community-supported agriculture for the freshest ingredients in an effort to consume less processed food. Luxury kitchen appliance brands are starting to recognize this and educate consumers on how to stay “true to food.” Food journalist, author, educator and True to Food film host Mark Bittman says, “Cooking with consciousness is a lifestyle philosophy I live by. It gets people thinking about the food they’re consuming, where it’s sourced and how it’s prepared. That’s why I believe so strongly in the True to Food mission.”

3.WASTE REDUCTION Along with a growing interest in food sourcing comes the need to properly store and preserve it, not only to maintain freshness, but also to reduce waste. Important tips like decluttering your refrigerator and freezer, and making sure food is stored in the correct place are good first steps, but what about the quality of your appliances? Many new built-in appliances like integrated column refrigerators and freezers are purposefully designed, from their spacious capacity to their ability to preserve fresh food through optimum temperature control, thanks to innovative features like a linear compressor and engineered all-metal interior.

4. SMART TECHNOLOGY AND MODALITIES Many of today’s home cooks represent a new generation of forward-thinking individuals called “Technicureans,” or those who have a passion for food and appreciation for innovation. Imagine preheating your oven remotely or having the opportunity to use a go-to cooking method used in the world’s best restaurants. Take, for instance, there is a new versatile, stove which is the first on the market with built-in “sous vide,” directly on the cooktop, along with induction and gas, delivering the ultimate in precision cooking.

“Sous-vide is a revolutionary professional cooking technique that is now making its way to the home kitchen,” said AJ Schaller, executive chef at Cuisine Solutions and the Culinary Research and Education Academy” “Sous-vide allows food to cook at a precise temperature to enhance flavors and maintain moisture, consistency and nutrients that are typically lost through conventional cooking methods,” she explains. “It requires more planning for the home chef, because you increase the time you cook when using lower temperatures, but it makes life easier since it’s such a simple process that when done well can increase conservation.”

MARCH 2019 15

FEATURE

LET THEM EAT CAKE! CAKE DESIGNER CHARLES LAURENT IS A MASTER BAKER

BY MATTHEW BLANCO

From an early age, fashion model turned pastry chef Charles Laurent knew he wanted create experience, art, and fantasy.

Charles Laurent was born in a small town in the north of France. The rich culture of his country and historic environment of Nord served as the perfect canvas for him to paint out his imagination. Every chateau had a king and queen of his own making, every stone had a storied history of magic and enchantment, and every pastry was a piece of art.

He eventually made his way to the USA where he built his body into a piece of art. It led to modeling and Charles Laurent walking the runways for top fashion designers. He also taught himself English and became a social media star. But these days, he’s creating a new form of art — the edible kind — and embarking on a new adventure as a pastry chef.

We spoke with Charles Laurent from his home in New York.

When did you discover your love of baking?

When I was a child, I would bake with my grandmother all the

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time. It was a way for me to express my creativity and impress my friends and family.

Did you always have a sweet tooth?

Unfortunately, I have always had the worst sweet tooth! No little bag of candy will last a day with me.

Did you have to give up the deserts when you began runway modeling?

I could never skip desserts. But I also could never skip the gym.

What made you decide to walk away from the runway and pursue a career in pastry?

I knew modeling wouldn’t last forever so I had to make the jump at some time.

Did you attend culinary school?

I attended the International Culinary Center in Soho, New York.

Getting that acceptance letter was one of the proudest moments of my life. But then I had to pay for it! Culinary school is expensive! I put all of my savings toward my education for the hope of a major life change.

And here you are now! So what are some of your favorite deserts to make?

I love to make cupcakes. You can always add a personal touch to them with different designs. Maybe even most importantly, you can easily make them healthy!

How do you make them healthy but still delicious?

I tend to add lots of fruit to my deserts. They’re beautiful, full of flavor and naturally sweet so I can get my sugar fix without too much guilt.

You’re also known for your unique cake designs.

My goal is to create a fantasy with my pastries. They should be whimsical, beautiful, and, of course, delicious.

The Purse cake is a particular standout.

I will always remember the reaction the Purse Cake received when I first unveiled it. Most didn’t believe it was a real cake and, for me, that was so important. It’s all edible. I realized the decor entirely with fondant.

What inspired the design?

It was directly inspired by a bag from Gucci’s last collection.

How can we buy one?

I launched my new website a couple of weeks ago. It has a really user-friendly platform that allows anyone interested to order a cake or design one of their own.

You make custom cakes?

Oh yes! I love creating new cakes with customers. We start by discussing initial details over email, then follow it with an in-person

or over the phone consultation to plan out and create the cake of their dreams!

What is the best pastry for spring?

Spring is all about new beginnings. It’s about leaving the cold and heavy food behind and getting our bodies ready for the summer sun. Fruit desserts are my spring go-to.

Are you working on new designs now?

Yes, I’m beginning to sketch out my spring collection.They will all be on my website soon.

If we order a cake, are you willing to jump out of it?

Cakes are my favorite things to jump out of!

Visit laurentxiv.com

MARCH 2019 17

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FEATURE

UPCOMING FOOD FESTIVALS 2019 Food lovers and libation enthusiasts have much to look forward to in the oasis these upcoming months as the region transforms into a mecca of grub satisfaction and dining deliciousness. So, whether you’re in search of new, local fare or are simply looking for the best in regional festival food goodness, pull up to the table and get ready to dig in.

PALM DESERT FOOD & WINE | MARCH 22-24, 2019 Palm Desert Food & Wine at El Paseo the finest in culinary, craft beers, spirits, and wines come together for the Ninth Annual Palm Desert Food & Wine Festival Opens a New Window. . The appetizing threeday affair at The Gardens on El Paseo is organized by Palm Springs Life Magazine and showcases several celebrity chef demonstrations, book signings, cooking gatherings, and countless delectable tastings.

Known as a top food and drink playground for its impressive fare and liquor offerings, this year promises to bring some of the most diverse flavors yet to Greater Palm Springs! Start your feasting extravaganza on Friday, March 22 by attending the highly acclaimed James Beard Gourmet Four-Course Luncheon Opens a New Window. –an attendee favorite by far. Then, dig in on Saturday and Sunday during Palm Desert Food & Wine Grand Tastings Opens a New Window. You can chow down on incredible eats from local and regional restaurants, as well as experience a vast amount of premium wines, brews, and spirits.

Be sure to stick around until the end for the exciting Sunday Grand Tasting. This year’s theme is “North to South: Food of the Americas Opens a New Window,” which celebrates the distinctive taste and lifestyle of Southern California and beyond.

DINING OUT FOR LIFE | APRIL 25, 2019 Supporting local causes has never been so enticing, thanks to Dining Out for Life Opens a New Window. ! Join the community in action and “Make One Meal Matter” as you dine out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner this upcoming Thursday, April 25, 2019, at numerous participating restaurant locations in Greater Palm Springs. This important fundraising event benefits client services at Desert AIDS Project and is responsible for giving back 33 percent or more of local restaurant’s food, beverage and liquor gross sales to the cause. Be part of this yearly movement and donate your appetite to help those in need this season.

GREATER PALM SPRINGS RESTAURANT WEEK | JUNE 2019 End the delicious festivities on a tasty high note with Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week Opens a New Window. ! Although official dates for this fabulous cuisine-focused event have not yet been set, Restaurant Week is sure to give diners plenty of opportunities to discover new area hotspots during its multiple week program run. More than 100 local Greater Palm Springs restaurants will participate in the event this summer and serve a variety of specially prepared prix fixe menus to hungry diners. So, if you’re looking to try out some uniqueto-the-region dishes or get a taste of new bites in town, this flavorful culinary experience is for you. Enjoy both discounted two-course lunch menus and three-course dinner menus from select locations throughout the region and get your grub on!

HERE ARE ADDITIONAL FOOD EVENTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS YEAR AND NEXT. NOVEMBER Food Truck Mash-Up Props & Hops Craft Beer Festival Brew in LQ Craft Brew Fest DECEMBER Indio International Tamale Festival FEBRUARY Rancho Mirage Wine & Food Festival Brew at the Zoo Taste of Jalisco Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival Greater Palm Springs Food & Wine Festival Special Thanks to visitgreaterpalmsprings.com

MARCH 2019 19

AMAZON TRAIL

WASTED YEARS

BY LEE LYNCH

Donna Festa* is a fifty-four-year-old white woman. The corporation that owned her plant shut it down. Bam, just like that. She’d worked there for twenty-two years. Before that, she’d been with the same company since graduating from high school.

The day it happened, six months ago, Donna stood outside the grimy red brick building in shock. It would have been one thing if they’d fired her. They couldn’t; she was good at her job and almost any job they threw at her. She had to be. Once Donna turned fifty the big bosses moved her around the factory floor like a piece of worn furniture until she was nothing but splinters. They swept her out to the street with the push broom she’d so often used.

The splintering only began there.

Of all the inequities that exist in the United States, age discrimination is one of the least acknowledged. How many of us, when we first entered the workforce, were intolerant of co-workers with white or even gray hair.

At my first job I was a file clerk. Mrs. Pelkey, in my eyes, was in her eighties, but was probably in her sixties, a gaunt woman whose white skin practically blended with her white hair. She supervised two of us, both seventeen years old. Francisca and I were, if not what my Nana would call holy terrors, then one file card short of it. Quietly, except for the giggles, we made fun of Mrs. Pelkey. She was our cruel entertainment as we sat at our table eight hours a day, facing frowny old Mrs. Pelkey, itching, for my part, to get downtown where the gay kids were.

With exceptions, old people in the workplace were joke-fodder, disrespected, resented. And so we are today. It feels different on this end.

Marion was a petite, white-haired African American woman with

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perceptive, kindly eyes. I was in my thirties by then, she in her sixties, at least. Our jobs were burnout stressful. I asked her once why she hadn’t retired and she just laughed. Marion was sprightly, knew the most obscure of regulations, stayed attuned to everything around her at all times, and could solve any problem, no sweat. Her staff might bitch about her vigilance, but no one made fun of that woman.

For me, lesson learned. Elders could be like Marion: competent, respected and appreciated.

When Donna Festa fitted all the splinters of herself back into place the best she could, she bought some dye and covered up her hard-earned gray hairs. The Employment office swarmed with new layoffs. Her first unemployment check was about the amount of her rent. Her girlfriend of many years lived separately, bringing up three granddaughters.

Donna was highly motivated to find a job and confident her work record and skills would make for a quick hire. The economy, she read, was on the upswing. She went to the job seeker training, completed her first ever resume, and attended every interview offered.

Meanwhile, she talked to everyone she knew, learned the Employment office computers, and introduced herself at every, mill, warehouse, and manufacturer in the area—then out of the area, although the cost of gas was going to be a problem.

Six months later her unemployment ended. She felt herself splintering again. What was she doing wrong? Was it her resume?

Because she was gay? Were immigrants taking all the jobs? Didn’t companies want skilled and experienced applicants anymore?

She asked at the Employment office if it was because she was over fifty. The worker told her, “The Age Discrimination in Employment Act forbids age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older.”

She laughed in his face. “Who’s enforcing that?” she said. “Do you think I’m a damn fool?” She was considered uncooperative and advised nothing more could be done for her.

There was a McDonald’s near the Employment office. A few of her former workmates, all close to her age, would grab a dollar coffee, then sit around for an hour and talk about what they saw on the news, who they heard got hired on where. All the hires were younger people.

They were scared. Baby boomers had had it all. Now employers were avoiding them. Avoiding their predictable medical costs. Suspicious anyone even close to fifty wouldn’t pull her weight on the job. They told one another they felt like ghosts. They all had a friend who traded in a stick house for a motorhome and followed seasonal work around the country. This wasn’t the middle and old age they’d envisioned. None of them wanted to work in the relentlessly demanding Amazons of the world where they’d be fighting robots for their jobs.

Walmart offered Donna, now fifty-five, a cleaning job. What the hell, she thought. Push brooms had become her specialty. She took it until something better came along… * Donna Festa is fictional figure drawn from a number of people in similar circumstances.

MARCH 2019 21

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BOOK REVIEW

ALWAYS OVERBOOKED

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

Coming Out Was Difficult Enough.

Even if everyone supported you and very little changed, you changed; still, though you had doubts and fear, it was something you had to do. Now read the new book “An Indefinite Sentence” by Siddharth Dube and imagine what it might’ve been like coming out but knowing that it’s dangerous.

When Siddharth Dube was ten years old, he saw a dancer who was lovely, curvy, and sultry, and who pulled off her skirt with a flourish at the end, revealing herself as a man. The memory, the surprise, stuck with him – in part, perhaps, because he had known for two years then that he “was a girly-boy…”

No one much cared about that while he was young and growing up in relative affluence near Calcutta. He was “a carefree child,” unashamed of his “undefined gender,” but that disappeared: as a preteen, he was enrolled in a private academy and was bullied for being “sissy,” despite a school culture that allowed boys to demand sex from other boys.

At that time, and for most of Dube’s youth, there was nothing available in India “to help a young man… deal with his… homosexuality.” He felt “hatred” from his peers and neighbors and from his own father, who strongly urged Dube to leave India to attend college in America. In the U.S., though, Dube found that “hatred for homosexuality was many magnitudes greater than in India.”

And yet – seeing gay life in a more permissive country was liberating. Dube patronized a gay bar for the first time, finally found the love he sought, and discovered his passion for careers in journalism and activism on the subject of AIDS, the people affected by the disease, and the world’s attitude toward it. That began a journey that ultimately took him back to his home country, where he settled in with “one of the greatest loves of my adult life” although, because gay sex was illegal in India, doing so was dangerous.

Months after they moved, Dube discovered just how dangerous…

Take that as a warning: that little bombshell arrives all too early inside “An Indefinite Sentence.” By the time it does, you’ll be lulled into a veil of serenity.

That is due completely to the prose with which author Siddharth Dube tells his story: it’s soft and formal but with elegant slang and a very surprising willingness to use profanity in a matter-of-fact way that still feels like a slap. Dube shares his life and his travels by mixing shades of his faith along with tales of men he loved platonically and otherwise, female sex workers who bore the most blame on the spread

of disease, and the politics of and attitudes toward AIDS around the world. This, too, is told with outraged mindfulness that feels like a burning torch wrapped up in tranquility.

Readers searching for something different this week can end their search with this book. It’s stirring and calming, funny and sad; start “An Indefinite Sentence,” and you’ll have no difficulty enjoying it.

“An Indefinite Sentence: A Personal History of Outlawed Love and Sex” by Siddharth Dube c.2015, 2019, Atria Books $28.00 / $37.00 Canada 376 pages

MARCH 2019 23

FFEATURE

VELVET IBIZA EUROPE’S MOST EPIC QUEER WOMEN PARTY

BY MICHEL KHORDOC

Velvet Ibiza, Europe’s most epic queer women party - is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year and taking the festivities to the next level - one for the books!

Happening May 7 - 12, 2019 in idyllic Ibiza, Spain, Velvet Ibiza, the all-inclusive 5-day/5-night party, has, in only a few years’ time, become a holy ground for queer women who continue to descend on the pine-covered isle to enjoy one the most life changing and bonding experience.

Created and (ever since) produced by Carine De Mesmaeker the mastermind behind Velvet 69, one of Europe’s biggest LGBTQ+ Women party in Brussels, Belgium - Velvet Ibiza made history in its inception year by (surprisingly) being the first ever queer women event held in the small Balearic island famously known for its LGBTQfriendly culture, its vibrant nightlife scene and celebrity sighting.

Place, atmosphere, and people you wanna comeback for!

What makes Velvet Ibiza so contagious?

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Hands down, the event draws its massive appeal in its diversity; the mix of cultures and the freedom that is always present in the atmosphere.

The event attracts a vastly international crowd with LGBTQ+ women traveling from all over the globe for one big giant celebration of the community.

A unique vacation destination in paradise which provides attendees the freedom to be who they are - no matter what the size of their body, the color of their skin and/or the tax bracket they belong to.

The all-inclusive nature of the event (tickets include 5 nights in bungalow, all 3 meals, day and night activities & parties, transportation from airport to resort, and all drinks t’il 11pm) creates a safe and unique environment that imparts a palpable sense of belonging - a real “family” event.

No need to venture anywhere, the party is literally on your

doorsteps as De Mesmaeker rents out the entire resort.

Having everything in one place is key for the event producer who strives to create a great community vibe allowing people to organically connect.

From the pool parties, sports tournaments, club nights and now the infamous duck race to the top female DJs from Europe and America dropping the sickest beats, and live music from Sarah Bettens, the openly gay artists artist best known as the smoky voice of Belgian nineties rock band K’s Choice, Velvet Ibiza has it all!

Plenty to look forward to this year as the event returns to where it all started four years ago, The Club Punta Arabi - its original host hotel that has just been renovated & upgraded to a 4-star category.

Nowhere else on the island is the spirit and essence of Ibiza more alive than at Punta Arabi.

Why? It is the location of the historical Hippie Market - one of

the few places in Ibiza where you can still find today the peculiar and unique hippie essence. It was founded in 1973 and for that reason it is currently the largest and oldest market on the island.

A magical place where unforgettable memories, camaraderie and unbreakable bonds are created and cherished forever. Velvet Ibiza is about inclusivity for the amazing diversity of women around the world.

This is why on the final day you’ll find De Mesmaeker thanking and hugging every single guest goodbye as phone numbers and social media handles are exchanged by all. “See you next year” they all tell each other … and indeed they will!

For more info go to www.velvetibiza.es Promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2HwBAP6XhI

MARCH 2019 25

PSP FOCUS ANNUAL NCLR GARDEN PARTY

You will not want to miss the National Center for Lesbian Rights’ annual Palm Springs Garden Party on April 6th. Join NCLR’s topnotch attorneys, NCLR Interim Executive Director Cindy Myers, along with our event co-chairs, Christy Holstege and Carl Baker, for a party honoring Geoff Kors and a surprise special guest. This year, we are hosted by Jane and Mark Garrison at the breathtaking William Holden Estate.

As the first national LGBTQ organization founded by women, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) bring a fierce, longstanding commitment to racial and economic justice in advocating on behalf of our community’s most vulnerable.

In 1977, NCLR founders faced a family law landscape in which LGBTQ parents were losing custody of their children simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In this atmosphere, NCLR was born—not just to win these battles but also to take down the pervasive stigma and stereotypes our community faced. Fortytwo years later, NCLR is still taking on landmark cases on behalf of our families—with three U.S. Supreme Court victories over the past two years—while also fighting for the lives and safety of LGBTQ youth, transgender servicemembers, and LGBTQ immigrants under the Trump Administration. Winning more than 300 asylum cases since 1994—and having never lost one!—through our Asylum & Immigration Project, NCLR is committed to ensuring the United States continues to be a beacon of hope for LGBTQ DREAMers, asylum seekers, and immigrants.

NCLR is a small family but we make a big impact. Here are just a few of the actions NCLR takes to protect and advance the LGBTQ community: • React swiftly and fiercely to hateful backlash against LGBTQ people in every state.

• Ensure that all LGBTQ families are protected under federal and state law.

26 THESTANDARDPS.COM

• Provide a national helpline for all LGBTQ people so no one in our community, no matter where they are in the country, is left behind in the fight for dignity and equality.

• Work state-by-state to protect LGBTQ people from workplace discrimination.

• Fight to end the practice of conversion therapy through our Born Perfect campaign.

• Provide life-saving assistance to LGBTQ immigrants who are under extraordinary threat from the current administration, fighting to keep their families together or gain asylum from persecution.

• Ensure access to medically necessary healthcare for transgender people, including through Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance policies.

Your sponsorship or ticket purchase will go directly to these activities. We are thrilled to be returning to the Coachella Valley again this spring to talk to you about our work. We will give you an update about our groundbreaking work this year and get ready for the battles ahead.

The Garden Party will be held on Saturday, April 6th, with a sponsor-only reception beginning at 4 p.m. and the party starting at 4:30 p.m.

Individual tickets are $75 in advance. Sponsorship packages begin at $250. Learn more at www.NCLRights.org/PalmSprings.

MARCH 2019 27

PSP FOCUS NEW CVREP PLAYHOUSE TO OPEN IN CATHEDRAL CITY

After months of preparation and great anticipation, The Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre (CVRep) has announced it will open their newly renovated, 208 seat, Cathedral City playhouse with the dynamic musical, CHESS - Music by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of the Rock Group ABBA Lyrics by Time Rice and Book by Richard Nelson.

“It’s hard to believe that in just a few weeks, CVRep will be presenting the dynamic musical CHESS in our brand new, fully equipped, technically advanced playhouse,” says CVRep Artistic Director and Founder, Ron Celona. “Our new playhouse, located on the corner of Highway 111 and Cathedral Canyon Drive in Cathedral City is truly a dream come true for me and all involved at CVRep. Although purchasing and converting the old Imax into a professional “live theatre” venue has been a challenge, thanks to our amazing Board of Directors, staff, volunteers and generous supporters, our newly renovated playhouse will not only enable us to present larger scale productions like CHESS, and seat more patrons than we have in the past, I believe it is also destined to have a positive impact on Cathedral City as well as the entire Coachella Valley.”

ABBA, collaborators of CHESS, are giants of rock music and rock musicals; and with CHESS they have created a complex rock opera that played to full Broadway houses and standing ovations.

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When CHESS made its Broadway debut in 1988, it was considered a significant and powerful piece of musical theater for its time, as it allegorically reflected the Cold War tensions of the 1980s. With a musical score by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of the rock group ABBA, lyrics by Tim Rice and a book by Richard Nelson, CHESS continues to have relevance in today’s complex world. It is a highly entertaining musical that transforms the ancient and distinguished game of chess into a metaphor for romantic rivalries and East-West political intrigue.

The story of CHESS revolves around a politically driven, cold war-era chess tournament between two grandmaster chess players.

The pawns in this musical form a love triangle between a loutish American chess star, an earnest Russian champion and a Hungarian American female assistant who arrives at the international chess match in Bangkok with the American, but manages to fall in love with the Russian. From Bangkok to Budapest the players, lovers, politicians, and spies manipulate and are manipulated to the pulse of a monumental rock score that includes “One Night in Bangkok”, “I Know Him So Well”, and “Heaven Help My Heart.”

CHESS will be performed from March 13 through March 31 at the NEW CVRep Playhouse located at 68510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City, CA 92234. Performances are scheduled for Wed, Thur, Fri, and Sat at 7:30PM, Sat and Sun at 2:00PM, also Tue, March 26 at 7:30PM. Individual tickets are $53 / Previews $48 / Opening Night $63 - includes Opening Night Party. For more information, please call 760-296-2966 or visit the website at cvrep.org.

100 THINGS TO DO IN PALM SPRINGS BEFORE YOU DIE Written by Lydia Kremer, long-time Palm Springs resident and writer, 100 Things to Do in Palm Springs Before You Die is a great handy guide for visitors and residents in Greater Palm Springs.

The book covers the nine cities that comprise the Coachella Valley, also known as Greater Palm Springs. It provides the reader a comprehensive insider’s glimpse into Greater Palm Springs, Southern California’s storied sun-kissed desert paradise.

PSP FOCUS WHEN WE RISE: DESERT WINDS FREEDOM BAND

“The first edition of 100 Things to Do in Palm Springs Before You Die was enthusiastically received and this new second edition enhances the spirit of Lydia Kremer’s earlier work with more fun ways to enjoy this beautiful destination,” said Josh Stevens, president of Reedy Press.

In compiling the book’s 100 Things to Do, Kremer has selected places and things that reflect the region’s roots including Palm Springs’ local Native Indian culture and its Hollywood pedigree while showcasing current fun cultural events and engaging activities that have enhanced its continuing global popularity. After nearly a century of being a popular sought-after destination, the palm tree-lined streets, the soaring mountain vistas, and the 360 days of sunshine still retain their allure. Today Palm Springs is still an international glamorous enclave and a treasured getaway for 13 million annual leisure visitors and snowbirds, many who flock to the desert communities to escape harsh winters.

The book contains five major categories: Food & Drink, Music & Entertainment, Sports & Recreation, Culture & History, as well as Shopping & Fashion. This book is an easy reference guide to Palm Springs’ culture, recreation, dining, shopping, and entertainment options for every age, style, budget, and interest. 100 Things to Do in Palm Springs Before You Die, 2nd Edition is available at reedypress. com and wherever books are sold.

Author Contact Information Lydia Kremer | 8lydialane@gmail.com

The Desert Winds Freedom Band is proud to announce its Spring 2019 Concert. “When We Rise” celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City and the various human rights movements of the past several decades. Works presented include those by guest composer Charlie Creasy, guest composer/ conductor Randall Standridge, and features guest soloists Keisha D and Donald Perry. We will be premiering a piece entitled “A Mother of A Revolution!” by composer Omar Thomas commissioned by the Desert Winds Freedom Band that commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and honors Marsha P. Johnson.

Our Guest of Honor is Cleve Jones from San Francisco, who is a founder of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, co-founder of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and author of “When We Rise”, a book that was turned into a mini-series about the gay rights movement and the AIDS epidemic. Mr. Jones will be autographing copies of his book in the lobby prior to the start of the concert and at intermission. Tickets are $30 and may be ordered online at the band’s website www.desertwindsfb.org or purchased at the event.

When We Rise Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. Jewish Community Center - Bochner Auditorium 332 West Alejo Road Palm Springs.

MARCH 2019 29

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To purchase tickets or for sponsor information, visit DesertSpirit.net 30 THESTANDARDPS.COM

FEATURE

THE DINAH 2019

THE LADIES ARE COMING TO TOWN

For many, The Dinah is an annual tradition between friends; for others it is a bucket-list goal, a pilgrimage to our very own Mecca that every queer woman should make at least once in her life. No matter what the impetus for attending is, The Dinah is for all a unique opportunity to experience one of the most bonding, liberating and transforming festival ever in the spirit of sisterhood and community. No other event in the world embodies the essence of woman empowerment like The Dinah does. Entering its 29th year & standing strong and proud as one of the largest and longest running party & music festival for queer women in the world The Dinah is back with the five-day event taking place in Palm Springs, California on April 3-7. The event will include massive pool parties with world famous DJs and go-go dancers, red carpet events with nationally renowned musical performances, meet and greets with your favorite “Ce-lesbians”, and so much more.

Mariah Hanson founded world famous Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend in 1991 with the intention of creating a safe space for women and women-identified individuals to celebrate, unite, and empower each other. Since then, the event has grown to be considered the largest lesbian event in the world. Hanson has not only carried on her mission with an event once a year, but has used the Dinah to spread this message all year long through her important work with organizations such as The HRC, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and GLAAD. Giving back to the community is at the core of The Dinah.

Hanson also has a keen ear for the best musical acts that appeal to the female listener. From 2018 headliner Jessie Reyez, whose short film The Gatekeeper, and song of the same title are considered precursors to the #metoo movement and Madame Gandhi’s “Future is Female” to past acts such as Lady Gaga, Kesha, and Katy Perry, festival-goers know they’re always in for a great show! There’s a great lineup in store for 2019. We’ll see you there!

MARCH 2019 31

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PERSPECTIVE

LET’S EAT!

BY JILL LANGHAM

Hello again! Did you all survive the rains of February? Wow, who knew our desert would receive over 5” of water in one asphalt, concrete splitting monsoon! Here’s to beautiful May Flowers and hopefully not too much mold! Fingers crossed.

On a healthier note, all this rain hopefully helped our local produce grow assisting us in our attempt to eat local, sustainable food, which fits nicely into March’s Annual Food issue.

I’m often asked what I eat when I go out and although it can be a challenge, I do always try to stay with in the parameters of my Eating Plan.

Many of my friends love to go out for Thai food and I decided I needed to work the menu so that I could both eat clean but still enjoy the spirit of Thai foods. I’m happy to report that I can!

When I go to Thai Smile, (most often after dancing at Oscar’s), I order a cup of Tom Kha Gai soup, a side order of steamed chicken and a side order of white or brown rice. I also ask for a large bowl where I mix all it together. It’s not only delicious but the portion size is large enough to take 1/2 of it home for a second meal. The cost: about $15 including tax and I highly recommend it. I’m becoming a regular and appreciate that the staff now knows my order!

I will order brown rice unless I’m coming right from the gym, then I order white rice to fill up my depleted glycogen stores, making my flaccid muscles full again.

But, if someone wants Fish tacos, then it’s off to Fisherman’s Market & Grill, where I’m told the Fish Taco’s are great. I order the Salmon bowl, which, totally satiates my salmon addiction and my choice for filling my daily Fish Oil requirements.

They serve it with a little more than a 1/2-cup serving of rice and a cup of steamed broccoli and carrots. I ask them to grill it without oil because like so many restaurants they were using canola oil, which is also known as rapeseed oil. No one had to tell me 20 years later that it’s a bad oil made up of the same elements found in plastic, I just took one look at the name and thought if it has the word rape in it, it’s not for me! It’s a great value at around $18 including tax and is a tasty piece of fish. Another great staff whom I love dearly.

Another favorite place for me is The Tropicale Restaurant for their Miso-Glazed Steelhead Lock Salmon & Black Rice Bowl Broccoli, with Snap Peas, Tomatoes, Gingered shiitakes, scallions and soy.

I ask them to hold the tomatoes and soy and only eat half of the rice to meet my nutritional requirements and taste bud desires.

It’s a generous portion, served in an attractive Bowl and is very, very yummy. Its $21 price tag comes complete with a great atmosphere and the best staff ever!

Grand Central is one of last go-to-places I frequent for a meal that keeps me on track. I order their Turmeric Chicken, which, comes with Turmeric quinoa salad & 2 herb-roasted chicken breasts with a spring salad. It’s a nicely portioned size and is incredibly tasty. It has a flavorful sauce that can be served on the side at your request or used as a topping for your salad or chicken breasts. At $17 it’s delicious for any meal. The owners and staff do everything to make the meal a delight!

The rest of the time I am eating meals I prepare at home. I have the luxury of cooking 5 of my 6 meals there. This way I can control my food, and be aware of exactly what reactions my body is having to those foods.

For example if I’m eating something that I have a sensitivity to my nose will begin to run, letting me know that my body may need a break from that food. If you ever followed the 6 times a day eating plan you know from experience that variety is very tough and you have to work very hard at rotating your foods, especially if you live alone and are cooking for one. At least that is the most difficult thing for this Dancing Queen. How about for you?

I hope you might try some of these choices if you are out and about in Palm Springs and hope you will stop by to say hello if you see me out.

Enjoy Spring 2019!

XOXO Jill

MARCH 2019 33

MUSIC

RILAN UNLEASHES NEW SINGLE: “LOVE OR DRUGS”

BY LEN EVANS Glee veteran Rilan is back to attack Hollywood with “Love or Drugs,” his hot new single about the rusty underbelly of Tinseltown.

Recorded in Los Angeles in collaboration with music industry titan and television personality Randy Jackson (Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, etc.), “Love Or Drugs” is an industrial pop record — hard and edgy yet danceable and melodic. It is meant to poke fun at the contradictions of LaLa-Land. “Everyone in Los Angeles parades around like they’re famous and filthy rich when in reality, they’re broke, broken and looking for whatever is gonna get them through the night,” Rilan explains. “They’re trying to fill the void with what they think will make them feel better in the moment, whether it’s a person or a poison.” Rilan’s “Love or Drugs” will be available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon, and all other major retailers, as well as for streaming through Pandora and Spotify on March 15. Rilan is set to make a number of national club appearances in support of “Love or Drugs” starting with Tiger Heat at Club Avalon in Los Angeles on March 21. “Everyone I’ve dated in LA has been a user,” continues twenty-four year old Rilan, best known for his role as a Dalton Academy Warbler on Glee. “A user of people, money, substances or all three. They are who ‘Love or Drugs’ is about.”

Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Rilan grew up in a large, close-knit, traditional, southern, catholic family. The type where he and all of his cousins went to the same small school from pre-k through senior year. The cousins would go on to attend the same local college, get married, have kids, and settle into their American dreams.

Rilan, however, was unusual. As a kid, he was drawn to 70s glam rock and 80ssynth pop artists like David Bowie, Prince, and Boy George.

When he grew older and more angsty, he discovered darker industrial bands like Soft Cell, Nine Inch Nails, and Marilyn Manson. He was also theatrical with a passion for staged musicals and when alone, in his room, he would spend countless hours crafting compositions that merged his favored genres into larger-than-life productions.

After high school, Rilan tried going the traditional route, even attending college in Nashville for three months where he studied songwriting, but he quickly realized he was more suited for doing rather than learning. So, with the support of his parents, he packed up his things and moved out west to a city he imagined would be a place where outcast artists like him found solace and freedom to be their true selves. What he discovered was different. In Los Angeles,

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people aren’t who they were born to be, they’re who they think other people want them to be. He was devastated at first but has since come around. “Honestly, moving to LA was the best decision of my life,” Rilan reflects today. “I have come to realize that what makes me ‘me’ is not fitting in. I’m an outsider and I’m proud of it. I make music for unpopular people like me. Theatrical, high energy, always a spectacle, and always true to who I am.” He admits that every day is a challenge. Not everyone likes what he does, and he has to sort out who to listen to and who to tune out. Luckily, Rilan’s assembled a starstudded team behind him including Lady Gaga’s choreographer Richy Jackson and manager Randy Jackson (American Idol).

“Love or Drugs” was co-written with Krysta Youngs. It was produced by Davy Nathan with additional electronic production by Cory Enemy and Lexoskeleton. Collier Landry and Nick Alexander direct the accompanying music video, shot on a downtown rooftop on a day Rilan describes as “the coldest LA has ever seen”.

“It’s ridiculous and over the top because that’s exactly what Hollywood is today. I don’t like to go out, I don’t do drugs, I’ve never been cool or normal, and I never will be. This song and this video are for all of the weird kids who showed up to the party and left early because it really wasn’t so cool after all.” http://iamrilan.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamrilan Instagram: http://instagram.com/iamrilan Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/iamrilan For further press inquiries on Rilan, please contact: Len Evans

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MUSIC

TINA DeCARA RELEASES ANTHEM ON THE POWER OF BEING ALONE: “SOLO” Pop singer Tina DeCara follows-up her smash single “Illusion” — its had over one million Spotify streams — with “Solo,” a song about loving yourself when you’re at your loneliest. “I’ve been solo for a while and though most days, I’m cool with not having a special someone to kick it with, there are times my mood swings so low,” admits Tina. It was during one of these down periods that she wrote her new single. “I sat with a bottle of wine and had a little pity party in my music journal,” she remembers. But oddly, what emerged wasn’t a sad song about being lonely, but a celebration of self-love and embracing time spent alone. Tina DeCara’s “Solo” is being released through Big Management and is available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon, and all other major retailers, as well as for streaming through Pandora and Spotify. Its video is on Youtube.

“My message for anyone struggling to make it through another day is to take a moment to breath and relax. Don’t try to solve your problems all at once. Tackle issues one at a time and give yourself a moment to rest in between so you are strong enough for the next battle.”

DeCara admits she often struggles with sad feelings. “Pursuing pop star dreams is hard. One day, I’m on top of the world and the next I’m back at square one. It gets lonely being in the big city, away from home and everyone that I love.”

When she’s feeling isolated, she listens to records, and the day DeCara wrote the song that would become “Solo,” she had been sent a new instrumental produced by The Drupes. “It was pretty popish, with a bop your head around and dance to it happy kinda vibe,” she explains. “But somehow my melancholy lyrics worked well with it.”

She went to a studio in Queens and recorded the single in about two hours. “It was a great session. The energy was high.”

Tina DeCara grew up on Long Island with her parents and two brothers. She began singing and songwriting in high school, drawing inspiration from the likes of David Bowie, Lady Gaga, and Amy Winehouse. While her friends were not supportive of her superstar dreams, her family encouraged her to follow her passion.

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“I was surprised by all the negativity I received from kids I had chosen to have in my life. I quickly cut them out.”

She says one of the biggest challenges as an artist is finding yourself and learning what your voice is capable of. “I write about how I’m feeling and then I put some unexpected twist on it,” she explains. “It’s an incredibly personal process so I try not to focus on what is going on outside my bubble.”

The music video for “Solo” echoes these sentiments. Directed by David Wept and shot in and around Coney Island, the video depicts Tina DeCara celebrating the one person who matters most in her life.

“Though I’m solo, for the most part, I’m always giggling. I work hard, I’m determined and if I have a little unhealthy obsession over buying wigs, what’s it to you? Until I’m a duo, I’m just goin’ to do me.”

Follow on Facebook and Twitter @TinaDeCaraMusic

MARCH 2019 37

The

CENTER Helping LGBTQ People Along Their Way Wherever you are in life’s journey, find connections and programs at The LGBT Community Center of the Desert.

Safety Net | Empowerment | Physical Health Mental Health | Social & Fun | Life Enrichment

The

CENTER

OUR MISSION: Creating vibrant community by helping LGBTQ people along their way.

THE COMMUNITY

FOOD BANK 38 THESTANDARDPS.COM

THE MCDONALD/WRIGHT BUILDING 1301 N. Palm Canyon Dr., 3rd Floor | Palm Springs, CA 92262 760-416-7790 | www.thecenterps.org

THE SCOTT HINES

@ THE CENTER

MARCH 2019 39

TRANSCENDENCE

PLEASURING THE HOLE IN MY FACE AND MY SOUL

BY CHRISTINA VRONAY RUGGLES

The e-mail summary of things happening this month in Palm Springs, that comes alongside my “please submit your article” said food is on the calendar. Food events! It’s our Annual Food Edition! It’s my 1st one, and I’m excited.

I love food.

Food and I share a lot of feelings. Food, like music and sex, is a sensory experience. The smell, the sight, the feel between your teeth, between your fingers, between your wiggling tongue and the bones of your mouth.

I like sensory experiences! And food is the second or third best!

It’s a finalist.

Palm Springs has a lot of really cute restaurants, and whether cute means #selfietime, or atmospheric, we can all sit here and agree that they exist and are plentiful in Palm Springs. And they’re tasty. And, if you’re me, often dubiously affordable! I’ve always been partial to Street Fair foods though. As I said, I like involving my senses. And people are more accepting of you getting your fingers involved in your meal when you’re chowing down on the curb, rather than at your favorite high-end pasta destination.

I do have a favorite restaurant though. Pinocchio’s. That everpacked brunch destination has been a place of a lot of good memories. I also believe that brunch is the queerest meal. For a few reasons, one, for starters, is that it’s best on Sundays. Just to rub it in a church’s face a little bit more. We’re here, we’re queer, and ya baby, my brunch blouse is sheer! Secondly, it’s not morning, and it’s not lunch. Being young and queer means I make questionable decisions on my Saturday night. Sometimes I don’t have the ability to hit up a breakfast spot at 9am, because I’m still dead at that time. 11am, however, I’m ready to throw on some mascara, apply an extra layer of deodorant and lipstick, and place a cute outfit on my drained frame and pretend I have my life together for a few hours.

Thirdly, brunch has all the food. I want pancakes, eggs, hash browns and crab cakes, all drenched in the extravagance that is hollandaise sauce? Brunch is the meal to do that. Nothing quite as heavy and greasy as brunch exists outside of brunch. Except soul food. Maybe brunch is just fancy soul food for the whites.

Maybe.

Pinocchio’s is probably not the best brunch spot in Palm Springs.

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But it’s the only one I call home. Because food is rarely just about food. It’s about the company you share it with. And Pinocchio’s has been home to more good company than it has been good meals, for me at least.

Still hungover, vision still doubling and shaking, and in the laughing arms of some near strangers was how I ended up at Pinocchio’s more than a few times. At least for those first few times, that’s how I remember it going.

I was just hanging out with these people, falling asleep drunkenly on their couch, and all of a sudden we’re all waking up, hanging out, and going to Pinocchio’s. What a time.

These early outings were in the very end of the days I can call “pre-transition” and they continued, seamlessly once I began transitioning.

Still often drunk. Still often crammed full of food and friendship.

Hedonistic weekends would be reaffirmed with a visit to Pinocchio’s.

Was it really a party harder weekend if we didn’t slam down our money’s worth of mimosas at Pinocchio’s? The answer, was, of course, no.

On Hunger By the time March 2017 rolled around, I was beginning to get hungry. Not for hollandaise sauce or pancakes though. For more of me. It was, it is, often this deep, primal hunger for more of who I really am.

A hunger for an identity. Knowledge of this identity. The feelings and details associated with this new, shiny, permanent identity.

Coming to grips with the whole “being Christina” bit meant I needed more. I was addicted to living this life in full, as the human race is addicted to water. It quickly became survival. Clothes, names, mannerisms, etc. all became some of my only thoughts.

In the grand scale of obsessions, I’d like to deem these ones fairly harmless.

I was lucky, at the beginning, because two lovely women donated huge amounts of clothes to me, right off the bat, free of charge. I still have and wear some of those pieces.

They didn’t and don’t fit right. Too small or too big. Now I care, because I can be picky. But then? In those early moments? My life was saved. It helped me make cosmic sense of it all, as well. Some huge portion of tasty cosmic justice and validation was just slammed down on my metaphorical plate, and I dined well for days and months because of it.

I had another craving though. One that needed a professional’s experienced touch.

Therapy, and not of the massage kind, was on my menu.

Transition is a multi-course meal. Saying “I’m transgender” is barely even on the menu. It’s more like booking a reservation.

Appetizers for validation, surgical desserts, a therapy soup course, a psychologist salad, a hormone replacement therapy entrée.

Now THAT’S a menu!

But, in March 2017, all I was, was seated at the table. I hoped a waiter would come by soon and take my order.

But life isn’t a restaurant.

For most, good things aren’t walked over, fresh from the kitchen, because you asked for it.

For most, we are our own chefs, our own hostesses, our own waiters, our own guests.

Life is a seven-course meal you serve every day.

And, let me tell you, Palm Springs helped me make my life a really good meal.

As much as I curse the sun and the sand, Palm Springs was far more than just an amuse-bouche. It was a full meal, complete with drink pairings.

A meal I’ll always be thankful for.

WHAT WE DO: • Daily hot nutritious meal to over 135 people a day, 6 days a week.

• Sack lunches daily –over 1200 a week served.

• Phone and mail service.

• Morning coffee, rolls and fruit.

• Showers daily.

• Furniture for people in need.

• Clothing for job interviews and those who need them.

• Assistance with food stamps, MISP, id’s and more.

• Utility assistance.

• Rental assistance.

• Free notary service.

• Resume writing assistance.

• One way tickets home.

• Saturday food distribution of healthy foods to working families, seniors, veterans, the disabled, families with children.

• Emergency food boxes.

• Some transportation to medical and social service appointments.

• Van transportation to hot lunch sites.

• Home deliveries to seniors who are homebound or frail.

• “Well Assist” program to downtown merchants and other business owners.

• Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations for all in need.

Christmas presents for all the children.

• Well houses available for long-term group family living, and emergenies.

• A family-friendly environment where all can feel welcome, cared about, and respected.

MARCH 2019 41

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RESTAURANTS VILLAGE PUB 266 S. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.323.3265 www.palmspringsvillagepub.com NATURE’S HEALTH FOOD & CAFE 555 S Sunrise Way Suite 301 Palm Springs, CA 92264 760.323.9487 www.natureshealthfoodcafe.com SHERMAN’S DELI & BAKERY 401 E Tahquitz Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.325.1199 www.shermansdeli.com RÍO AZUL 350 S. Indian Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.992.5641 www.rioazulpalmsprings.com 849 849 N Palm Canyon Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.325.8490 www.eight4nine.com COPLEY’S ON PALM CANYON 621 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.327.9555 www.copleyspalmsprings.com WORKSHOP KITCHEN & BAR 800 N. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.459.3451 www.workshoppalmsprings.com

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DINE | DRINK | DANCE Palm Springs LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO 200 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.327.5858 www.lulupalmsprings.com

CHEEKYS 622 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.327.7595 www.cheekysps.com

PURPLE ROOM 1900 E. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.322.4422 www.purpleroompalmsprings.com

POMME FRITE 256 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.778.3727 www.pomme-frite.com

EL MIRASOL 140 E Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.323.0721 www.elmirasolrestaurants.com

CHILL BAR 217 E. Arenas Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.327.1079

THAI SMILE PALM SPRINGS 100 South Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.320.5503 www.thaismilepalmsprings.com

RICK’S RESTAURANT 1973 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.416.0090 www.ricksrestaurant.biz

TRIO RESTAURANT 707 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.864.8746 www.triopalmsprings.com

PINOCCHIO IN THE DESERT 134 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.322.3776 www.pinocchiops.com

THE TROPICALE 330 E Amado Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.866.1952 www.thetropicale.com

BARS AND NIGHT CLUBS

ZIN AMERICAN BISTRO 198 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 760.322.6300 www.pszin.com LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO 200 S Palm Canyon Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.327.5858 www.lulupalmsprings.com

HUNTERS NIGHTCLUB 302 East Arenas Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.323.0700 www.huntersnightclubs.com TOUCAN’S TIKI LOUNGE 2100 North Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.416.7584 www.toucanstikilounge.com

STREETBAR 224 E. Arenas Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.320.1266 www.psstreetbar.com THE TOOL SHED 600 E. Sunny Dunes Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.320.3299 www.toolshed-ps.com STACY’S AT PALM SPRINGS 220 E Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.620.5003 BLACKBOOK BAR 315 E Arenas Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.832.8497 www.blackbookbar.com QUADZ 200 S Indian Canyon Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.778.4326

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MARCH 2019 43

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EVENTS CALENDAR ONGOING >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

MAR 16 - 23 FASHION WEEK EL PASEO Come celebrate style, innovation, and trends at the West Coast’s largest consumer fashion show, Fashion Week El Paseo, at The Gardens on El Paseo in Palm Desert. Showcasing the talents of renowned and emerging designers, this premier fashion event presents their newest collections in a state-of-the-art experience that aims to inspire and entertain with one of humankind’s most accessible, expressive, and relatable art forms. www.fashionweekelpaseo.com

MAR 16 FOOD TRUCK MASH-UP Food Truck Mash-Up® gathers the best food trucks from across the state of California for a large-scale community event, just oneday only! A range of specialty food trucks will serve up everything from Cajun food to barbecue. Mac n’ cheese to Italian ice. There will be games, giveaways, music and more.

Vote for your favorites! Saturday, March 16, 2019. 12PM – 9PM (Early Access) 1:30PM – 9PM (General Admission) www.discovercathedralcity.com

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CERTIFIED FARMERS’ MARKET Certified Farmers’ Market Palm Springs Camelot Theatre Parking Lot Saturdays 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m Certified Farmers’ Market Palm Desert Adjacent To The Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce 72559 Highway 111 Wednesdays 8:00 AM TO 12:30 PM For more information, please visit www.certifiedfarmersmarkets.org or call 844-7FARMCV (844–732-7628).

STARTING JAN 11 DEZART PERFORMS Dezart Performs, one of the Coachella Valley’s preeminent theatre companies, recognizes that the performing arts enrich the life and culture of a community, promote greater understanding and provoke insightful discussion. For a complete calendar of events and show times visit www.dezartperforms.org or call 760-322-0179

DBA EVENTS WWW.DESERTBUSINESSASSOCIATION.ORG

TG MONDAYS. TRANSGENDER SOCIAL EVENT Every second Monday of the month, Transgender Social Hour discussing advocacy, transitioning & HRT. Allies, respectful admirers, and transgender umbrella all welcome. Portion of proceeds to benefit the Raina Chessman Fund.

For more info www.transcc.org

THE JUDY SHOW. PURPLE ROOM SUPPER CLUB PALM SPRINGS The spirit of Judy Garland is alive and well and in Palm Springs at the famed Purple Room Supper Club every Sunday at 7:00! This blend of hysterical comedy and outstanding music explode into an evening of nonstop belly laughs, glamour and high camp, as celebrated entertainer Michael Holmes parodies Judy Garland, who in her 1964 television variety show, played host to some of the greatest female icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood. www.purpleroompalmsprings.com

CHILL BAR PALM SPRINGS A warm and fabulous twenty first century modern venue located on Arenas, suited with multi faceted rooms for any celebration.

The gorgeous island bar is surrounded by hi-definition video entertainment and a comfortable designer lounge. Chill on the patio enjoying music and refreshing beverages with friends after a game of pool, or come by and say hello to our friendly staff. Open for business seven days a week. Get out of the heat, and come join us! Happy Hour (From Open to 7pm) and Late Happy Hour (From Midnight to Last Call) www.chillbarpalmsprings.com

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EVENTS CALENDAR

THE SUNDAY BAND W/ SPECIAL GUESTS. PAPPY & HARRIET’S PIONEERTOWN The Sunday Rock + Roll Service is a Pappy and Harriet’s institution celebrating the healing powers of music and community! Every weekend the club’s favorite singers and players get together and trade songs. Come join us to see Victoria Williams, Gar Robertson, Carol Ann Crandall, Damian Lester, Bob Furgo, Rachel Dean, Ryan Norman, Caleb Winn, Danny Frankel and other talented locals performing for your drinking and dancing pleasure. With a come-as-you-are vibe, Sundays have seen great special guests like Robert Plant, Lucinda Williams, The Jayhawks, Rickie Lee Jones to name a few. www.pappyandharriets.com

BLACKBOOK The sleek industrial styled BlackBook Bar located in the heart of the gay strip on Arenas now has Happy Hour everyday from 4-6pm and NAUGHTY hour from 10:00 PM-midnight.

During these times you cam enjoy specials such as $5 pint glass well drinks, $1 off all bottle and draft beer, and $2 off all wines by the glass! www.blackbookbar.com

OSCAR’S CAFÉ & BAR Located in the heart of downtown Palm Springs on the corner of Tahquitz Canyon Way and Indian Canyon, Oscar’s has a huge outdoor patio with lots of umbrellas for shade and misters to keep you cool, too.

You can beat the heat any time of year and enjoy the views of Palm Springs. On Saturday and Sunday from 8am – 2pm, enjoy a $9

Bottomless Mimosas (juice included), a single $2 mimosa or a $5 Bloody Mary with brunch, during which both our full breakfast and lunch menus are available. Also join us for Sunday Funday Weekly Tea Dance 4pmClose! Live entertainment weekly visit our website for details. www.oscarspalmsprings.com

LIPSTICK AT COPA Thursday nights at Copa just got a little hotter with a new show at the new showroom inside Copa. The Hot New Lipstick show is a raucous affair where the audience is encouraged to participate in singing, clapping, dancing, partying and celebrating special events. Featuring performances by Charles Herrera, Pinkie Meringue Shimmer, Marina Mac, Sassy Ross, Dion Khan, and Cherilyn, and emceed by the fabulous Bella Da Ball, this show will not disappoint. For ticket info and schedule of performers visit www.coparoomps.com

HUNTERS NIGHTCLUBS® Palm Springs, Palm Springs’ go-to gay bar and dance club, has been leading the way in full-out fun for 20 years now! And we keep it pumping, making it better for you all the time with our unparalleled event line-up. We enjoy having

the desert’s most sought-after and friendly DJs, full-on themed events, and a staff that has it all without the attitude. And of course, we are proud to hold the longest happy hour in the entire Valley. Remember: Size Matters. Come by for our happy hour from 10am – 7pm. Yes, that’s right: 9 hours long! For a list of all events and specials visit www.huntersnightclubs.com

SUNDAYS “The Playgirls” at Toucans Tiki Lounge featuring Tommi Rose. Performances on Sundays at 8 & 10pm.These darling Divas of drag really deliver with their very own brand of entertainment to packed houses. Special guests appear weekly.

DJ in the sound booth. Every Sunday Complete list of events www.toucanstikilounge.com For a complete calendar of community events visit our Media Partner, O’Bayley Communications.

CLICK ON LOGO WWW.OBAYLEY.NET

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EVENTS CALENDAR community activities and services. Featuring over 150 entertainment performances on 5 stages and over 300 Exhibitors showcasing a huge variety of food options, shopping opportunities and community resources. www.phoenixpride.org

MAR 14 - 17

TEXAS BEAR ROUND UP DALLAS TEXAS The Texas Bear Round-Up is an annual Bear Event presented by the Dallas Bears.

It’s a weekend celebrating the bear community and those who identify themselves as bears, cubs, otters, and their admirers. We hope you join us in our host city of Dallas, TX for a weekend of entertainment, fun events, shopping, fun and making many new friends. www.tbru.org

dancing, catching a world-class DJ, and much, much, more... this week is going to be ON! United we Pride, you with us? www.gobreck.com

APR 3 - 8 APR 11 - 14

APR 1 - 7

MIAMI BEACH PRIDE MIAMI, FLORIDA Miami Beach Pride is an amazing threeday event with a Beach Party, Festival and Parade, including more than 125 LGBT-friendly vendors and businesses, exciting celebrities, musical performances, refreshments, food and a family-friendly play area. www.miamibeachpride.com

APR 3 - 7

BRECKPRIDE 2019 BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO Our authentic, rockin’ little mountain town (with a backyard that happens to be a world-class ski resort) is home to all the goods this March. From daily après parties, ski/board lessons, to shopping, dining,

46 THESTANDARDPS.COM

BEARS, BIKERS & MAYHEM GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA Bears, Bikers & Mayhem is the first large event in the US to combine the Bear, Leather, Fetish, Motorcycle and Puppy Communities.

Since its inception, BBM has had the singular goal of being an event at which men who, enjoy any or all of these communities will feel welcome, meet other likeminded men and, most importantly, have an incredibly fun time. www.bearsbikersandmayhem.com

CLUB SKIRTS DINAH SHORE WEEKEND PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA The world famous Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend is the largest lesbian event on the planet and features comedy shows, pool parties, night parties, concerts, celebrity sightings, Celebrity meet and greets, Contests, DJ Battles, performances and so much more.

The official Dinah Shore Weekend only takes place in Palm Springs, California. Past Dinah performers include Snow Tha Product, Jessie Reyes, Tegan and Sara, Katy Perry, Lady GaGa, Meghan Trainor, Iggy Azalea, Eve, Chaka Khan, Salt ‘N Pepa, Christina Perri, Natasha Bedingfield, Lizzo, and more. Talent announcements take place in January, 2019.

Visit TheDinah.com for updates info.

APR 6 - 7

PHOENIX PRIDE PHOENIX, ARIZONA Phoenix Pride unites and engages individuals and organizations to empower, educate and support the Arizona LGBTQ Community; and promotes a positive image in the Valley of the Sun and throughout Arizona through

Our National Media Partner, Queer Forty, is the online magazine for the LGBTQ over40 community. Its mission is to inspire and support older LGBTQ people to keep living amazing lives! www.queerforty.com

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EVENTS CALENDAR election are just some of the highlights of a diverse schedule of events. Amsterdam is proud to be a diverse and gay friendly city and it is time we celebrated that with a Bear Pride. www.amsterdambearweekend.nl

raising awareness about current issues of relevance to the community, along with other activities. www.leedsqueerfimfestival.co.uk

MAR 10 - 19

BEAR CARNIVAL GRAN CANARIA, SPAIN Well beyond the usual disco party and pub crawl driving most bear festivals, Bear Carnival’s program comprises around 25 events, including Europe’s biggest bear pool parties, excursions to discover this subtropical paradise, fine dining experiences, luxury spa evenings, cabaret shows, a speed dating party… all organized around a crazy bear carnival with a new theme each year. 2019’s one will be The Vikings. Highlights include a oneday cruise on one of the biggest catamarans in the World, retrofitted as a floating disco for the occasion (pirate costume suggested!), and of course the usual set of daily house sessions and sex parties at the legendary men-only clubs of Maspalomas.

For Info www.bearcarnival.com

APR 5 - 7 MAR 23 - 30

EUROPEAN GAY SKI WEEK FRENCH ALPS Europe’s #1 Gay Winter Sports and Music Festival, commemorating ten years of unparalleled success. EGSW is bringing together the biggest event ever. This will be the ultimate LGBT winter sports experience, combining the fantastic skiing/boarding of the worlds greatest ski area, Les 3 Vallees with the very best in entertainment, featuring highcaliber cabaret; parties hosted by renowned clubs and DJs, fine dining, the infamous pool party and of course our signature EGSW Apres Ski. www.europeangayskiweek.com

MAR 21 – MAR 24 MAR 21 - 25

AMSTERDAM BEAR PRIDE AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND The city of cheese, tulips and tolerance welcomes all the furry fellas and their friends for a weekend filled with fun. Bowling, a pub crawl, dancing, cruising, bingo, a canal cruise and of course a Mister Bear Netherlands

LEEDS QUEER FILM FESTIVAL YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND Creating a space to showcase queer cinema with a focus on independent and DIY films. We aim to screen films that elevate and prioritize the voices and work of those most marginalized within our queer communities. We also welcome films from queer people that don’t explicitly have a ‘queer’ focus. It combines queer cinema with group discussions, workshops, and talks,

RUBBOUT VANCOUVER, CANADA 2019 is the 28th installment of the Vancouver Rubbout party weekend for men who like rubber and fetish. We want to encourage all the rubber men out there to wear their sexiest sports gear to the weekend events; preferably in rubber, though Lycra and leather will also conjure up images of hot sweaty muscular men giving their all to win the game. Further info at www.rubbout.com

MAR 28 - APR 2

ELLA WINTER DAVOS DAVOS, SWITZERLAND The second edition of ELLA Winter abroad, held for the first time in the amazing Davos, a small town in the Swiss Alps. Mountain sports & activities, spa, amazing food and evening events are at the program! And if you don’t ski, don’t worry, we also have an alternative program for you! Join Us, Have fun and breathe the fresh air of the Swiss mountains with like-minded women! www.ellafestival.com

Our international media partner, FNQ Magazine, www.fnqmagazine.com Cairns gay lifestyle and travel publication that gives Australia and the world a taste of gay life in the tropics, sponsors the International Calendar. www.go2gaycairns.com

MARCH 2019 47

Explore fairytale castles

Fall in love with architectural wonders

Discover majestic plazas

Indulge in a gondola getaway

Go-today creates affordable custom getaways around the globe, from road-tripping across Ireland to hunting the Northern Lights in Iceland. Say goodbye to cookie-cutter travel and embrace the extraordinary with go-today.

48 THESTANDARDPS.COM BOOK YOUR DREAM VACATION TODAY

CALL 855-757-0877 Hours of Operation: M-F: 8 am – 5 pm, Sat: 7:30 am – 4 pm PST

MARCH 2019 49

PHOTO REWIND MW MODERN LOVE OPENING NIGHT PARTY PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID A. LEE

50 THESTANDARDPS.COM

PHOTO REWIND MW MODERN LOVE OPENING NIGHT PARTY PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID A. LEE

MARCH 2019 51

2018-2019 Season

A Choral Celebration Of Stonewall APRIL 26-28, 2019

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:

Douglas C. Wilson

PRINCIPAL ACCOMPANIST: Joel Baker

June 2019 will mark the 50th Anniversary of The Stonewall Uprising. PSGMC has joined with 20 choruses throughout the United States to commemorate this pivotal point in the LGBT movement by commissioning a major choral work to tell the story of the men and women who banded together for a common cause.

In addition to this commissioned work, PSGMC will perform songs, which have inspired people to work for equality and freedom for all. “Quiet No More� will celebrate the bravery of suffragettes,the dedication of blue and grey collar workers, the work of Harriet Tubman, an abolitionist and political activist, who freed slaves through the Underground Railroad and the peaceful protests of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Palm Springs Art Museum Annenberg Theater

760-325-4490 www.PSGMC.com

52 THESTANDARDPS.COM

PHOTO REWIND PS SPEAKS PRESENTS JANE FONDA PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID A. LEE

MARCH 2019 53

$

GET A SMART PHONE FOR

0 DOWN

*

with AT&T Next Every YearSM and AT&T Next® *Req’s well-qualified credit & elig. svc. Tax due at sale. Limits & restr's apply.

HOW IT WORKS 1.

Choose your new smartphone. (Tax due at time of sale.)

2.

Choose your installment and AT&T wireless plans.1 (The retail price of your new smartphone is divided into installment payments and added to your wireless bill.)

AT&T Next Every Year Pay 24 installment payments to fulfill the agreement.

Upgrade every year.2

AT&T Next

Pay 30 installment payments to fulfill the agreement.

Upgrade every two years.2

3. Make an optional down payment at the time of purchase to lower your installment payments.

If you cancel your wireless service plan, your remaining installment balance becomes due.

Upgrade eligible once 50% of device cost is paid on AT&T Next Every Year and 80% with AT&T Next. Requires trade-in of financed smartphone or one of the same make/model in fully functional/good physical condition.

1 2

844-225-0709 AT&T Business Customers: Please contact your AT&T sales representative for more information or call 866.9att.b2b (866.928.8222).

AT&T NEXT OR AT&T NEXT EVERY YEAR: Credit approval required. For smartphones only. Tax on sales price due at sale. Requires 0% APR monthly installment agreement and eligible service. Divides sales price into monthly installments. AT&T Next: 30-month agreement with trade-in to upgrade when 80% of sales price is paid off. AT&T Next Every Year: 24-month agreement with trade-in to upgrade when 50% of sales price is paid off. $0 down: Requires well-qualified credit. Limit as low as 2 smartphones at $0 down. Down payment: May be required and depends on a variety of factors. Down payment if required will be either 30% of sales price or a dollar amount ranging from currently $0 to $600 (amount subject to change, and may be higher). You may choose to pay more upfront. Remainder of sales price is divided into 30 or 24 monthly installments. Service: Eligible postpaid voice and data service (minimum $45 per month after AutoPay and Paperless billing discount for new customers. Pay $55 per month until discount starts within 2 bills. Existing customers can add to eligible current plans which may be less) is required and extra. If service is canceled, remaining installment agreement balance is due. Examples: $749.99 sales price on AT&T Next (30-month) with $0 down is $25 per month, with $225 down (30%) is $17.50 per month, or with $600 down is $5 per month. On AT&T Next Every Year (24-month) with $0 down is $31.25 per month, with $225 down (30%) is $21.88 per month, or with $600 down is $6.25 per month. Activation or upgrade fee: Up to $45/line. Waiver of fee subject to change. Restocking Fee: Up to $45. Limits: Purchase limit applies. Eligibility,device, line and financing limits & other restr’s apply. Upgrade with eligible trade-in: Requires payment of percentage of sales price (50% or 80%), account in good standing, trade-in of financed device (or one of the same make and model) in good physical and fully functional condition through the AT&T Next or AT&T Next Every Year trade-in program (excludes AT&T trade-in program where you receive an instant credit or AT&T promotion card), and purchase of new eligible smartphone with qualified wireless service. After upgrade, unbilled installments are waived. See att.com/next and your Retail Installment Agreement for full details. GENERAL WIRELESS SERVICE: Subject to wireless customer agreement (att.com/wca). Services are not for resale. Deposit: May be required. Limits: Purchase and line limits apply. Prices vary by location. Credit approval, fees, monthly and other charges, usage, eligibility and other restrictions per line may apply. See att.com/additional charges for more details on other charges. Pricing and terms are subject to change and may be modified or terminated at any time without notice. Coverage and service are not available everywhere. You get an off -net (roaming) usage allowance for each service. If you exceed the allowance, your services may be restricted or terminated. Other restrictions apply and may result in service termination. For 54 THESTANDARDPS.COM info on AT&T network management policies see att.com/broadbandinfo.

RTP SF T 0218 5181 D-Sa © 2018 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Owners of all marks retain their rights.

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