King's Highway: Palm Springs' other fine breakfast

Ricotta pancakes with bananas and maple butter, King's Highway

Yes, I have just about exhausted all the decent non-pricey, non-overstuffed options in Palm Springs by now. But after having just a snack last time at the Ace Hotel's Amigo Room bar, last weekend the teens and I tried breakfast there as it was much closer to our cheap and groovy Caliente Tropics hotel than my other favorite breakfast spot, Cheeky's. I'm sure I ate in the Howard Johnson's coffee shop many times as a child; the Googie architecture of the coffee shop remains but the tables are now rough-hewn wood, with a mirrored section above the counter where the wine list is written. The menu seems almost too good to be true for the barren desert: Stumptown coffee, couscous salad with za'atar and preserved lemons, meatloaf sandwich with ras-el-hanout. The prices aren't nearly as high as most hotels, and though other peoples' experiences haven't always been as good, so far, I'm impressed. (Fair warning: it's probably a zoo during Coachella; anyplace that's completely overrun is likely to suffer from bad service.)

Chilaquiles, King's Highway

Ricotta pancakes with maple butter and bananas seemed more buttermilk than ricotta, but the slight cheesy tang was a good addition. The pancakes absolutely must be eaten with a side of the pepper bacon to provide the right balance of maple, pancake, salt and pork. My daughter's friend had chilaquiles made with homemade tortilla chips; a very credible version indeed. If you just need coffee or you have a dog with you, then check out Koffi next door. But if you're in need of a serious breakfast in the desert, the King's Highway is the route to take.
King's Highway/Ace Hotel
701 E. Palm Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs