When the original iteration of J’s Deli in the historic One El Paseo building closed in June 2025, owners Jay and Vanessa Rubenstein were intent on doing “something else, somewhere else.”
They say they even told many of the regulars who came to visit the restaurant in its final days, “we’ll be back.”
Now, some 16 months later, they’ve done just that: The new J’s opened less than three-quarters of a mile west of the first version in the former Sweet Basil California Eatery space at 73-655 El Paseo.
J’s return was surely welcome news to those who have spent over a year craving a fix of Jewish comfort favorites such as its ever-popular matzo ball soup and Reubinski sandwich (which combines pastrami and corned beef).
But while all the staples remain,
the new J’s is not a total recreation of the original. Instead, the menu has been scaled down by about 60% (new chicken schnitzel and braised short rib dishes have also been added) while the new restaurant has only about a third as many seats as the original.
Rubenstein said those decisions mean the restaurant will now have a far more streamlined operation that will offer much faster and more immediate service while still offering something for everyone and ensuring everything is made at order.
“The food really tastes the same as people remember,” Rubenstein said.
Here’s a closer look at the new J’s Deli and everything else that opened and closed in the Coachella Valley over the last several weeks.
J’s Deli
73-655 El Paseo, Palm Desert
Upon first glance, the new J’s Deli bears little resemblance to the first restaurant. Gone are the long bar and massive dining room. The new El Paseo-fronting space is cozier and far more, well, intimate.
But look a little closer and you’ll notice the same style of vintage photographs lining the walls and J's distinctive black-and-white chairs in the dining room. There’s even a dessert case, which while smaller still houses a similar collection of mouthwatering cakes.
While the look has changed, the focus on Jewish comfort cooking and friendly service endures. But even as J’s continues to embody the tastes and soul of a classic New York deli, it's also much more than that.
While no longer as expansive as it once was, J’s menu includes everything from omelets and berry-covered French toast for breakfast to salads and wraps for lunch to steak frites, chicken pot pies and baked salmon filets for dinner. Rubenstein says that variety and versatility has been key to making the deli a success in an era when the number of Jewish delis has long been dwindling elsewhere.
Rock’N Avenue
73-730 El Paseo, Palm Desert
“We woke up this side of El Paseo.” So says Rock’N Avenue owner Patrick Masur in one of the many recent videos he posted to social media to mark the opening of his swanky, and to some controversial, new spot. Despite the rock and roll theme, Rock’ N Avenue has a high-end lounge vibe with a sleek interior and a VIP room. The walls are covered with flat-screens that are used to show football games on weekends and music videos the rest of the time. Each day of the week has a theme that determines what kind of music and videos will be played: Monday is for country, Tuesday is for Latin music and classic rock takes over on Thursdays and Fridays (see the full schedule on Rock’N Avenue’s Instagram page).
New York Pizzeria
41-800 Washington St. Suite 106, Bermuda Dune
Homesick New Yorkers (and anyone who just left their heart – and taste buds – in the Big Apple) have a new desert haven in this Bermuda Dunes pizza spot that recently opened in the old El Huarache space. While most of the 13 pizzas on the menu are fairly traditional, the California combines several standard veggie pizza toppings with mango sauce and avocado.
But there’s also a full roster of pastas and other entrees, including an octopus and potato dish, a ribeye and even a lobster tail. Plus, there's salads, garlic bread and wings, and cannolis and cheesecake for dessert. A separate storefront that will focus on offering pizzas (and slices) for to-go consumption is also in the works within the same strip mall just a couple of storefronts down and should open soon.
The Ranch House Bar & Grill
80-400 Highway 111, Indio
One of Indio’s most distinctive restaurant spaces has a new name and a new menu – although both maintain similarities to what came before. The massive western-themed restaurant and event venue formerly known as Jackalope Ranch is now Ranch House Bar & Grill. The new menu includes fresh takes on many of the offerings that were a staple of Jackalope Ranch, including steaks, BBQ, burgers and meatloaf. But there are also totally different offerings, such as pizza and some sushi rolls. The Ranch has also created an all-new list of cocktails and debuted an expanded happy hour, with food and drink specials available daily in the bar area from 4 to 9 p.m.
Those Italian Cousins
425 S. Sunrise Way Suite F1, Palm Springs
Italian food is once again on offer at the former Palm Springs of Mario’s Italian Café. Yes, the owners really are two Italian cousins – they say they hail from Sardinia. They humorously introduce themselves in a video posted to the restaurant’s social media pages while their style choices are reflected in the restaurant’s goat logo. Diners can expect a good selection of classic Italian entrees here, including eggplant parmesan, chicken scallopini and a special fish of the day.
The pasta offerings are meat-centric (but vegetarians can opt for the pasta pomodoro) while the pizza menu consists of several pinsas: oval, flour-based variations that are often considered a lighter and healthier alternative. The restaurant also has seasonal monthly specials: a pumpkin gnocchi and a creamy pumpkin soup are the October offerings.
Marlowe’s Palm Springs (at the Avalon Hotel)
415 S. Belardo Road, Palm Springs
Marlowe’s seems to fully embrace its role as a resort restaurant. The breezy dining room is heavy on pink hues that create a sunny, vacation-y vibe (although it seems many of the meals end up being served outside at the poolside “hideaway” area). Like many of its Coachella Valley resort brethren, Marlowe’s embraces an expansive vision of California cuisine that caters both to the health-conscious side of resort life and the indulgent one.
Get your day off to a good start with an acai bowl or dive straight into hedonism with the short rib hash or maybe some banana pudding pancakes. The lunch menu is the most restrained of the three with a mix of salads, sandwiches and flatbreads while dinner can be as light as a prosciutto and melon salad or as heavy as the steak frites. The expansive cocktail menu seems to be a big focus here, and there is also a daily happy hour with specials on both cocktails and small plates.
Bird
211 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite C, Palm Springs
The latest addition to the growing roster of eateries owned by the F10 Hospitality team behind such Palm Springs mainstays as Cheeky’s, Birba and Mr. Lyons is this new coffee shop. Located across the parking lot from Mr. Lyons, Bird’s coffee drinks are made with beans sourced from Arkansas’ Onyx Coffee Lab, which has earned numerous national accolades. There’s also a pastry case and grab-and-go food offerings such as salads sold in glass jars. Shelves lined with mini tiki figurines add a dose of funkiness to the bright and airy space. The calling card for many will likely be the large, plant-filled patio offering an impressive view of the mountains that sit just beyond.
Nothing Bundt Cakes
5200 E. Ramon Road Suite G6, Palm Springs
West valley residents no longer need venture to Palm Desert to get their red velvet cake fix. The mega chain of cake shops – there are now more than 800 locations in 40 states – opened its first Palm Springs outpost in The Springs shopping area on the northwest corner of Ramon Road and Gene Autry Trail. The chain’s offerings range from full-sized bundt cakes to personal-sized “bundlets” and mini “bundtinis” which come in orders of a dozen.
Gertie’s Salon & Bar
In Living Out at 1122 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs
Alice B owners and celebrity chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Miliken announced in September that the Palm Springs Mediterranean restaurant was closing permanently in September after previously going on summertime hiatus. Already open in its place is this cocktail bar and dinner spot, which serves soups, salads, a burger, fish and chips along with more elevated entrees such as short ribs and a miso black cod. Gertie’s, which is named after avant-garde writer Gertrude Stein (Alice B Toklas was Stein’s life partner), is also doubling a concert venue and already has a fairly robust schedule of upcoming shows booked.
Luann Boylan, the director of marketing and leasing for the Living Out Complex in which Gertie’s is located, told The Desert Sun that Alice B. had been experienced by most as a “special occasion” restaurant and did not build a repeat clientele to make it economically viable.
“While it was a difficult decision to make, it was determined that a restaurant and bar that provided music, entertainment, and a broader menu of popular appetizers and entrees at reasonable prices was what customers were asking for,” she said.
What closed:
- City Wok, the Palm Desert Chinese food spot that celebrated its 30th year in Palm Desert in 2025, has closed. However, the sister location in the Studio City area of Los Angeles remains open, as do counter-service versions at Denver International Airport and a travel center in western Kansas.
- The Rancho Mirage location of the Italian restaurant Enzo’s Bistro & Barhas closed for maintenance and renovations, according to a post on the restaurant’s website. Enzo's owner Hal Griffith told NBC Palm Springsthat he is planning to reopen the restaurant once work is complete, although he also said the restaurant had been suffering losses. An unnamed employee told NBC Palm Springs that employees were upset after being let go with no notice or severance and that he did not believe there any known maintenance issues at Enzo's. Griffith defended his handling of the closure, saying it was in line with typical industry practices and that employees were properly compensated. The La Quinta Enzo's remains open.
What's moving:
- Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, the Palm Springs Persian restaurant that made headlines earlier this year because of a conflict with the restaurant’s landlord stemming from owner's placement of an LGBTQ pride flag on the exterior, is moving to the former home of a longtime Palm Springs favorite. Saffron’s owners announced in a video posted on social media that the restaurant is moving to the former Blame it on Midnight space at 777 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way within the Courtyard at Palm Springs shopping complex. The co-owners said the 7,500-square-foot space will allow it to offer an expanded menu, and that will and be open for brunch and lunch as well as dinner. There are also plans to offer live entertainment at the new location. The owners said they are currently shooting for a December opening.
- Another Palm Springs restaurant is also on the move: Churrasco Brazilian Steakhouse announced on social media that it closed its restaurant at 450 S. Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs and will be relocating elsewhere in the city. The post, however, did not reveal the new location, which it said will be announced later.
- Mochinut, the Indio shop that sold both donuts made of Japanes mocha and corndogs covered with Korean toppings, also has closed with plans to relocate. A sign posted at the restaurant stated Mochinut is “working on our new location and will be back in late spring 2027.”
What's coming next month:
- A new brewery is set to open next month in Indio. The Station Brewing will replace the short-lived Desert Beer Co. Pizza & Pints restaurant in the former gas station building at 8291 Indio Boulevard. The owner wrote on Instagram that her vision is to pair a nostalgic vibe with a modern gastropub experience. Meanwhile, the space has undergone an overhaul that included the construction of a new patio area. The opening is set for Nov. 7.
Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development, business and, sometimes, music festivals in the Coachella Valley. Email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs area restaurant news: Popular deli returns, a new night club
