At Wildest Restaurant & Bar, the mission is clear: to create a “Napa-style with a Palm Springs flair” farm-to-table dining experience. Owners Bill Hay and Charissa Farley-Hay have infused their love for travel, fine dining, and wine into every aspect of the restaurant, from its carefully sourced ingredients to its innovative culinary offerings. With a deep commitment to sustainability and health-conscious dining, Wildest caters to a broad range of dietary preferences, offering everything from high-quality meat, poultry, and seafood to plant-based, gluten-free, and allergen-friendly options.
At the helm of Wildest’s kitchen is Executive Chef and Partner Trilby Tatro, a culinary talent whose career has spanned some of the most prestigious kitchens in the Coachella Valley. Raised in West Hollywood, Trilby was immersed in the city’s legendary dining scene from a young age. Her early exposure to acclaimed restaurants like Spago—where her mother worked—sparked a lifelong passion for cooking. “There were a lot of great chefs,” she recalls. “I was just a kid, just kind of watching it all happen, but they had Nancy Silverton, Mark Peel, and Wolfgang Puck in the kitchen.”
She honed her craft through hands-on experience, earning leadership roles at esteemed establishments such as the Viceroy Hotel in Palm Springs, The Colony Palms’ Purple Palm, and Arrive Hotel, where she played a key role in developing its restaurant. She later expanded her expertise in large-scale operations as a banquet chef at La Quinta Resort, catering high-profile events and productions.
At Wildest, Tribly channels her experience, passion, and creativity into an ever-evolving menu that celebrates farm-to-table dining. With a focus on fresh, locally sourced ingredients, beautifully executed dishes, and an atmosphere that feels both elegant and inviting, Wildest is more than just a restaurant—it’s a culinary destination designed to bring people together over exceptional food, wine, and hospitality.
Last fall, Coachella Magazine visited Wildest Restaurant to sample the menu and sit down with Executive Chef Trilby Tatro. We discussed her journey—from working at a record store to a health food café, then moving through hotels and country clubs before leading some of the most esteemed kitchens in the Coachella Valley—ultimately landing her at Wildest Restaurant + Bar.
“For me, it’s a dream come true to do what I love every day. Food is my passion, and I get to be creative every day.”
Chef Trilby Tatro
A Full-Circle Journey: From Nature’s RX to Fine Dining
“I kind of came full circle,” Trilby reflects, recalling her very first cooking job at Nature’s RX, a small health food café in Palm Springs. “Before that, the only job I ever had was working at a record store. But when I started cooking, I noticed I had an aptitude for it—more than those around me.”
Trilby’s passion led her to take a leap of faith. “I didn’t have money to go to culinary school, so I decided to apply at the fanciest place in town,” she says. That place was the Viceroy Hotel in Palm Springs, where she worked her way through every station, from breakfast to banquets, over a five-year period.
From there, Trilby’s career took her to Colony Palms Hotel, where she swiftly rose to sous chef, working alongside top-tier chefs from Los Angeles. “That was probably one of the most elevated food programs in the desert at the time,” she says. “I got lucky because I got to work with a lot of really good chefs.”
Her path continued at Arrive Hotel, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the hotel’s culinary vision. “The hotel wasn’t even finished yet,” Trilby recalls. “We spent six months just planning—designing the kitchen, hiring staff, creating menus. And when it opened, everyone wanted to be there. It was wild.”
Hollywood Roots and Early Influences
Trilby’s passion for food traces back to her childhood. “My mom worked at the original Spago in Hollywood when I was a kid,” she recalls. “So I used to hang around the kitchen while Wolfgang Puck was there.” At the time, she didn’t fully grasp the significance of her surroundings—but she was in the company of culinary icons like Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel, absorbing the energy and artistry that would later shape her career.
Despite these early experiences, Trilby credits her mother as her greatest culinary influence. “She’s probably the most talented cook I’ve ever known. A lot of people say that about their moms, but she really was.”
Elevating Palm Desert’s Culinary Scene
The Coachella Valley’s dining scene has traditionally been more conservative, but according to Trilby, that’s changing. “For a long time, you couldn’t get too adventurous here,” she explains. “But now, we’re seeing more people from L.A. moving out here—people who are open to bold flavors and new experiences.”
At Wildest Restaurant, Trilby is seizing the opportunity to push culinary boundaries. “We’re striving to be as farm-to-table as possible,” she says. “We work directly with local farmers like Canyon Creek Mushrooms, Aziz Farms, and Temalpakh Farm. We call them up, see what’s freshest, and then design our menus around that.”
This focus on seasonality is at the core of her menu development. “I always start with what’s in season and then think of something no one else is doing.”
Looking Ahead: A New Menu for the Season
As the desert heat begins to wane, Trilby Tatro is already at work in the kitchen, crafting Wildest’s latest seasonal menu. “Right now, I’m back there testing new dishes and coming up with ideas,” she says. “The season really kicks off in October and November, and we want to bring something fresh and exciting to the table.”
Her partnership with Wildest owner Charissa Farley-Hay has also been instrumental in shaping her journey. “She’s been an amazing mentor—she knows the business, she knows the desert, and she’s been incredibly supportive,” Trilby shares.
With deep culinary roots, fine dining expertise, and a passion for plant-based cuisine, Trilby is bringing a fresh perspective to the Coachella Valley. And as Wildest continues to evolve, she’s just getting started. “When this opportunity came along, I thought, ‘This is a beautiful restaurant. I get to use everything I’ve learned, but I also still get to do the vegan and vegetarian dishes—everything I’ve always wanted,’” she says.
A Passion That Runs Deep
Not everyone gets to do what they love every day, but for Trilby Tatro, the kitchen is where she truly comes alive. “For me, it’s like a dream come true to get to do something you love every day,” she says. “I love food, it’s a passion for me, and I get to be creative every day.”
While some people punch a clock and count the hours, Trilby is always thinking about cooking—whether she’s in the kitchen or not. Even time away only makes her love for it stronger. “I just had a couple weeks off, and when I got back in the kitchen, I realized how much I needed it,” she admits. “It’s part of my soul.” For her, being a chef isn’t just a career—it’s who she is.
Wildest Restaurant + Bar
Location: 72990 El Paseo STE 3, Palm Desert, CA
Hours: 4 PM to 9 PM
Closed: Tuesday