Laurie Berger
La Copine: Food Porn in the High Desert
text+photos by Laurie Berger, Food + Drink Editor
Anyone who thinks the high desert is a food desert hasn’t been to La Copine.
The airy farm-to-table bruncherie along a desolate highway near Joshua Tree National Park has been hailed by The New York Times, Vogue, Infatuation and foodies on Instagram, Yelp and TripAdvisor. It reopens for the season on January 18.
With a Cordon Bleu chef at the helm, good food – and crowds – have followed. La Copine is now a popular stop for locals and visitors to the nearby Integratron and Pioneertown. Weekend waits – the unofficial measure of restaurant worthiness – can stretch an hour or more.
Last fall, I headed out to Flamingo Heights—a blink-and-you-missed-it town one hour from the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival fairgrounds and 45 minutes north of Palm Springs—to taste what all the fuss is all about.
A beacon for foodies
After a few miles of roller coaster hills on Highway 247, it’s easy to think you’re headed in the wrong direction. Gas stations, the C&J Feed Barn, Dollar General Store, $5 Pizza Place and other signs of life dot the dusty landscape. Then, at the top of the next hill, there’s a big black and white sign, lit up like a beacon for food lovers.
Indeed, La Copine, the love child of East Coast couple Nikki Hill and Claire Wadsworth, is a rare sight in these remote parts. Even the French name (slang for girlfriend) seems out of place. But step inside the renovated diner, and you know you’re not in Flamingo Heights anymore.
La Copine could easily be serving its seasonal New American cuisine to hipsters and foodies in New York, LA or San Francisco. Original black and white graphics by local artist Kris Chau liven up the minimalist décor.
Comfort with a twist
Artfully prepared comfort foods with Latin, Middle Eastern, Italian and American influences fill the spare and ever-changing menu. There are options for vegans and meat eaters alike to savor the creations of Chef Hill while gazing out at desert scenery through the big picture windows or from the outdoor patio.
“My inspiration is Alice Waters,” says Hill, of the famed Chez Panisse chef Alice Waters, who started the farm to table movement (simply prepared delicious food).
Hill, who worked with Chef Antonia Lofaso at Scopa Italian Roots in Los Angeles, explains that 95% of La Copine’s menu is made from scratch. And its raw ingredients come from providers within 300 miles of the restaurant, including Rocker Brothers Meat, Kai Gourmet Fish. LA Specialty sources the produce and dairy.
Table with a view
At 4 pm on a hot summer day, La Copine’s dining room is buzzing. I took a seat under the large wall mural near the antique piano and front door, a great vantage point to watch people, dishes from the kitchen and the changing afternoon light. Next to me, a couple that recently relocated to the area from Santa Barbara were hungrily testing all the menu items.
Watching dish after food-porn-worthy dish arrive at their table, I finally settled on a starter of Iced Golden Milk, a yellow-hued drink whipped up with homemade almond milk, turmeric, chai herbs and spices, and a dollop of rich almond “cream.”
The sweet and spicy elixir is one of the most requested beverages (and recipes) at the restaurant. Chef Hill, I was told, steeps a huge cauldron of it each day. The milk is featured, along with other La Copine recipes, in Sara and Richard Comb’s new book celebrating desert lifestyle, At Home in Joshua Tree (available on Amazon).
Soup for the desert soul
For appetizer, I settled on the Gazpacho Blanco, a frothy-white cold soup spiked with gold grapes and white nectarines. Almonds soaked overnight added a rich, creamy texture. Celery leaf and olive oil garnish added a peppery bite to this vegan symphony.
The main course, Zucchini Eggplant Parm, was a no-brainer for this ex-New Yorker. Not a single ounce of pasta was used to create this vegan nod to an old-school Italian favorite. Instead, sliced zukes and eggplant were layered and baked in a tomato sauce with cashew béchamel “cheese” and a drizzle of basil oil. Squash blossoms and roasted garlic breadcrumbs gave it a nice crunch. While La Copine’s veggie version doesn’t match the real thing, it came pretty darn close.
Dessert? Just when I couldn’t eat another bite, a luscious-looking slice of Chocolate Almond Cake went whizzing by. “Bring it on,” I told my server!
Digging into the thick, nubby wedge bathed in expresso syrup, I expected a grainier taste. To my surprise, it was light and crumbly with hints of butterscotch and pepper. A dollop of creme fraiche connected the pepper and chocolate notes in a deliciously smooth finish.
Whether you’re here to hike the big boulders, get a sound bath or just eat well, La Copine is worth the schlep—and the “food-porn” hashtag.
The Details
Place: La Copine
Location: 848 Old Woman Springs Rd, Yucca Valley, CA 92284
Cost: $7-9 appetizers, $14-22 entrees, $9 desserts
Alcohol: No