Filet Mignon For Four Please!

My daughter and I always joke that we have "champagne tastes on a beer budget." One of our favorite "champagne taste" places to eat has always been Spencers at the Mountain in Palm Springs. Nestled up against the gorgeous Santa Rosa's in Palm Springs, tucked into the famed Tennis Club, the restaurant is home to the power lunch where one can see a list of valley's whos who making business deals daily, but also is home to the exquisite dinner experience.

In the summer when people fly from the heat to their "other" homes, all of us working people get to enjoy restaurants without reservations. Every August, one of my favorite things to do is visit my friend Ruby Montana who owns a wild retro pink hotel called the Coral Sands and take a little "staycation" in my own backyard. We spend days lolling away in the pool and near sundown, love to jump in her convertible beige VW beetle named "Dinah" and drive to Spencers for a three hour, laughing-our-asses-off dinner of soft shell crab and Grey Goose martinis at Spencers.

Once a year, for a special treat, I will take my daughter to Spencers to feed her "champagne taste" for filet mignon. My daughter is a true beef connoisseur and won't eat anything but filet usually. She doesn't even need any sauce, just a knife and fork and some medium rare. At 18, she's already figured out that Spencer's serves the best cut, even though it is not known as a steak house per se, and she's rather eat her beef there than any renowned steak joint in comparison. And it's true, Spencers serves up their meat so perfectly that you could almost cut it with a fork. Served simply with a roasted tomato stuck with thyme sprigs and simples sides that are just a bit bent from tradition--like the creamed spinach that comes withe less cream, larger shreds of spinach and burnt cheese on top or the truffle oil skinny fries--you can really focus on the pleasurable natural flavors of the food.

A little house cab to go with the beef and not much more is required for this once in a while treat.