Michael Holmes’ Purple Room is pleased to announce that award-winning Chef Alen Badzak has been hired as the club’s new Executive Chef. Badzak, who has worked in the Coachella Valley since 2012, studied the Culinary Arts in Europe, and brings a wealth of experience, as well as his four star Zagat-Rated cuisine to Michael Holmes’ Purple Room.
“We are super excited to have Chef Badzak on board,” said owner Michael Holmes. “He is a great addition to our team, and his menu has already earned praise from a number of our returning customers.”
Badzak says that although he did not completely rework the menu, he did add his own personal touch to each of the dishes he decided to keep. “We wanted to retain several of the more popular dishes,” he says. “But in each case, I tested the recipe, and tasted the dish myself. After that, I made a few adjustments. I like very intense flavors, whether they are subtle or strong. For me, flavor always comes first. After that, it's presentation. The end result is a successful execution of both.”
Updated main dishes on the dinner menu include the Half Jidori Chicken, stuffed with sun dried tomato and basil, and served with a Dijon cream sauce, along with sides of garlic spinach & risotto; a half rack of New Zealand Lamb, served with Parmesan herb polenta, and sauced with a demi red wine reduction; a Creekstone Farms New York Steak that has been rubbed with an Applewood smoked rub, and served with Gruyere whipped mashed potatoes and asparagus; and Pork Tenderloin Medallions, served with Creamy risotto and blueberry chutney.
New additions to the dinner menu include a Seafood Tower with Grilled lobster tail, shrimp, and scallops, served with a warm quinoa salad and rosemary infused butter; Seared Ahi with Jasmine rice, julienne vegetables, and a soy citrus sauce; Porcini Ravioli with Prosciutto, Madeira, truffle cream sauce, and a balsamic reduction; and Linguini Bolognese with Veal, beef and porcini mushrooms. “We’ve also added a suggested wine pairing to each main dish on the dinner menu,” Badzak continued, “because adding the wine intensifies both the gustatory and the olfactory flavors of the food.”
Michael Holmes’ Purple Room is open Tuesday through Sunday, with Happy Hour daily from 4pm to 6pm (4pm to 5pm on Sundays). Enjoy complimentary entertainment from 6:30pm to 9:30pm Tuesday through Thursday, and ticketed dinner shows with nationally recognized talent on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit purpleroompalmsprings.com.