The Craft Rancho Mirage, a restaurant “located behind the gates of The S at Rancho Mirage” – formerly Desert Island Country Club at the corner of Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope Drive – is now open to the public and will hold a Grand Opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, February 9, at 4:00 PM. The festivities will include new menu food samples featuring fresh, high quality and locally sourced ingredients, along with live entertainment and prizes.
 
The partners behind The Craft are Erick Hernandez and John Trad. Their vision for the restaurant was to offer area residents a first class dining experience close to home in a club atmosphere, while also welcoming others from across the valley, including visiting tourists.  As Executive Chef and Partner, Hernandez has held Executive Chef and Food and Beverage Director positions at other local establishments including Escena and Indian Canyons Golf Resort. He holds an associate degree in Culinary Arts, and a bachelor’s degree in Culinary Management from the Culinary Institute in San Diego. Notably, he learned under Executive Chef Martin Woesle at the pristine Mille Fleurs in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Trad brings over 20 years of distribution, management and consulting expertise from the food and beverage industry. He has serviced accounts in the Western region for major distributors, as well as having been food and beverage director at major four- and five-star resorts.
 
“We are excited to invite folks into The S at Rancho Mirage Country Club to be able to have a ‘taste’ of the club life without the membership,” said John Trad, Partner. “While there are so many fabulous restaurants in the Valley, this specific area of Rancho Mirage is lacking in options and we are thrilled to be able to open our doors to the general public to join us in an incredible setting.”
 
Vocalist Keisha D will be performing live entertainment during the event, and there will be three raffle prizes of The Craft gift certificates in the amount of $50 per certificate, with one raffle per hour between 4:00 and 7:00 PM. 
 
The Craft Rancho Mirage is located at 71777 Frank Sinatra Drive, Rancho Mirage, behind the gates of The S at Rancho Mirage. For additional information call (760) 328-2111, or visit www.thesresort.com/dining.