During the week at Indian Wells, our dinners ranged in price. Sometimes our dinner consisted of sandwiches. Since we didn’t want to miss any of the action, this was a good alternative for several of the days. I would make the sandwiches in the morning and pack them in our small foldable coolers. Sometimes we ate in between matches on the grassy center area or sometimes, we ate in our seat as we watched the tennis! But of course, those dinners were not as exciting as going out for dinner!
We also had several moderate dinners from one of the many vendors at the tennis facility. The tennis garden had a wealth of cuisines to choose from including pizza, Mexican, sandwiches, etc. For each dinner, you waited in line at the appropriate tent and then brought your selection to a table in the huge courtroom. As you ate, you either could watch tennis on the big screen, watch people, talk with your tablemates, or listen to the live entertainment.
We also had a moderately priced dinner at the Mexican restaurant, Don Diegos. This restaurant is within a mile of the tennis facility and always serves good fajitas. I usually order a chicken en mole, which has lots of chocolate sauce. Apparently not too many people share my passion for chocolate on the main course since they no longer served it this time. But as soon as I recovered from my disappointment of no chocolate, I was able to pick out a good fajita. Of course we also had to have one of their famous margaritas! Dinner for two (tax and tip included) was $52.
Another restaurant we selected was Oceans in nearby Cathedral City. A person may skip this restaurant since at first glance the decor is not very glamorous. But the food is delicious and I would prefer good food and so-so decor than so-so food. Their specialty is seafood and I have found their food to be very good each time I have dined there. It is too bad the atmosphere is not much to brag about (like eating in a small cafeteria). Dinner for two (tax and tip included) was $75.
We also had one dinner at the La Quinta Cliff House, which I love. You definitely need reservations for this restaurant and the parking lot fills up at times. Of course parking is not a problem if you use valet parking. Part of the good time at this restaurant is your walk into the place. The landscaping is fantastic with lots of greenery. And of course, cliffs since the restaurant is built aside a cliff. In fact, you walk up a flight of stairs to the main entrance. The service is impeccable and the food is delicious. The atmosphere inside is also wonderful with lots of aquariums, tables not too close for discomfort, and a reasonable noise level considering how large the restaurant is. Dinner for two (tax and tip included) was $108.