Thirsty Thursday: BYOB at this café in the middle of Death Valley
Want the inside scoop on the best of desert living? DESERT magazine editor Kristin Scharkey shares our top picks with members of DESERT Adventure Club, a new kind of community for those who want to explore the Coachella Valley with others who share the same adventurous spirit. Forward this email to a friend to join.
If faced with the choice, I always head off the beaten path.
So, I was a big fan of our story on the Amargosa Café in Death Valley Junction. Tucked away in the vast Mojave Desert, the eatery sits in a town of fewer than 20 residents where you'll find a band of wild horses roaming the barren lands. It's adjacent to the historic Amargosa Opera House and Hotel – built in the 1920s – which became a desert legend under the ownership of late artist, actress and dancer Marta Becket.
Becket passed away earlier this year, but cafe owner Bobbi Fabian continues the tradition: Amargosa Café boasts fresh-roasted coffee and farm-to-table fare. Think soft-egg sandwiches with bacon and arugula on buttermilk biscuits, and Sunday suppers featuring savory galette with potato, caramelized onion, thyme and Gruyere. Plus, don’t forget to BYOB – there’s no corkage fee.
What’s on Our Calendar
Our next DESERT Adventure Club event is April 1: a fun, challenging and educational guided hike of Black Lava Butte at Sand to Snow National Monument! This interpretive hike, guided by Mojave Desert Land Trust volunteers, is rated moderate to difficult, and includes some scrambling over scree to the top of the butte, where there are stunning pictographs/petroglyphs and spectacular views. There’s only a few tickets left, so purchase yours here!
We’ll also be getting together on May 6: Join us for a shibori workshop guided by the creative souls of Makerville, Debra Hovel and Kurt Cyr! Learn about this ancient Japanese indigo dyeing technique and then create your own masterpieces. You will be provided with everything you need to get started, including two items to dye. For more information and to purchase tickets (these will go fast!) head over here.
Who We’re Inspired By
Last month, we wrote about Palm Springs local Maegan Carberry: She’s sewing 100 dresses to raise awareness about sexual assault. Her nonprofit, birdbrain, moved into a showroom on South Palm Canyon Drive in February – and now you can help out the cause. Birdbrain’s first monthly sewing meetup will take place on Tuesday, April 11, and every second Tuesday of the month after that. You can bring your own sewing machine to work on active projects from 6 to 8:30 p.m; or, if you don’t have one, you can still attend and embroider. RSVP by emailing fly@dressbirdbrain.com. Also worth noting: The group will grab after-sewing drinks at Dead or Alive bar!
Where We’re Shopping
“The first ingredient in everything we create is love,” says MazAmar Art Pottery shop owner Amara Alban. “Without, the other aspects won’t hold up. … We want to see our pieces being used for generations.” Along Pioneertown’s dusty Mane Street, Alban and her husband, Thomas, as well as a gang of up-and-coming throwers, make love right there in the shop. You can find paisley embossed platters, glazed bowls and tall handle-mugs branded with peace signs and Joshua trees. It’s open 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily – we highly recommend stopping by for your next piece of dishware. Read our story on the potters ahead of your visit!
To hidden gems,
Kristin Scharkey, Editor