Lifestyles Cuisine opens in Palm Springs

Public Record, The, Nov 16, 2004

Linda Batson and Joan Polman - who moved from Los Angeles to Palm Desert a year ago - have opened a gourmet food and gift gallery in Palm Springs south of Amado Road between Palm Canyon and Indian Canyon drives. "We were semi-retired, and we were getting bored with it," Batson says. Their new enterprise is called Lifestyles Cuisine.

Batson left the field of information technology after 25 years to attend the Epicurean Culinary Art School in Los Angeles in 2000. Polman was in the banking business for 20 years. They have owned a condominium in the desert for several years.

After seeing a newspaper ad for a gourmet shop for sale in Palm Desert, they conducted research and found others in the area. However, there were no such offerings in Palm Springs other than Jensen's Finest Foods. After looking at various properties, they discovered the space next to Josef Saliba Salon.

They did the decorating themselves, with the help of friends who painted in mountain graphics Batson drew on the walls. (Batson also designed the store's logo.) They bought some baker's and wire racks, but decided to make the shop gourmet eclectic instead of gourmet institutional. Every weekend for the next four weeks they looked for used shelves and tables.

"We went to garage sales and thrift stores and found finds," Polman says. They even bought fake trees. "I washed every leaf," she says. "It took me nine hours." They made some of the display elements themselves. "We are very crafty types," Polman says.

Finding items to sell came from several sources. They watched the Food Network with pads and pens handy to write down phone numbers, e-mail addresses and Web sites. Batson attended the San Francisco International Gift Show and connected with representatives of food and giftware companies. They also sought out suppliers at the L.A. Mart and scour trade magazines. A lot of their products come from Canada. Their goal is to offer items that aren't otherwise available locally.

"We want interesting and different things," Batson says. "I don't want run-of-the-mill grocery store stuff, and I don't want to compete with Jensen's."

Although they search for products that are not full of preservatives, they stress they are not a health food store.

Lifestyles Cuisine's offerings include giftware/home entertainment items, soups, pastas, vinegars, oils, salad dressings, popcorn, hot chocolate, snacks, pastry tart shells and fillings, spices, jams, mints, chocolates, gift baskets and other gourmet products. Additionally, there's a table of gour-met items for pets and their people and a "kid's corner." There are no refrigerated products.

Batson and Poison also take pleasure in locating hard-to-find items on request, such as a recent inquiry for Hungarian paprika.

A sampling bar under a garden arbor features a selection that rotates daily. It not only allows customers to try something before buying it, but also allows the store's owners to experiment with a variety of taste treats.

"We were looking for something that we knew when we get up in the morning, it's OK to go to work," Batson says. They found that something in Palm Springs.

Lifestyles Cuisine is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The phone number is 327-4845.

INDIAN WELLS DEDICATES SENIOR HOUSING PROJECT

Indian Wells city council members and city officials dedicated a new senior housing community on Nov. 5. Mountain View Villas Clubhouse, at 78000 Betty Barker Way (Mountain Cove Drive and Highway 111) was built by Southern California Housing Development Corp. of Rancho Cucamonga.

Phase One includes 128 one- and two-bedroom apartments, security gates, a clubhouse, pool and spa. The clubhouse features a media room, computer room and exercise room. Construction began Aug. 25, 2003. The first 67 units were ready for occupancy July 1, and the additional 61 units on Oct. 1.

Construction on Phase Two, which comprises another 77 units, should begin in spring 2005 and be ready for occupancy by early 2006. Phase Two also includes a pool and recreation room.

Southern California Housing is a 501(c)(3) developer whose mission is to create affordable housing communities that contribute to neighborhood vitality. The company owns and manages more than 4,500 multifamily units throughout Southern California and serves more than 10,000 residents.

In the mid-1990s, Southern California Housing rehabilitated and began managing the 231-unit Cathedral Palms Apartments in Cathedral City. The affordable senior housing project was recognized by the National Association of Home Builders and awarded the Pillars of the Industry Award for Most Creative Financing of a Multifamily Development in 1999.

Seniors interested in getting on the Mountain View Villas waiting list may visit the onsite office or call 772-4688.

INDIO TAMALE FESTIVAL THE LARGEST IN 13 YEARS

Organizers of the 13th Annual International Tamale Festival have sold out vending space for the Dec. 4-5 event. More than 325 tamale, arts and crafts, and related merchandise booths will make this the largest tamale festival Indio has hosted.