You can experience fine dining on a global scale without leaving Palm Canyon Drive,. The range of Palm Springs dining establishments, from the delightfully Old World European charm of a Belgian café to the sizzling steaks and smokin' martinis at The Falls Prime Steakhouse & Martini Bar, Palm Springs dining has cuisine to please every palate and budget. Here are just a few of the more notable Palm Springs eateries:

Pomme Frite

While it's named for the very basic fried potatoes which accompany many of its dishes, Pomme Frite is the place to go for, of all things, black mussels (prepared in your choice of nine ways, with three dipping sauces) and beer-simmered Flemish stew. Your meal will be enhanced with the softly romantic strains of European melodies.

Fisherman's Market and Grill

If the thought of those mussels has whetted your appetite for fresh seafood, find out why the Fisherman's Market and Grill has been voted the best Seafood Restaurant in the Coachella valley for ten consecutive years. The seafood is strictly fresh; if you're watching your weight you can dine on the great-tasting but calorie-skimpy Lifeboat menu; and their daily Chalkboard Specials will let you sample a new seafood treat every day of the week!

Melvyn's Restaurant

The Ingleside Inn has been accommodating the world's movers and shakers, including Hollywood celebrities and US presidents, since its conversion from a private residence to an even more private hotel in 1935. The Ingleside is tucked away just a block from the center of Palm Springs. Melvyn's, with its four intimate dining rooms, is an antique-and historical-photos-furnished Palm Springs dining establishment of legendary status, where celebrity watching is almost as much of a draw as eating.

Melvyn's specializes in Continental cuisine accompanied by an outstanding selection of wines. Their most popular feature is the To Good to be True evening offering, with soup or salad, a beverage, and the diner's choice of one of four entrees for only $22.

Sherman's Delicatessen and Bakery

If you're a transplanted Easterner with a yen for some home cooking, you'll love Sherman's Kosher-style breakfasts, brunches, lunches and dinners, complete with breads and desserts baked fresh each day. Viewing their Sandwich Board will be like a return to Katz's or Carnegie's Delicatessen. Their homemade Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup with Meat will make a believer of you!

Finally, if you want to know the best places to eat in a strange city, ask the locals. If you don't know any locals in Palm Springs to ask, do the next best thing and turn to Desert Cities Guides to be enlightened by the food-critiquing talents of Lisa Robyn Lawrence, Ph.D, a Coachella Valley resident and nutritional expert.

Dr, Lawrence and her husband Allen have shared their passion for the Art of Food and Wine by reviewing several Palm Springs dining establishments serving a variety of cuisine from American to Indian, and going the extra mile by providing photographs, menus, and even directions to simplify your decision. With a bit of help form Desert Cities Guides, you can make your Palm Springs dining experience the highlight of your entire stay!