Purple Palm, Palm Springs

One way to know if the restaurant at the new Colony Palms hotel is kid-friendly is to call ahead; another is to go on blind faith and complain about it later: "Raves about the Purple Palm made me eager to stay at the hotel. Yet I immediately felt out of place with a child in this romantic, fine-dining establishment. One look at the menu with a $29 wild boar entree and a $14 veal marrow appetizer and I sensed trouble. Was there a children's menu? No, the waiter said. Could my son order a hamburger? No, again, but he could have side dishes from the dinner entrees. The waiter offered no guidance when I tried to envision the taste profiles -- or how anyone, including a child, would like such sides as purple Thai rice with the litchi-Merlot-black truffle glacé." [LAT]