The services in this post were provided by Pechanga Resort
& Casino but the opinions expressed here are my own.
After a morning of trying our luck at the slot machines and
a quick nap, it was time to head downstairs for lunch. The Coveside Grill is a
full-service restaurant in the new 4.5-acre pool complex, The Cove, with lots
of warm-weather and pool-friendly food to choose from. The great thing is that
you can take a seat in the restaurant or be served poolside. The restaurant is
situated right on the edge of the complex with a view of the pool or the golf
course. The décor nicely matches Temecula’s landscape with succulent wall décor.
Here is what we ordered:
Roasted Garlic & Herb Hummus is served with fried Naan
bread, carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, and cucumbers. This
was one of the best hummuses I’ve ever had. The roasted garlic and herbs gave
it such an umami flavor that we couldn’t stop eating it. The texture was creamy
and worked perfectly as a dip for the crudités. This was also the first time I had
ever tried fried naan before. Delicious! Rating: 5/5
Caesar Salad made with romaine hearts, herb croutons, and asiago
cheese tossed with Caesar dressing. You can add grilled chicken, grilled steak,
or seared ahi tuna. The ahi was seared perfectly and had melt-in-your-mouth
sushi-grade texture. It was warm at high noon, so the salad was rather
refreshing. The Caesar dressing was good as well, not too lemony. Rating: 5/5
Mom craved the Hot Dog, an all-beef sausage served with house
potato chips. She opted to swap the potato chips in favor pineapple-mango slaw.
The hot dog hit the spot with a meaty, juicy bite. The slaw was refreshing with
the sweet flavors of pineapple and mango plus had a nice crunch from the
cabbage. Rating: 4.5/5
Frozen Yogurt was scooped and topped with M&M’s and
cereal. I haven’t seen frozen yogurt scooped in a long time. I am used to having
it swirled into a cup from a machine. It was creamy and ice cold, a cool relief
to the hot afternoon weather. The M&M’s and cereal added a nice texture and
hit our sweet spot. Rating: 4.5/5
Rice Crispy Bar was served so fancifully in triangles dipped
in white and dark chocolates, then surrounded by mini M&M’s. They clearly
used a lot of marshmallow as each bit was gooey and creamy. I could eat these
anytime! Rating: 5/5
With our appetite satiated, it was time to head back into
the air-conditioned hotel and check out some of the shops. I’m always on the
lookout for the cutest souvenir for my nephew!
The services in this post were provided by Pechanga Resort
& Casino but the opinions expressed here are my own.
After a wonderful sleep, we woke up around 7 a.m. and were
ready for a hot cup of joe. A short walk from the Resort Tower and to the right
of the hotel lobby is Blends Coffee & Wine Bar. It has an open space and
lots of natural light. The environment was welcoming with a bustling buzz of
caffeine-fanatics as coffee orders were called out. It is a great place to meet
up with your party for a quick breakfast. You can work on your laptop utilizing
the free high-speed Wi-Fi while sipping a cappuccino. They also have a bunch of
ready-made sandwiches and salads for a quick lunch. In the afternoon/evening,
meet up with your party to share a bottle of wine.
Here is what we ordered:
Café Mocha has a strong kick. My mom needed a little bit
more sweetener and half and half for her liking. Rating: 4/5
Mexican Mocha is made with Chocolate Ibarra. If you love Mexican
hot chocolate, you will love this rich and creamy mocha as much as I did. It
was just sweet enough with the earthy tones from the cinnamon. Rating: 5/5
Breakfast Sandwich made with bacon, egg, and cheese atop a
bagel. My mom and I loved that the bagel was on the lighter side. Packed full
of bacon, which we both loved, it was a great, light, protein-packed breakfast option!
Rating: 5/5
If you want something sweet, there is a plethora of bakery
options. The Chocolate Croissant was a great way to get a light sweet-tooth hit
after a savory breakfast sandwich. I had it warmed up which lightly crisped the
outside of the croissant (you can hear how crispy it was on the YouTube video
above). The chocolate inside was melty and gooey. Rating: 5/5
Time to head into the casino and see if Lady Luck makes an
appearance.
The services in this post were provided by Pechanga Resort
& Casino but the opinions expressed here are my own.
Pechanga Resort & Casino has finished
another phase of their $285 million resort expansion with a new Resort Tower (boasting
568 brand-new AAA Four-Diamond rooms), new restaurants, 4.5-acre pool complex,
luxury spa and fitness center, event space, and expanded casino floor.
My mom and I wanted to getaway for the weekend. We had never
been to Pechanga Resort & Casino so this would be a great road trip
adventure for us. Check-in is at 4pm so we planned a half-day of work and
headed out from Orange County. On Fridays, the 91 freeway can be a bear, but we
passed the time reminiscing the about Corona and how different it looks now
versus the 1970’s when we lived there. As we merged onto the 15 freeway, the
traffic subsided, and we were on our way to Temecula.
Credit: Pechanga Resort & Casino
Pechanga’s expansion was so new that our Garmin got confused
as to where the entrance of the resort was. As we turned into the entrance, the
hotel came into view and it was beautiful. Delawie,
who originally designed the resort when it was first built in 2002, did a
beautiful job as the resort matches its environment reflecting the landscape of
Temecula. Mom wanted to valet since we were planning to stay on property the
whole weekend. The valet was very friendly and organized. They got us unloaded
quickly and we proceeded to the registration desk. Registration was also very
friendly and organized. In no time, we were heading to our room in the Resort
Tower to unpack and relax for a bit.
Credit: Pechanga Resort & Casino
Deluxe Queen Rooms (430-500 square feet) feature mountain,
valley, or golf course views with custom made Italian furniture throughout, and
floor-to-ceiling windows. The room also has a Keurig coffeemaker for those who
love coffee at all hours of the day (like my mom and me). We had a lovely view
of the Terrace Garden, The Cove pool complex, golf course, and mountains.
Credit: Pechanga Resort & Casino
The bathroom was beautifully tiled and reminded me of a spa
featuring Molton Brown
London products. I also liked that the toilet was in its own separate room
so others can use the sink and/or shower.
The press & media were invited to a “Taste of Pechanga”
reception in The Cove. As an event planner, I loved to see that The Cove had
private spaces that could be used for a family reunion or corporate meeting
reception. We were treated to special bites from the restaurant/catering
departments.
Pechanga Café’s Tlapena Soup
Journey’s End Smoked Salmon Parfait layered with
cucumber-apple dill yogurt, cherry tomatoes, whole grain mustard crème fraiche,
and fried capers.
Lobby Bar’s Sous Vide Hangar Steak with malt vinegar potato
crisp, bacon & mustard seed relish, and confit whipped egg yolks.
Coveside Grill’s Acai Bowl with chilled acai smoothie,
granola crumbles, fresh bananas, berries, coconut shavings, and sweet agave.
Lobby Bar’s Chia Chi Chi with strawberry, pineapple,
l’orange vodka, and chia seeds.
Bakery’s fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate and
macarons.
The Great Oak Steakhouse’s Prime Steak Tartare with crostini
Umi Sushi & Oyster Bar’s Kadomatsu Sushi with salmon,
asparagus, kaiware, broccoli, mitsuba, radish, sesame seeds, Japanese pickle,
and dashisoy.
With tummies full of deliciousness, we were able to see The
Cove in the evening in pristine condition as it was closed for the day. The
lighting in the pools, in the palm trees, and around the complex made it look
stunning. A great sight to see from your room at night.
With some macarons and fresh hot coffee in the room, we
retired for the evening to rest up for a full day of fun at Pechanga Resort
& Casino.
