Near the northwestern edge of Palm Springs, at 2323 N. Palm Canyon Drive, sits a little restaurant inside a small hotel—and it’s serving up some of the best cuisine in the Coachella Valley.

Freddie’s Kitchen at the Cole offers “French California cuisine,” lovingly prepared by chef Frederic Pierrel, who, according to the restaurant’s website, “was born in the Alsace region of France and graduated with honors from Lycée Hôtelier et Culinairer in Gerardmer, France.” His menu is fairly small, but it includes some unexpected items—how often do you find elk on menus?—and they’re consistently delicious.

The one dish we I stop thinking about, however, is something you’ll find on numerous menus: French onion soup. But no other local version, at least that I’ve found, compares to Freddie’s version. A perfectly seasoned broth, with cooked-through onions retaining just a hint of firmness, is topped with gruyere cheese that’s a mixture of creamy and toasted-crispy. It’s so, so good. Get more information at freddieskitchenatthecole.com. —Jimmy Boegle