Celebrated chef, restaurateur, food scientist and innovator Jimmy Schmidt is now drawing inspiration from the bounty of the Coachella Valley and its environs to create the contemporary American cuisine at Morgan’s in the desert, the new signature restaurant at the legendary La Quinta Resort & Club. Sourcing the best local products grown and raised responsibly, he focuses on traditional cooking methods – such as open grilling, slow roasting, braising, pickling and curing – to create deliciously simple, rustic and healthful dishes for Morgan’s. Chef Schmidt garnered national acclaim when he opened Rattlesnake Club restaurants in Denver and in Detroit, which celebrates more than 20 years as an award-winning Midwest dining destination. He has received numerous awards and accolades throughout his successful 30-year career, including the prestigious James Beard Award for “Great American Chef” (1987) and “Best Chef Midwest,” (1993) Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence,” and inclusion in Cooks Magazine’s “Who’s Who” and Gourmet Magazine’s “ America’s Top Tables” and “ America’s Best Restaurants.” Chef Schmidt is the 2012 winner of the coveted Chef’s Collaborative Pioneer Award, and in 2013 he and Morgan’s won the “Alfresco Dining” award from FSR/Free-Standing Restaurant Magazine.
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