This poppy season, don’t just stop and see the beautiful orange fields; stop and enjoy the special restaurants the Antelope Valley has to offer.
Growing up in Palmdale was a lot of things: a thriving punk scene with backyard shows spotlighting local bands (or a stop for bigger bands like seeing The Adicts as my first show at age 13 for $7), mom and pop restaurants that live in the back of your mind forever, desert sunsets that stop you in your tracks, and, of course, the poppies (which bloom almost every season, and locals will always remind you: Don’t step on them for your photos).
When writing this list, I took a trip back out to my hometown to hit the classics: after-high-school spots where three dollars meant walking away with a giant box of fries, taquerias off Sierra Highway with big green wooden booths covered in cactus murals, and hilltop diners that feel so wholesome they almost seem like a set for a movie. Each space is unique and special.
This is an ode to every time I’ve heard someone say, “There are only chain restaurants in the A.V.,” to which I say, you just aren't looking hard enough.