The rolling landscape of southwest Riverside County provides a natural environment for farm-to-table cuisine.
So does Murrieta Hot Springs Resort, where guests bathe in natural geothermal pools. The property originally opened in 1902 and became a haven of wellness and Hollywood glamour, with guests such as Marilyn Monroe and Jack Benny taking the waters.
The resort fell on hard times and was acquired by Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa in 1995. The church kept it until 2022 when the Olympus Real Estate Group, an investment and development firm, acquired it. It reopened to the public last winter.
A full-service restaurant, called Talia Kitchen, opened near the resort’s entrance in mid-October.
“The menu is a contemporary California menu,” said executive chef Matt Steffen. “California to me is using what’s local, fresh, bright, light, not too heavy and using what’s in our backyard. When I think of contemporary, I don’t think of that as stuffy or too high-end. It’s more about some little trick on the plate. Whether that’s global seasoning or global-inspired cooking, something that’s a little different.”
His example was Seared Ahi Tuna, made with bacon and a smoked eggplant cream.
Interviewed in Talia’s dining room three weeks after opening, Steffen said he had already made several adjustments to the menu, based in part on availability of fresh ingredients from local farms.
“When they say they have broccolini available for you, it’s a certain amount, right? They don’t just have this abundance that keeps coming. So we utilize the broccolini for the week or two that it’s available.”
Steffen said he created the menu working with Sarah Goudie, the resort’s director of nutrition.
“The biggest thing we look at is the percentages of proteins to good fats to carbs. A lot of the menu is meant for sharing, so you can build your own adventure. But also, there are not a lot of carbs on there, unless they’re natural carbs from vegetables.”
“Choose where you’re at in life and how you want to eat. Are you more of a carnivore? Are you plant-based? We have all those options for everybody.”
Other dining options at the resort include Guenther’s Lounge, which serves burgers and snacks as well as cocktails, and Cafe Azuli, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner poolside.
The 46-acre resort features geothermal pools for soaking in mineral water as well as two conventional swimming pools. Day passes start at $89. There are 174 guest rooms and suites for overnight stays. Rates start around $270 a night.
The resort’s address is 39405 Murrieta Hot Springs Road. Talia Kitchen currently opens for dinner at 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Entrées include chicken, duck and steak as well as fish and seafood with a price range of $24-$68.
Steffen has several years of experience in southwest Riverside County and northern San Diego County. He said they are a good backyard for farm-to-table cuisine.
“It’s amazing. You go to Valley Center, and there’s a million farms out there. There’s a ton out here. There really is. And there’s a pretty good circle of chefs that really focus on using the fish that’s coming off the boats, the proteins that are here.
“Pretty much every ingredient in our kitchen comes from somebody that we know or somebody close by, somebody in the vicinity.”
Information: 951-249-8989, murrieta-hotsprings.com/talia-kitchen
