Guilty Pleasures Gone Gourmet:Inside Boozehounds' Communal Dinner That Turned Fast Food Fantasies into 5-Star Realness

By Ersilia Pompilio

If you’ve ever dreamt of your fast food guilty pleasures being served with truffle aioli, tequila jello shots, and Michelin-star finesse — girl, same — and Boozehounds Palm Springs just made it a reality.

In the heart of Palm Springs where the sun’s hot and the tea is hotter, communal dinners are totally trending. And this one? Was a glorified group chat come to life — full of strangers who love Shake Shack, ex-KFC workers turned chefs, and the kind of food that makes your taste buds twerk.

Welcome to the Drive-Thru Dream Sequence

Chefs Aric Lanni (Palm Springs local + Boozehounds Executive Chef + former KFC teen king) and Brian Redzikowski (Michelin-starred genius with a soft spot for nostalgia) teamed up to host the “Guilty Pleasures Dinner” — a fast food fever dream reimagined for your inner foodie, drag queen, and childhood self who used to order everything off the McDonald’s dollar menu.

You weren’t just there to eat — you were there to relive every messy, greasy, unhinged flavor memory you’ve ever had... only now it came with luxury cocktails, table settings straight out of a vintage diner fantasy, and yes — a literal ice cream hamburger.

Scene: Red Checkered Vibes & Nugget Wisdom

As we took our seats under the glow of palm trees and good decisions, we were greeted with red-and-white checkered tablecloths, mini French fry boxes as napkin holders, and tiny cards shaped like chicken nuggets with fortune-cookie-level affirmations. Mine said:

“Feeling like a hot mess? You’re hot and tasty.” Me? Affirmed. Validated. Fried to perfection.

The crowd? A mix of locals, tourists, drag divas, and thirsty foodies ready to eat. We kicked off with passed hors d'oeuvres that came with both sass and class:

• Cheeseburger Toast served on soft Filipino bread.

• Filet-o-Fish Caviar Bites — not your mama’s drive-thru Friday special, baby. This was giving... elegant slut era.

  
  

Paired with a Campari cocktail (Caprano Antico, Bianco soda, citrus zest), it was a classy punch to the tongue. And yes, the flavors were making out in my mouth.

First Course: Mexican Pizza Gets a Couture Glow-Up

We’re talking Barbacoa Mexican Pizza in a mini lil’ pizza box.

Chef Aric confessed his lifelong Taco Bell obsession and revealed he made three separate Bell runs just to perfect this dish. That’s dedication. I’ve ghosted men for less effort.

The barbacoa? Fall-apart tender.The accoutrements? Butter beans, cheddar, cherry tomatoes, cilantro.

The feeling? Like being held by a warm Crunchwrap in a past life.

Cocktail pairing:

• Blue Curacao Baja Blast cocktail (Sotol, grapefruit, Luxardo, cherry)

• Tequila jello shots in lime wedgesTotal throwback to college, minus the regrets.

  
  
  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  

Second Course: KFC but Make it Michelin

Next up: Popcorn Karaage Chicken Bowl — a soul-hugging mash of potato purée, Vermont cheddar, sweet corn, and demi-glace.

Fun fact: Chef Aric worked at KFC from age 14–17. He knows his way around a bucket, babe. But this wasn’t just any chicken. This was:

• Karaage-style (Japanese fried chicken, basically KFC’s hot cousin)

• Coated in rice flour for gluten-free slay

• Crispy cheddar baked into the potato top like a bougie Cheez-It

  
  

Cocktail pairing:

• Iced bourbon peach tea with frothy soda bar realness (thanks to a literal fish tank pump for max fizz — innovation!)

  
  
  

  

  

Third Course: The Big Meaty Reveal

This dish said hello luxury, goodbye waistline:

• Toasted beef tenderloin

• Black truffle aioli (from Australia, no big deal)

• Crispy shallots + a reinvented McHash Brown 

  
  

Cocktail pairing? A fat-washed Mezcal float with house sour, egg white, and a cabernet float — think adult root beer float energy with a smoky kick.

Was I full? Yes.Did I leave space for dessert? ALWAYS.

Fourth Course: The Hamburger (Psych! It’s Ice Cream)

When the menu said “The Hamburger” — we were all side-eyeing the idea of meat after three courses. BUT SURPRISE:

• Sponge cake bun

• Ice cream patty

• Panna cotta “cheese”

• Sesame seeds and sass included

  
  

The dessert chef admitted this was a pain in the ass to make. And it showed — in the best way. It looked like a real burger, tasted like heaven, and had me texting “OMG” in all caps to everyone I know.

Bonus dessert: gold leaf emblazoned chocolate ganache peanut butter fudge . Inspiration: Shake Shack.

Cocktail pairing:

• Taro milk tea with Diplomatico rum, Licor 43, brown sugar boba, coconut milk, and creamLiterally boba for bad bitches.

  
  

Final Thoughts from a Full-Bodied Foodie

This dinner was a delicious fever dream of fast food nostalgia, culinary brilliance, and chaotic good energy. It took our trashiest cravings and gave them the five-star facelift they deserve.

Whether you're a McMuffin loyalist or someone who once Uber Eats’ed Crumbl Cookies at midnight (hi, it's me), this was a high-low mashup masterpiece.

Fast food = childhood. This dinner = glow-up. Me = obsessed.

Boozehounds Palm Springs

Communal dinners are the new table for one.Next time you’re in Palm Springs, don’t miss a chance to dine with strangers, sip Baja Blast cocktails, and eat caviar on toast shaped like a cheeseburger. Life is short. Eat the ice cream burger.

#StaySaucy#GuiltyPleasuresOnly#PalmSpringsPlates

About the Author

Ersilia Pompilio is the Editor in Chief of SQUAD Magazine, a Palm Springs guide for bachelorettes and ladies who love to leisure. With over two decades of experience in performing, producing live storytelling shows, and hosting a podcast, she has also taught storytelling classes and written professionally for several media outlets. Originally from Los Angeles, Ersilia is also a twenty-year resident of Palm Springs, California.