THE PALM
A SIZZLING SENSATION FOR THE SENSES

Attention L.A. steak and seafood lovers, it’s no secret that celebs and foodies flock to The Palm when it comes to upscale fine dining pleasure.

At the renowned Palm, their philosophy has been a simple one since first opening in 1926 in New York City—treat guests like family, serve great food, and always exceed expectations.

The Palm, with restaurants in West Hollywood on Santa Monica Boulevard and Downtown Los Angeles walking distance from Staples Center, is a dining legend around town – a place to not only enjoy an excellent meal but close business deals, star gaze and celebrate family milestones.

The Palm Restaurant’s menu features honest, satisfying dishes that reflect the best of its founders Italian-American heritage—from prime aged steaks and jumbo Nova Scotia lobsters to Italian classics like Chicken Parmigiana and Veal Martini.

During our recent visit for a weeknight dinner, we started with the delicious Oysters, a great starter item, and wonderfully paired with a glass of Wither Hills Marlborough 2010 Sauvignon Blanc.

Another wonderful dish to split is the out-of-this-world Colossal Lump Crabmeat Cocktail. It is just to-die-for. The portions are huge and are ever so satisfying. Again, it only gets better with a fine glass of white wine.

Looking for a little more sustenance, it was time for a nice starter salad. We went with the incredible Iceberg Lettuce Wedge, served with Danish blue cheese, toasted walnuts, bacon, cherry tomatoes, chives and fried onions. It was extremely flavorful with a rich taste that really hit the mark. And considering that I’m a die-hard Caesar salad fan, it was extremely disappointing to find the Classic Caesar Salad to be not only mediocre, but having nothing “classic” about it. Avoid this one and do relish the amazing Wedge.

And because a meal at The Palm is extremely pricey, we opted to share everything, including the main entrée, which was the highly recommended Rib Eye and Lobster Tail. The hefty lobsters, originally from Nova Scotia, are a house specialty and are served tender and succulent. The hearty Prime Bone-In Rib-Eye Steak is 24 ounces of heaven. The Palm serves aged USDA Prime beef, corn fed, hand-selected and aged a minimum of 35 days. Their beef has abundant marbling that makes the beef tender, juicy and flavorful.

As is the case with most steakhouses, all of the side items at The Palm are a la carte and are available in family-style (for two or more) or individual portions. With a tempting menu of sensational sides, it’s really hard to choose what to order but we decided to go heavy with the carbs and delighted with the Potatoes a Gratin; Hand Cut French Fries tossed with parmesan, garlic and pepper; and the over-the-top Asparagus Fritti prepared with lemon garlic butter. Sure, frying asparagus pretty much does away with any healthy benefits of eating your veggies but the taste is just plain unreal.

If you even have room for dessert, and lets face it, you’re paying “bookoo bucks” so why not go for broke (hopefully the price of dinner won’t bankrupt you) you might as well satisfy your sweet tooth. While the Bag of Warm Doughnuts dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with chocolate and raspberry sauce does sound decadent and delicious, we opted to split the Key Lime Pie, prepared with key lime custard, graham cracker crust, blueberry compote and whipped cream. I know, as they say in Natural Born Killers, “key lime pie is an acquired taste,” which may or may not be true, but The Palm’s Key Lime Pie is sweet and light and won’t bring on the glutton guilt of some dessert choices.

While a fine dinner at The Palm may cost you the bulk of a week’s paycheck, it’s a great way to celebrate any special event. With truly spectacular service, a meal here is an experience worth savoring.

The Palm is located at 1100 S. Flower Street in Downtown, and 9001 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood.