Date: 4-30-09
The Palm has always had a homey old world feeling for me. It's one of the oldest restaurants I can remember going to in L.A. Even as a kid, family tradition dictated The Palm on special occasions, such as mom's birthday. And on mom's birthday, the meal was always lobster and cottage fries.
Over the years The Palm has changed in some ways and stayed the same in others. The walls are still covered with the caricatures of famous people and local business people and dignitaries that frequented The Palm (including my father). The Gigi Salad is still on the menu. The steaks are still cooked beautifully. But now the menu encompasses a wider variety of menu items beyond the steakhouse fare it is famous for including seasonal specials (the brussel sprouts during the winter with shallots and lobster was great!).
The fish at The Palm is phenomenal. Standout dishes include the crabmeat cocktail (large chunks of premium crabmeat with a killer cocktail sauce) and the linguine with white clam sauce. The seabass was only on the menu for a short time but it was amazing. The fresh fish are offered in a variety of presentations.
There are a number of side dishes that are standouts as well. Often times side dishes are seen as afterthoughts but that's not the case here. The steamed spinach is carefully cooked so as not to overcook it and is very flavorful. The mixed mushrooms are also cooked well and have a pungent but not overpowering flavor that adds a nice accent to any entree. The classic Palm side is the cottage fries. I like them, but I like the onion rings the best. Thankfully they have a side dish known as the half and half which is exactly what you'd think it is.
There are many salads on the menu as well- The East or West Coast Gigi Salad, the tomato and onion, the classic caesar, and others. The lobster bisque soup is always on the menu and a soup of the day os offered as well.
My usual standby? The veal parmigiana. I know, I know, it's not P.C. But I eat veal occasionally and only where it is awesome. Considering that sides are ala carte, you could easily share the veal with someone else and add sides.
Don't forget to save room for the dessert plate, especially the carrot cake. It's huuuuuuge.
Another fine feature of The Palm is their membership loyalty program- the 837 Club. You can earn points towards rewards and sometime you are given special deals. The Palm accepts reservations on Open Table.
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