17. Palm Restaurant
Overall Score: 82.26
701 Ross Ave.
Steak: The filet was nothing special, but the bone-in rib-eye was almost 2 inches thick and topped with a crunchy char. Scores: filet (9 oz., $40.50) 87, bone-in rib-eye (24 oz., $46) 94
Service: Pleasant, chatty, and knowledgeable, and our server orchestrated a well-paced meal. 93
Wine sell: He took us straight to a wine on sale, a Stags Leap Hands of Time Red 2008, which was marked down to $80 from $120. We asked to speak to the wine director and were informed that the restaurant doesn’t have one on staff. “They train us about wine,” he said. “The deal is, if you have a wine person on staff, the servers pay for them by tipping out to them.” He proceeded to pour the Stags Leap into a decanter like he was filling it with ice water, smiling as he shook out the last drops. Tacky. 80
Shrimp: The four shrimp were firm and sweet but were treated with little respect. They sat atop a browning leaf of iceberg lettuce curled around a ramekin of cocktail sauce with a tin can aftertaste. (U-8, $16.90) 89
Salads: Somebody call a salad doctor. The once-glamorous hearts of palm concoction needs surgery. Nine long stalks of palm were covered with tasteless, mealy chopped tomatoes and garnished with slices of hard-boiled eggs and kalamata olives. Enough said. 40
Vegetables: As long as the doctor is in the house, have him take a look at the soggy, limp asparagus rolled in bread crumbs and sautéed in a vat of butter. Vegetable euthanasia strongly recommended. 20
Potatoes: Thankfully the half-mashed potatoes smothered in three cheeses and topped with tons of thyme were hot and delicious. 90
Dessert: From an assortment of the usual suspects, we chose a six-layer carrot cake that was moist to a fault and overpowered by so much cinnamon that my palate went numb. 80
Ambiance: Same as it ever was—worn wooden floors, bench booths, and caricatures of longtime customers, politicians, and celebrities painted on the walls. Not surprising to find the older tourist crowd surrounding the bar. The main dining room still carries nostalgic charm. 86
