NVM Review

Memory Lane

By Warren Rojas

In an area well-populated by destination dining spots and special occasion haunts, few places consistently elicit the nostalgia and excitement of a trip to The Palm.

According to Tysons-area general manager Tim Seymour, the world-renowned restaurant continues to attract its share of visiting celebrities, politicos and social luminaries by embracing the hallmarks that have made it famous. Walls remain plastered with campy caricatures of cultural VIPs from across the ages. Each table comes outfitted with an official Palm scratchpad for impromptu note taking. Cigar smoking remains the après-dinner activity de rigueur in the private smoking lounge located off the bar.

Meanwhile, meticulously bedecked staff in white coats and aprons clear and serve with the customer in mind (try not to interrupt conversation, offer to accommodate any special requests to the best of their ability), police tables collectively to ensure a seamless dining experience and openly share their menu knowledge without a hard sell.

Seymour says The Palm serves only USDA prime beef, typically wet-aged by their suppliers for no less than one month. He pointed to the traditional filet mignon as a big winner with the business lunch crowd, but listed the 24-ounce, bone-in rib-eye as perhaps the most popular steak and tapped the 20-ounce, bone-in New York strip as a personal favorite. He noted that families, on the other hand, seem to gravitate toward lobster (average size ranges from three to six pounds, but he says they’ve special ordered up to 17-pound behemoths).

“We’re a place for celebration,” Seymour maintains.

The celebration begins with a bowl of crunchy radishes and jumbo pickles that whet the appetite. An East Coast gigi salad assembles a refreshing mix of diced onions, tomatoes and green beans tossed with puffy jumbo shrimp pieces and crispy bacon (terrific). Bone-in NY strip is formidable, showcasing a smoky-salty crust surrounding a remarkably juicy center. The porterhouse is a bear of a meal, delivering a well-marbled NY strip on one end and a substantial filet mignon on the other side of the juice-reserving bone.

The herb-infused hash browns—heavenly, matchstick-sized spuds featuring a crispy outer shell and flaky center—add gusto to any meal, while garlic-laced spinach sometimes seems too commonplace.

Sample Roster

Prime, dry-aged, bone-in New York strip (20 ounces)

Prime-aged NY strip (12 and 16 ounces)

Prime-aged, double-cut NY strip (32 ounces for two)

Prime-aged NY steak a la stone (16 ounces; with sauteed onions and roasted peppers)

Prime rib (26 ounces)

Filet mignon (9 and 14 ounces)

Prime-aged, bone-in rib-eye (24 ounces)