By Nancy and James Chuda founders of LuxEcoLiving and co-founders of Healthy Child Healthy World
West Hollywood California, The Palm Restaurant
Photos courtesy of LuxEcoLiving
When your starving for something... a sense of history, dedication, a phenomenal experience you go to The Palm. Seated in one of their classic leather paneled booths, your treated to service that just doesn't exist anymore. Waiters who understand and appreciate the meticulous craft of serving food that creates sensational responses from patrons and honors history that can never be reduplicated. The Palm is the one and only place where famous, notorious, gregarious and not so famous but rich people come to dine.
My first Palm experience was years back, 1985 with a notable Hollywood agent named Stanley Kamen. He was better known, however, as the talent agent who made a leading man of a young "heavy" named Steve McQueen and who over the years represented Barbra Streisand, Warren Beatty, Walter Matthau, Joan Collins and Gregory Peck, among others.
Stanley had become one of seven younger agents added to the William Morris board of directors--the first additions to the near-century-old board since 1953. He led the first high profile Hollywood mission to Israel which took place in 1984. And it was hosted by the (then) renowned William Morris agent Stan Kamen and a young Sherry Lansing, who was an up and coming executive at 20th Century Fox. The big headliners on that trip were Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, whom Lansing said were back then "the equivalent of Brad Pitt."
I mention this because The Palm was and still remains the oasis for for serious deal brokering amongst agents and motion picture heads of studios. The Palm's signature live lobster flown in from places like Nova Scotia and Maine and well aged mid-western prime beef helps to either soften the blow of an actor turned down for a major part or could signal a "green light" for a film deal. In particular, the first several booths opposite the bar was where the biggest social media buzzards sat sipping on dry martini's watching starlets swim by like Grunions.
History can either make a restaurant or undo it. But in this case The Palm is legendary. As much so as Anthony Soprano.
Meet Jerry. He's been working at The Palm for eons although too young and handsome to claim decades... but its in his blood. He understands that each experience is different and that every patron he serves may be discovering The Palm for the very first time... so there is no Red Lobster lip service whatsoever. These crustaceans are like family to Jerry. Their harbored safely in salt water tanks, claws clipped shut, and as crude as this may sound as demonstrated by Woody and Diane in Annie Hall, their sole purpose in life is to scour the oceans bottom, store the fibrous remains of other fish which in turn fattens and propels them to the longest lives at which time they are trapped, then Federal Expressed overnight, tax free but cholesterol filled to he destination of choice.
Your in the best of hands with Jerry
There is a big difference between eating lobster at the Palm or buying those Aussie "tails" from a Gelsons. The only thing that makes you think they taste great is the melted butter. But at the Palm you don't need anything.... just a squirt of fresh lemon.
And please save room for some deserts! They are Palmsational!
