After five months of shuttered doors and $5 million invested in remodeling by Chicago firm Dacre & Youngquist and an expansion, The Palm is celebrating 35 years of jumbo surf-and-turf and a bustling bar in Houston. It’s a milestone for the “see and be seen” outpost of the classic Manhattan-born eatery.
Still family-owned, the completely re-built space at the original 6100 Westheimer location reveals the brand’s new prototype design, which includes a huge bar, larger dining room and multi-purpose meeting space. Former GM and now executive director Jim Martin was part of the original opening team — 35 years later he’s still welcoming guests alongside new general manager Scott Seick.
Besides replacing the roof, an additional 1,800 square feet was gained via the acquisition of a neighboring cigar store and expansion of the building front. There are some authentic elements, including a few of the original hand-painted caricatures on the wall and a mural designed by Zachary Bird featuring iconic Houston landmarks and notable guests. But, sadly, most of the interior walls had to be reconstructed, so dozens of the caricatures of Houston celebs and customers were destroyed. The good news, I suppose, is several of the walls are a blank canvas waiting for new faces.
The Palm offers a three-course “modern power lunch” special for $26. I personally liked the “steak burgers,” including the 837 Club Burger (dressed in prosciutto, roasted red peppers, pesto aioli and fontina cheese) and the Bozzi Burger (aged Gouda, smokey barbeque sauce and crispy fried onions). Also on the lunch menu are specialty sandwiches such as the Nova Scotia Lobster BLT on toasted marble rye.
Not surprisingly, steak and lobster remain the focal point of the menu. The beef is aged a minimum of 35 days. An 18-ounce New York strip (why limit it to a pound?) is also available. Huge lobsters flown in from Nova Scotia two or three times a week are served split in half and cracked tableside. You don’t have to get your hands dirty, unless you want to.
On the way out I couldn’t help but notice the newly updated bar, which still feels old school and clubby. Despite the updates, it’s the same scene you remember.
The Palm 6100 Westheimer between Fountain View & Hillcroft, 713-977-2544 ThePalm.com