Tag Archives: the palm

Top 10 Noms of 2011

29 Dec

I can’t believe 2011 is over!  I always love going back through the past year of blogs to pick the top 10, and this year proved MUCH harder than years before.  There were just so many great Noms in 2011!

For the past Top Noms of the year, check out 2010 and 2009.

#10 – Alma de Cuba: Philadelphia I dream about the pork entree I had here, and that chocolate cigar for dessert (that was on fire) will always hold a tender spot in my food heart.

# 9 – The Breslin lived up to expectations with an awesome lamb burger and the scrumpets… oooooooohhhh the scrumpets.

#8 – We had wanted to visit Barbuto for a long time, after falling in love with the chef, Jonathan Waxman, on various food shows on television.  It was a meal made of some of the freshest, most lovingly crafted ingredients.


#7 – Our experience at Maialino was just a few days ago, but I am still thinking about that bacon and those desserts.  I can’t wait to go back again and try more… especially their namesake pasta.

#6 – When we decided to try Catch, Top Chef Hung’s new restaurant we didn’t know what we were in for. It was dark. It was Meatpacking. But it was delicious and inspired.  Awesome combinations and executed beautifully.

#5 – Imperial No. 9 was a fantastic journey of food, with many dishes that I would go back to eat all over again.  If you go, order as much as possible and share. Totally worth it.

#4 – Our adventure at Mountain Flying Fish in Breckenridge, CO was something I will never forget.  A well curated Omikase from the chef, who is a personal friend of my aunt proved to be one of the most perfect, original, and exciting meals I have ever had.  Land locked sushi shouldn’t be this good. Food shouldn’t be this good.  It was just… bliss.

#3 – Mike took me to Daniel for my birthday, and it was impressive.  The entire tasting menu was already one of the best meals I ever had, and then the desserts came.  The best series of desserts I have ever had. Hands down. And I LOVE dessert.

#2 – When I think of epic meals, I have to mention Blue Hill at Stone Barns.  A day-trip from NYC in Westchester, NY, it is actually ON the farm (which made for a lovely day as well).  Everything that comes out in the blind tasting menu was from the farm or locally sourced.  You don’t get fresher than that. And it’s hard to get any better.

#1 – Valentine’s Day at Colicchio and Sons for the Tasting Menu was phenomenal.  It took over the #2 all-time spot (under WD-50, which we tried again recently, by the way, to see if it could hold on to that #1 spot… more on that soon).  I have been to Colicchio and Sons a few times for their a la carte menu, and it’s always fantastic, but this tasting menu was other-worldly.  The duck egg, confit gizzard, & parsnip dish was hands down the best thing I have EVER eaten.  Just… wow.

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Honorable Mention:

The Truffle, Gruanciale, and Egg Pizza from Otto

Birreria at Eataly for the fantastic ambiance, beer, and damn good food

The classic New York feel (and food) of The Palm

Thumbs Up Diner: Atlanta for The Heap

Peking Duck House for the Peking Duck Special

Kefi for that amazing octopus

And 2 great Restaurant Week meals that were worth repeating…

Ilili for Restaurant Week

The Modern for Restaurant Week Winter and Summer

And last but not least… It’s hard to write about 2011 without mentioning Albert Hall Tavern, but now that Chef Bill is gone, the spark just isn’t there like it used to be.

Goodbye 2011! Onto even more fantastic adventures and Noms in 2012.

The Palm

15 Nov

When you think of classic NYC steakhouses, The Palm is always on the list, but it has always been a bit of an unsung hero in my mind.  Every meal I have had there has been far above average.  My latest experience there was no exception.

Mike got the Shrimp Bruno: three jumbo shrimp française sautéed in a dijon mustard sauce. I don’t even like mustard but this was delicious.

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I got the Lobster Bisque. It was a very smooth bisque, filled with flavor, without being at all spicy (plus one for me!)  It’s classic and it’s delicious.

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We decided to split the T bone (best of both worlds: 1/2 tenderloin and 1/2 strip… so you get tender on one side and marbled on the other).

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It was perfectly cooked. Seared on the outside, pink towards the middle, and then a slightly red center.

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We went with some potato concoction (it may have been a special that night?) that tasted like it was cooked in drippings.  SO GOOD.

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We also got the creamed spinach which was cooked well, and thankfully featured more spinach than cream.

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The dessert selection was a test of will.

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Of which we had none…

Mike got the cheesecake, which was exactly how it should be. Nothing fancy, nothing dressed up. Just delicious, well baked, perfectly textured cheesecake.

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I got the chocolate lava cake.

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And it did exactly what lava cake is supposed to do:

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And it tasted great too!

Overall, The Palm should get more acclaim in the hotly contested NYC Steak Market.  It is classic, always well prepared, and with fantastic service.  There are a lot of people in New York doing a lot of fancy things… but the Palm isn’t fancy. It’s just good.

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10