Owner Tony is just so gracious, but on my lucky tasting night his son Simon Vincent Loeffler, 18 years young, was at the helm, he showed me a great dining experience.
I asked Simon why people should try The Palms, he said, “People should come try their delicious cuisine because everything is thought out, its all in the details and service, all the little things.
Their customers are locals, and they do big events, large banquets.
Chef Sergio and Oscar call this type of cuisine Pacific Islander meets Meditereanean. Their menu changes seasonally, they try to do new creative things on their menu, they will have new additions soon.
Cocktail:
Figet About It, with Ketel one vodka, house fig jam, blackberry, fresh citrus. This cocktail is very pretty to look at as well as being very drinkable, just terrific.
Wines:
Seghesio Zinfandel, Sonoma County, CA 2018, I used to be a wine club member with this astounding winery. It went so great with the Rib Eye.
Rombauer Chardonnay, Carneros, CA 2019, a must have with the scallops.
Here’s What I tried:
Starters:
Edamame with salt and pepper or spiced garlic ponzu, these little darlings were just amazing, healthy and perfect, a great starter.
Coconut Pacific Prawns, with toasted coconut, and sweet firecracker sauce. These are out of this world, just try them.
Fried Rice with Hawaiian teriyaki, mixed vegetables, egg, scallions, sriracha. They make really great fried rice; you can add a protein to it as well.
Monterey Bay Calamari, with fritto misto, carrots, jalapeño, micro cilantro, and cilantro jalapeño aioli. They fry up the jalapeno peppers, this adds another level to this highly recommended appetizer.
Salads:
The Wedge Salad, with bacon, diced onions, mixed cherry tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles, and chipotle blue cheese dressing. A very crispy wedge of lettuce with the bacon, it makes for one delicious salad.
Asian Chopped Salad, with Napa cabbage, iceberg, carrot, mandarins, almonds, green onion, sesame, crispy wontons, and peanut vinaigrette. This is what you would want from a chopped Asian salad, all these great ingredients.
Mains:
Chilean Sea Bass, with sautéed carrots, Maui onions, snow peas, cremini mushrooms, bok choy, lipstick peppers, peppered miso ginger broth, udon noodles, and micro cilantro. This was my favorite dish of this tasting. The noodles are large with great subtle flavors, and the fish was flaky and moist, just spectacular.
Seared Alaskan Sea Scallops, with wild mushroom Parmesan risotto, ginger beurre blanc, and crispy leeks. The risotto is quite the surprise; it is creamy with a lovely cheese flavor. The scallops were cooked with a nice crust, they did not disapoint.
16 OZ. Rib Eye, with certified Angus beef, butter mashed potatoes, and grilled broccolini. The steak is very flavorful with the gravy, it hit all of the right tasting notes.
Dessert:
Key Lime Pie, graham cracker crust and whipped cream. This pie has the perfect lime flavors, with a nice creamy rich texture.
Hula Pie cookies and cream, coffee ice cream, Oreo cookie crust, whipped cream, sugared almonds, and chocolate drizzle. There is so much going on with this terrific desert. I would order this every time.
Part of my trip to Los Gatos was to find out how these establishments faired during Covid, Simon tells me that The Palm did good business during Covid, mostly take out, but you could sit outside with your take out, enough so to stay in business and thrive. Thank goodness.
They have lots of outdoor seating in the summer time with live music Thursdays. As well as Simon’s Mom hired a DJ for every other Sunday. The food got better since the last time I was here, if that is possible, because in 2019 it was also stunning. When you’re in Los Gatos there are so many dining options, but The Palms is one of the best ones. So make it part of your dining experience when you are in Los Gatos, CA.
The Palms – A Pacific Rim
115 N. Santa Cruz Ave.
Los Gatos, Ca. 95039
408-402-3811
