Tony Loeffler arranged my tasting, he was so enchanting, guiding me through an incredible experience in this gorgeous Victorian restaurant. This is a grand property, built in 1883, the historic Coggeshall Victorian Mansion, used to house a Chart House restaurant for 17 years. It is a delicious Pacific Rim cuisine at its finest. Celebrating the culinary traditions of the Pacific Rim and taking cues from island cultures, The Palms restaurant delights guests with delicious flavors and signature dishes. The Palms offers a relaxing ambiance in both indoor and outdoor dining settings, but this is a very busy restaurant.
The Palms has very clean interiors, general electric type hanging light fixtures, wood tables and chairs. Paddles adorn the walls, as well as exotic planter boxes. There is a secluded dining area with a drape around it for privacy. In the front there is a very fancy bar with lots of seats. After they remodeled, the original signature lovely bay-window trio from the Victorian era and other architectural flourishes remain untouched. There is lots of traffic in the summer, with a gorgeous outdoor patio, perfect for hot summer nights. The traffic in the summer is for all of the people going to the beach in Santa Cruz.
Ron Gerald is the primary owner; he really has a gem in Los Gatos vast array of dining establishments. He mentioned to customers about hi original theme that he was thinking of as “Roy’s Lite,” as in Roy Yamaguchi and his culinary empire. Manager, wine buyer, and event planner Meagan Garald is a super important factor in why this restaurant is so popular and working. They also have a summer music program, which I am sure is just the right thing to do it the hot summer months.
There is a nice size bar with large flat screens, a large upstairs and the whole place seats 334 people. The night I was there were a lot of families, large parties, and dates, enjoying the great food and atmosphere.
Here’s What I Tried:
A traditional Vodka Martini, with 2 olives, the perfect way to start my fantastic food exploration.
Fresh Oyster, Kushi, small, sweet, succulent, just the freshest oyster ever.
Soup Lobster Bisque, with seasoned croutons. A creamy lobster flavor packed delicate soup, just heavenly.
Fried Rice, with Hawaiian teriyaki, mixed vegetables, egg, scallions, micro cilantro, and prawns. This rice has a super amazing zest from the teriyaki sauce, just superb.
Korean Barbecued Kalbi Ribs, boneless grilled ribs, vegetable stir-fry, and micro cilantro. I adore Korean BBQ, and these little darlings did not disappoint.
Coconut Pacific Prawns, with toasted coconut, and sweet firecracker sauce. The presentation of this dish is like a painting, colorful and rich. The flavors are subtle but tropical, a mighty winner.
Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna Tataki, with sesame crusted, ponzu soy, sesame oil, and micro cilantro. I ate the whole plate, it’s a rare find to have this delicate of a tuna.
7 oz. Australian Lobster Tail, with lobster risotto, lobster cream sauce, and micro cilantro, so much lobster flavor, I just want to bathe in it.
Wine:
Barnett Vineyards – Chardonnay, Carneros, 2017, a smooth buttery wine, soft on the palate and perfect for the Lobster Tail.
Testarossa – Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, 2016, a bit more fragrant and tropical but super delicious with the prawns.
Seghesio – Zinfandel, Sonoma County, CA 2016. I was a wine club member for many years so I know this wine very well; it paired nicely with the Kalbi Ribs.
Dessert:
Vanilla Bean Panacotta, this is a super creamy and rich, just the perfect dessert.
The Palm has been open for 2 years; their business is getting better every day. My server Julie was very accommodating. They have a great Happy hour all day on Monday as well.
What a treat, really a superb dining experience, I highly recommend this unique restaurant, truly delicious.
“Come find your Palm, come find your Shade.”
The Palms
115 N Santa Cruz Ave.
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Phone: (408) 402-3811
thepalmslosgatos.com
* Note Some Content Was Taken off of Their Website.
