The Palm steakhouse chain has taken inspiration from both the summer season and a recent film release to craft two first-time promotional menus.
In a tie-in with the movie “No Reservations,” the 27-unit steakhouse chain has developed an inaugural children’s menu that draws on the input of co-star Abigail Breslin, the 11-year-old actress who also was nominated for an Oscar for her work in the film “Little Miss Sunshine.”
At the same time, The Palm is offering a number of lighter accompaniments for its traditional Palm Summer Menu extravaganza, which features new appetizers, salads, side dishes and desserts.
“We’ve done summer promotions before,” says Palm marketing director Randy Goldman. “But this is the first year we’ve done a full menu. It’s a new stage of culinary innovation.”
The new summer menu promotions began with the restaurants’ popular lobster-for-two promotion, now in its sixth year. During the months of June and July, guests were able to order a 4-pound jumbo Nova Scotia lobster, split for two, for $90. Customers also had the option to increase the size of the lobster order—five pounds for $105 or six pounds for $125.
While Tammero and his team were responsible for devising the new summer menus, Breslin helped produce The Palm’s first children’s menu. She worked with Tammero on the eight-item menu, which was launched July 24 at participating locations.
Tammero says Breslin visited the West Side Palm in New York with her parents and talked with him about the kinds of dishes she liked. “She said she liked her mom’s macaroni and cheese,” he says. “She also liked sweet potato fries. So we created two new dishes for her.”
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Over the six-year life of the summer lobster promotion, The Palm has sold more than a million pounds of lobster, corporate executive chef Tony Tammero says.
However, during August and September The Palm has added a second two-for-$90 summer promotion that features a combination of Alaskan king crab legs and a 16-ounce USDA Prime Italian marinated skirt steak.
Tammero says he and his staff began working on the accompaniments for the menu last December, finally testing the new recipes in four restaurants for three months. “We were able to decide which items we liked the best and which sold the best,” he says.
Some of the more summer-centric sides include baby green salad with marinated eggplant, navy beans and lemon vinaigrette; summer orchard slaw with diced apple, shredded cabbage and chopped green onions; arugula salad with water-melon, feta and pear-infused vinaigrette; and seasonal vegetables including sugar snap peas, red pepper, sweet onion and wild mushrooms.
The menu also includes four seasonal cocktails, including strawberry mint lemonade, a watermelon mojito, and a white cosmopolitan for $12. A raspberry margarita sells for $13.50.
The Palm Summer Kids Menu will also feature a child-friendly version of The Palm strawberry mint lemonade cocktail.
“It was an absolute pleasure to work with Abigail, who is a tremendous young talent, both on screen and in the kitchen,” Tammero adds.
Although the children’s menu is expected to be available for only a limited amount of time, Goldman says The Palm might keep it if it turns out to be popular.
PALM SUMMER IT’S HOT PALM SUMMER DINNER FOR TWO Alaskan King Crab Legs & 16 oz. USDA Prime Italian Marinated Skirt Steak Dinner $90 Served with choice of two summer salads and two summer sides PALM SUMMER MENUTEMPTING APPETIZERS Pistachio-Encrusted Portobello Mushroom 10 prosciutto, imported mozzarella di bufala and roasted tomato sauce Soft Shell Crab 12 chef’s preparation of the day Baby Green Salad 9 marinated eggplant, navy beans and lemon vinaigrette Arugula Salad 9 watermelon, feta and pear-infused vinaigrette IRRESISTIBLE SIDES Served family-style for two or more Summer Orchard Slaw 5.50 diced apple, shredded cabbage and chopped green onions Parmesan Truffle Fries 8.50 imported Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, drizzled with truffle oil Broccoli 8 with bacon and shallots INDULGENT DESSERTS Caramel Ginger Apple Cobbler à la Mode 9.5 Brownie Cheesecake Sundae 9.5 PALM SUMMER Cocktails Strawberry Mint Lemonade 12 Watermelon Mojito 12 This menu is inspired by Warner Bros. Pictures’ summer release “No Reservations” and was created by the film’s co-star Abigail Breslin along with Palm executive chef Tony Tammero TICKET PRICE $20STARRING Choice of One Grilled Filet Mignon Medallions Petite Salmon | Baked Macaroni & Cheese CO-STARRING Choice of One Sweet Potato Fries | Palm Steak Fries DIRECTED BY Choice of One Steamed Asparagus | Summer Veggies GRAND FINALE Choice of One Palm Summer Apple Cobbler à la Mode Palm Summer Brownie Cheesecake Sundae Order a special Palm Summer Kids Drink—Strawberry Lemonade $6
