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Denver DiningBy Madelyn MillerThe Palm The Classic American Steak House has a Western Flair in Denver Walk into The Palm, and you are joining a party that's been going strong for three generations. You are welcomed with a smile, and before you know it, you're raising a glass, swept up and away by the spirit of the place.
I dined with my niece, Heather Jensky, so it was especially nice to eat at a restaurant with such strong family ties. For the past three decades, Wally Ganzi and Bruce Bozzi have turned their grandfathers' original New York steak house on Second Avenue into a thriving empire of 29 restaurants stretching from East Hampton, Long Island to Los Angeles. Which, according to the owner, is the oldest restaurant in New York City that is still in the same family and at the same location for 77 years. But it takes more than great steaks to make a great steak house. "People come here for the fun, the life, the spirit," says one regular. "The Palm is a natural," says another, "nothing fussy, just fresh ingredients, big portions, plus great service and an upbeat crowd.” Upon your first visit to The Palm you should notice its unusual décor. What you notice is that the walls of The Palm Restaurants are covered with hundreds of caricatures of celebrities, politicians, and loyal customers. You might ask, “How did the walls become lined with cartoons?” "When our grandfathers, John Ganzi and Pio Bozzi, started in 1926," Wally Ganzi explains, "they didn't have enough money to decorate. Instead of singing for their supper, the local newspapermen would do a cartoon in exchange for a plate of spaghetti." And the name Palm? "When our grandfathers went down to get a business license, they wanted to call it 'Parma' (after the region in Italy where they migrated from), but the way they pronounced it, it translated into 'Palm', recalls Bruce Bozzi."
When Wally and Bruce took over from their fathers in the early Sixties, The Palm was still a single restaurant. Slowly, they started to expand, first to Washington, D.C in 1972 - partly at the suggestions of then-Ambassador to the UN George Bush, whom Wally recalls as saying that with all the Capital's French restaurants, "We sure could use a great American Restaurant." Next came Palm Too across Second Avenue, then a move to Los Angeles. Today, the empire includes Palms in Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Northbrook, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Denver, Charlotte, San Juan, Mexico City, Times Square, Tysons Corner, San Antonio, Nashville, Orlando, Tampa, Troy and two inns in East Hampton, Long Island. In the precarious restaurant business, what's The Palm's secret? "Consistency - in service, ambiance, the quality of the food. A nice, big lobster and a good steak."
Actually the Denver Palm might be my favorite. Our waitress, Tracy, was so warm and friendly that we felt like “regulars”.(and I would be, if I lived there) Heather loved her Veal Marsala and Chicken Tortellini Soup—a daily special. I was a traditionalist and ordered a strip steak, but even the smaller size was too much to eat. Maybe because I devoured the famous fried onion rings and creamed spinach. The Palm Deluxe The owners of Decade, voted as “Broadway’s best store” (of course I would love a restaurant opened by people with an award winning store) by Westword (the alternative newspaper) readers four years in a row, just opened the newest in hip dining, deluxe. Since Broadway is my favorite shopping street in Denver, I was glad to find this fabulous and funky restaurant. There are big plates like saffron risotto with rock shrimp,($16) and small plates like Chinese slow roasted baby back ribs in a five spice hoisin sauce ($6) You can enjoy the open kitchen, dine at the chef’s counter and feel like part of the culinary process, or grab a cocktail and appetizer before heading to the Mayan. Dylan Moore and Kristen Tait have created a Modern American menu of classic comfort food with global influence. The wine list highlights smaller producers from around the world and is value priced. The service is warm, the space is cool and the food is deluxe. Deluxe Vesta Vesta Dipping Grill, it’s a hip place with a poured concrete bar. The food was more than wonderful. They specialize in grilled items served on skewers with a variety of “exotic” dipping sauces; each one different and delicious. Note especially the Vesta roll: sushi-grade tuna wrapped in some kind of seaweed, with a wasabi cream sauce Photo By Darby Davis The Fort Even though it is 20 minutes from downtown Denver, this is a restaurant I always recommend to anyone who asks me where to eat in Denver. And the drive will only wet your appetite for the huge portions of nationally acclaimed buffalo, beef, elk and salmon. Enter through the gates of the Fort and discover the Early West at this full-size replica of Colorado’s first fur-trading post.
FEEDBACK FROM A
DENVER LOCAL, JOHN GRAHAM
However, the best food in Denver is fish. Despite being 1,000 miles from the ocean we have a greater variety of fresh fish and fish restaurants than almost anywhere in the country. We have fresh Atlantic and Pacific varieties and fish from southern climes. Steak eating is dying out ... though Bison steaks are eaten by the visitors. It is leaner and healthier than beef which mostly comes from large holding pens in the north. Heaven knows what is injected there. The Fort BEST BAKERY Cosmopolitan Bread Café Cosmopolitan Bread Café THE BEST WAY TO TASTE DOZENS OF RESTAURANTS IN ONE NIGHT Cherry Creek Culinary festival WHERE TO STAY The Westin Tabor Center, Denver Hotel Monaco Denver WONDERFUL WEATHER With more than 300 days of sunshine a year, you can almost always count on fair weather A CAPITAL IDEA The Colorado State Capitol stands a mile above sea level with a plaque on the 13th step to mark the spot that is 5,280 feet high. The dome is covered with 200 ounces of pure gold. A beautiful view from the rotunda captures the entire Front Range, from Pikes Peak to the Wyoming border. At 300 east Colfax Avenue. 303-8662604 TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT COLORADO GREAT GUIDEBOOKS Culinary Colorado Hidden Southwest Let's Go Adventure Guide Southwest USA 2003 The Guide to Colorado Wineries Oddball Colorado The Old West |
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From
coast to coast, people know that The Palm is synonymous with prime steaks
and outrageously outsized lobsters. What many don't realize is that The
Palm is thoroughly family-bred. It has been run by the sons and now by the
grandsons of both founding partners.
The
steaks weren't even part of the original concept. "When a newspaperman
would ask for a steak," Wally explains, "my grandfather would run up Second
Avenue to a butcher shop, buy a steak and cook it to order." So that's
where the steak house got started. 
Most
important, though, is the friendly, upbeat attitude - people come to The
Palm to have a good time. "Come in by yourself," says Wally Ganzi, "and
we'll take care of you. Let us know when you're going to another city,
we'll make you feel at home."