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Very Best Restaurants: The Palm

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The Palm **
Washington, $$

At this bastion of the power lunch, the national-class steak is a 36-ounce, top-prime, dry-aged New York strip served sliced for two. With a thickness that allows the broiler to create the dark, delicious crustsealing in a juice-filled, medium-rare interiorthis may well be the best cut offered at any of the city's steakhouses.

Since its opening 25 years ago, the Palm also has specialized in oversize lobsters, the smallest of which are usually over four pounds. Apart from the fun of watching a bibbed trencherman polish off one of these monsters, there's a sound reason behind such gargantuan offerings: The larger the lobster, the greater the ratio of meat to shell. A five-pound or six-pound lobster shared by twothe kitchen will gladly accommodateis a better value than a pair of two-pound lobsters. And don't fall for the myth that large lobsters are tough; properly cooked, the large ones are as tender as the smallest chicken lobster.

The Palm's reputation for steak and lobster overshadows the Italian-American dishes on its menu. But its linguine with garlic-and-oregano-powered marinara sauce or chopped-clam sauce and strapping servings of premium veal, either veneered with mozzarella or hidden under a blanket of mushrooms and Marsala sauce, would not be out of place at a good restaurant in Manhattan's Little Italy.

The Palm , 1225 19th St. NW, Washington; 202-293-9091. Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for dinner. MapIt!

QUALITY: ****Excellent; *** Superior; **Very Good; * Good
PRICE RANGE: $$$= Very Expensive; $$ Expensive; $=Moderate; ¢=Inexpensive

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