The prime East Liberty restaurant space that’s sat vacant since the pan-Asian restaurant Plum Pan Asian Kitchen closed in 2018 is set to get a glitzy new life with the anticipated opening of Palm Palm this spring.
The Palm Springs-themed restaurant is a project from Ritual House owners Herky and Lisa Pollock and the restaurant’s chef and front-of-house managers, Ed and Amanda Smith, respectively.
“If Palm Springs and Palm Beach had a baby and you incorporated some nostalgia into it, that’s what you’ll find,” says Herky Pollock.
That design is inspired by the work of photographer Slim Aarons, who featured high-society and jet-set destinations in his work. Some highlights of the concept’s design aesthetic include mid-century modern furniture, warm woods and gold and brass accents.
“Much like Ritual House, we’re going for an eclectic setting that appeals to all ages and lifestyles,” Pollock says. “The concept sounds like it’s upscale, but high style and fashion doesn’t need to be unapproachable. It’ll be affordable in a way that everyone will feel welcome.”
Ed Smith, executive chef of Ritual House, will run the kitchen at Palm Palm. His menu will draw from international coastal cuisine with deep influences of California and South America. Pollock says that small plates and shareable items will be the nexus of the menu.
Guests in either of the two private dining rooms located inside the kitchen will have the opportunity to see Smith at work.
Pollock says the reactivation of the long-vacant East Liberty space will inject some of the same energy that helped kick off a resurgence in Pittsburgh food.
“This to me is the epicenter of Pittsburgh dining. When you think about where the specialty restaurants of the modern era started, it was in the East End,” he says. “It truly is an area where people like to go out and enjoy themselves. We are excited for the opportunity to help provide that.”
The restaurant will also mark a long-awaited return to the area for Pollock – the real estate broker, developer and restaurateur got his start working as a hot dog vendor on Walnut Street in Shadyside when he was a teenager.
First Published: December 10, 2024, 5:28 p.m.
Updated: December 11, 2024, 1:08 p.m.
