Twin Palms Update: Projected Opening, Notable General Manager Hired

It’s been over five months since Patch broke the news that beloved Pasadena restaurant Twin Palms was re-opening with the same name and a new owner and much has changed since then.

See original coverage of Twin Palms’ re-opening here.

For starters, Twin Palms did not open in January as planned and is still not open but owner Sam Khachatrian told Patch via email that they are hoping for late May. 

Major renovations—kitchen, electrical, plumbing, audio/video—have been completed and Khachatrian is “simply waiting for the city to issue [his] permits,” he shared with Patch.

Twin Palms has also acquired former Patina sommelier Eric Espuny as general manager.

Most recently, Espuny was manager and sommelier at Pasadena’s Langham Huntington Hotel restaurant The Royce before its March transformation into a steakhouse.

Read more about The Royce’s new chef and concept here.

Espuny was chosen as one of the Sommeliers of the Year in 2012 by Food & Wine Magazine and “has worked exclusively at Michelin-starred restaurants since his first year of employment,” Twin Palms shared on its facebook page this week.

Twin Palms' food is now described as “contemporary California seasonal cuisine” as opposed to the “Mediterranean flair” cuisine Khachatrian previously had in mind.

The identity of the new executive chef is not being disclosed yet but Khachatrian said he would update Patch soon.

“We will work with local farmers to provide fresh and healthy ingredients and we will also include vegetarian dishes on our menu,” Twin Palms shared via facebook. “We will push the restaurant’s standard of excellence to ensure that guests have a truly memorable dining experience.”

Twin Palms’ new website will be up in about a week and they plan to share updates there and on their facebook page.

“I am very happy with what I have created and I am excited and anxious to ‘open the doors’,” Khachatrian said.

Check back on Patch for more updates.

What do you think of these developments for the new Twin Palms? Are you interested in the cuisine they will be serving? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.