The Pearl Review
Casual Napa Valley cooking with Southwestern, Hispanic influences.
1339 Pearl St. #104
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 224-9161
Directions to the Pearl
Hours: Tue - Sat 11:30 am to 2:00 pm (lunch), Tue - Th 5:30 pm to 9 pm (dinner), Fri - Sat 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm (dinner)
The Pearl is one of those local favorites that doesn't get that much attention. It's one of our mainstays because although the menu and wine list is limited, the food is usually solid and more homey (in that upscale Napa Valley sort of way). Sometimes, we don't want a lot of whistle and bells with our food. We're looking more for a solid, filling meal rather than a piece of food that aims for a high creativity quotient. We don't want the scene, and the hustle and bustle. We just want a good meal where we can talk. And for that, we have the Pearl. If you're feeling a little bit too much like a tourist and want to feel more like a townie, then you should check it out.
The Pearl food
Appetizers
For appetizers, they have the best steak tacos in town. Tortillas are fresh and homemade, the steak cubes are tender and juicy, and the salsa verde is great. Sometimes, I think I should have two orders of the appetizer and call it a day.
And of course, you can't have a restaurant called The Pearl without oysters. You can go for the fresher, classic style. You can go for a more tricked out fresh oyster with various add-ons. Here's a picture of the Oysters Pearl which has a salsa verde and feta cheese. Tasty enough although I suppose purists would complain that the oysters themselves get a little lost in the heavier dresings.
Here is the guerrero style corn on the cob. This one came out a little more lukewarm than I thought it was going to be which is disappointing because I was expecting something pretty fresh off the grill. The cotija cheese with chili cream actually ended up coming off a little like white cheddar popcorn. I'd pick the oysters and steak tacos over this (although cheap at $3).
Entrees
This is "Jose's famous chicken verde," a favorite of ours. Good simple, solid cooking.
NY Steak strip on rosemary focaccia is good (speaking of which, their rosemary focaccia overall is a pretty good starter bread and sandwich bread). We've had their duck breast which I think has a ginger and pear chutney to go with it. The first time we had it, it was solid, but the second time we had it, the duck was bone dry and was way off, and I thought duck was a forgiving protein in terms of dryness.
So, the food at the Pearl can be a little on the uneven side, but even so, it's still one of our favorites because usually, it's solid, and it's a nice, little unpretentious place to have a satisfying meal.
The Pearl setting and service
The seating area is fairly small where the cramped kitchen is pretty close to the dining area if you like that kind of thing. Service overall is fine overall, but during busier times, the crowd can swamp the small wait staff. The Pearl crowd leans more towards the more conservative and friendly side. It's not a place to see and be seen like say Bouchon or Redd. The more low-key, casual side of the place is one of its main appeal for townies who are recognized by the regular staff there. Since it's small, it can get somewhat loud, but at least you won't be screaming at each other over techno music and the rest of the patrons there. During the nicer months, you can eat outside to get away from the crush.
Price of our meal
- 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 glasses of wine, 1 dessert: about $75
- 6 oysters, 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 glasses of wine : $80
Other Pearl reviews and links
