A True "Gem," or should I say "Pearl?"

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Forgive me.  

Why?  

Because I did not take nearly enough pictures while dining at Miss Pearl’s Restaurant and Lounge in Oakland, CA and I am regretting every bite (well, not really…).  

In my defense I was at a business dinner and thought it may be semi-weird to whip out my iPhone and take pics of every single item that arrived at the table.  But, regardless of a photo or not, each course deserves a mention.

We started with the Fried Louisiana Catfish appetizer served with a cajun tartar sauce.  I don’t think I’ve ever had catfish before so I was pretty excited to give it a try.  It was lightly battered then dipped in a cornmeal coating.  I’m going to be honest here – the catfish was GREAT, but I was not a fan of the cornmeal coating.  The texture reminded me of spending the day at the beach and getting sand stuck in my teeth – a bit too gritty for me.  But, the overall flavor was definitely there.

It’s been a while since I ordered clam chowder (not something you see very often in Salt Lake and if you do – eat at your own risk) so I knew I had to give it a shot while in CA.  And clam chowder it was! With Hobbs bacon (Hobbs is a San Francisco-based meat company) and herb oil, this chowder was EAST COAST GOOD.  I slurped up every.last.bit.

I was in the mood for a quality steak – and boy did I get it.  A Grilled Flatiron Steak with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and red wine sauce.  I expected the steak to arrive looking more like a flank steak, thinly sliced at an angle, but this flatiron steak arrived looking more like a filet.  Fine with me!

It was cooked to the most perfect medium rare.  I mean look at that sear.  And the middle…it was the most beautiful warm red center I have seen in a long time.  Kudos Miss Pearl!

After the catfish, chowder and steak there is no way I was fitting in any dessert, but if I did have room I would have gone for the Mud Cake – vanilla custard, coffee ice cream and crushed pralines.  Just in case you were wondering…

Miss. Pearl’s Restaurant & Lounge
1 Broadway
Oakland, CA

One thought on “A True "Gem," or should I say "Pearl?"”

  1. MMMMM cajun tarter sauce – that sounds DECLICIOUS! was it spicy? Thats right up my alley!! Sorry your catfish appetizer wasn't as mouth watering as your clam chowda! I loved your description of the cormeal coating though. I could practically taste that sandy/gritty texture in my mouth. I made a mental note to forever avoid items that offer cornmeal coating! I hope the coating didnt take away too much from your catfish, or that cajun tarter sauce (which I would have probably just drank).NE good clam chowda huh? Serve me up some!! Was the chowda thick, or thin? I personally perfer thick (and now that you know that I am sure you can sleep better!)Your steak looks TO DIE FOR! Perfect temperature; it does look more like a filet, but that's a win for you!Dessert sounded amazing, sorry you had to skip it.

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