The Pearl Restaurant — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

We had a horrible experience at this restaurant. Food was below average and way overpriced. We started with the Coquilles St. Jacques (scallops), which were bland and tasteless, and the fried artichokes, which were very greasy. For the entrees we ordered the short rib special, which was okay, and the filet mignon special, rare-warm, which was supposed to come on top of a portobello mushroom with a boursin cheese sauce and wine reduction. The first plate that came out was not the special, it was just a filet mignon. The server realized right away and took it back. The second filet was the special but it was over cooked, and the server apologized and insisted to take it back. The hostess, who I believe may be the chef's wife, but I'm not sure, came to the table insisting that the steak was cooked properly and that we couldn't tell because of the lighting. We told her that we disagreed . The third filet arrived and was ice cold! The server agreed and insisted again to take it back. The chef/owner then proceeded to come to our table, yelling at us, holding the filet in his hand, insisting that it was cooked properly and that we didn't know what we were talking about. We were in absolute shock! Never have I encountered such a rude and arrogant man or been treated in such a way that made me fearful in a restaurant. We left a tip for the server and then walked outside of the restaurant and they sent a man out yelling that they were going to call the police because we did not pay our bill. I walked back into the restaurant to pay and was again yelled at and insulted by the chef and hostess. He just couldn't deal with the fact that he did not know how to cook a steak properly so blamed us. It is very sad that in our wonderful community of Gulfport, we now have business owners who think it is acceptable to berate their customers in order to...

The Pearl Restaurant – Gulfport

We’d been eyeing The Pearl for a long time, after seeing their posts on the Tierra Verde Community Group page, we finally made it in for dinner. It’s easy to find, just off Gulfport’s main path, with plenty of free parking—and a big plus, the location is high and dry, so no worries about weather!

The Pearl is actually a longtime staple in the area. It used to be on Treasure Island before the floods and hurricanes forced the entire plaza there to be leveled. Thankfully, they’ve found their new home here in Gulfport, and the restaurant feels just as special as ever.

The atmosphere is warm and inviting. Even without a reservation, we were able to get a table for two at 6:30 p.m. The dining room was already lively, and for anyone waiting, there’s also a small bar with a few stools to grab a drink.

The service and food lived up to the reputation. We started with the grilled Caesar salad, brie, spring rolls, and escargot—all delicious, the grilled Ceasar was outstanding. For entrées, the special lamb fillet with mashed potatoes and asparagus was tender and perfectly cooked, while the bouillabaisse seafood stew was flavorful and light.

We were trying to be good, but it was Saturday night… so we wrapped up by sharing dessert—beignets with salted caramel ice cream and toasted nuts. While I’ll always love beignets on their own, this was a fun and tasty twist. Add in their great wine and cocktail selection, and it was the perfect evening.

The Pearl will be closed briefly for vacation, but will reopen in October, ready for the season. We’ll...

Moroccan Throwback

The Pearl has been around for many years, previously on Treasure Island and now in Gulfport. The menu seems to be a mix of Moroccan and French food. It feels a bit like traveling back to the 1980’s. There’s no way to make a reservation online, checks are handwritten, servers aren’t covered in tattoos… Some throwback practices are great here like bread service and completely composed meals with a protein, starch & veg.

Happy hour wine is only $5 for a generous pour. We compared the $5 happy hour Cabernet to a $10 Cab on the regular menu and liked the happy hour one better. We started with an appetizer of the fig with cheese wrapped in bacon with a balsamic drizzle. I would have preferred Manchego cheese rather than the cream cheese that was a bit overwhelming, but it was still very good.

There’s an early bird menu that is quite nice for $15. My wife ordered the Chicken Marsala with couscous and veggies off that menu. It came with a nice salad. For my main I had the Lamb Tagine off the regular menu which also included a salad. The tagine was a large portion with coucous, a wonderful gravy and lots of veggies. I would have preferred lamb pieces instead of the lamb shank that was served which was a bit fatty and a pain to cut the meat from the bone. I hope that they’ll bring back a chicken tagine.

Overall, it was a very good meal for a reasonable price. I’d...