By Shayne Benowitz and Amy Zavatto
June 13, 2019
Image from TimeOut article.
In the tiny space that once housed Seven Fish (which moved to Eaton Street), magical two-year-old Little Pearl is the kind of spot that feels at once like a special-occasion treat and somewhere you want to be all the time. Owners Tommy Quartararo and Kristen Onderdonk followed the successful compass of their sister spot, Thirsty Mermaid, with fresh flavors and techniques that let them shine. But where the lovely Mermaid floats along on a casual wave, the Pearl shines like a precious stone. Start with the seared, tender Bangkok octopus curled around a posey of mung beans, mint, basil and cilantro and gently draped in a coconut-chili sauce, or take a cue from the eatery’s name and order the baked oysters with bright pickled onion, mustard seed and wilted greens. The ample shrimp on stone ground grits with savory, salty lardon and a buerre blanc sauce is sigh-worthy, but you might want to order an extra crab, shrimp and lobster pot pie to spoon into at home when you find yourself thinking about it in the middle of the night.