Pearl Oyster Bar

18 Cornelia Street
(212)  691-8211
(They don’t take reservations; on a Monday night, around 7:30, there was a 30 minute wait.)

Pearl Oyster Bar bears the slightly outrageous claim of “The Best Lobster Roll in NYC”.  It’s only outrageous if you’ve never been there, say fans. 

Not only had I never been there, but I’d also never had a lobster roll before.  So, POB had some wangling to do to convince me, since I’m basically a lobster purist: grill it or steam it, that’s how I eat ’em.  A squirt of lemon, a dip in butter, and I’m happy as can be.  What?  You want to add mayo to it, stick it on a hot dog bun, and call it great?  My inner critic- who’m I kidding, I’m a cynic through-and-through- laughed, nay, scoffed at this notion. 

However, after hearing about its greatness constantly from a close friend, on a whim for last night’s very last minute dinner, a few friends and I gamely waited our half hour.  The street is a small one behind West 4th, so look closely or you might miss it… We were surprised to see exactly how packed the place was.  It’s not lobster season, and it wasn’t exactly a lobster night- so I thought.  Regardless, a busy place is a good sign. 

LL suggested starting with oysters, since we were at, well, Pearl Oyster Bar.  I was game- despite hating raw oysters the past few times I’d tried them, that was years ago, and recently, so many people have been telling me to try again.  So, why not?  I’ve had good experiences trying things I didn’t think I liked, based on past attempts, so we gave it a go and ordered the Malpec? oysters, which were the “market oysters” that day.  1/2 dozen for $9.50.

And… my reaction:

Just kidding.  That was before I slurped any of them down- they were actually quite yummy.  I’d definitely eat them again.  I feel like, the last time I had raw oysters, they were plumper and chewier, whereas these were thin, and more of a cool, briny taste rather than a gross, slimy, fishy taste.  I’m happy I braved the attempt and actually enjoyed them, to boot.  (I had the first one completely plain; second one with just lemon juice; third with lemon juice and malt vinegar.  I liked it the third time the best- there was also cocktail sauce, but I’m not a fan of cocktail sauce in general, so I opted to leave that out.) 

We also opted for the crabcake small plate, since ShB doesn’t/won’t eat raw oysters.  $14

The fist-sized crabcake was almost perfectly round, with an absolutely great crust on the outside.  It was super crispy, but filled with lump crab meat, the good kind, without any breadcrumbs to speak of.  It was absolutely delicious, with a delightful tartar sauce on the side which was yummy, but unnecessary.  The center “cole slaw” appeared to be of jicama, something I’ve recently discovered a fondness for, so all around, happy stomachs. 

But now, what we were really here for- on to the main courses!

LL opted for the grilled 1.5 lb. lobster with corn pudding. 

$27 (market price)

She’d said earlier that she wasn’t sure to get it boiled or grilled (the options on the menu), so I suggested grilled because done right, grilling seafood imparts such a lovely flavor to the already sweet meat.  LL said that while it was different from boiling/steaming, she didn’t taste much of a difference overall.  The biggest difference was that it wasn’t as “wet”- normally, when eating lobster that’s been steamed or boiled, when you crack open the claw, all this liquid gushes out.  But with this, it was dry, but “not in a bad way” she added.  The corn pudding was good; it “tastes like corn”. 

But… the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

lobster roll, $22 (also market price- the prices are not on the menu, you have to ask)

ShB and I both kind of just stared at our plate.  The easiest thing to start eating were the shoestring fries, there was a huge mound on both of our plates.  They were delicious, reminding us of “PotatoStix”- those chips we used to eat as a kid.  So yummy!  We munched away for a bit before finally, I pulled the lettuce off of my lobster roll and attempted to pick it up.  I ate it as an open sandwich, and oh my gosh, something about it just makes me want more right now.  Maybe they laced it with addicting substances, I don’t care, I want one.  The lobster was tender; it looks like a lot of mayo but it doesn’t taste like it, at all.  It isn’t slimy/gooey from mayo, it’s just right.  The lobster meat’s sweet succulence shines through on a buttery (top cut? I couldn’t tell you by looking, but based on taste, it must have been- I tasted the top of the bread in bites taken from either side) “hot dog” bun, that must also have had some butter added.  The garlic chives sprinkled throughout look insubstantial but lend their flavor to creating the absolute perfect overall taste in your mouth.  I was in heaven. 

The only downside is that because it looks like it’s going to fall apart, once I picked it up, I didn’t want to put it down.  I inhaled it a bit faster than I’d have liked, but I did pause at times to use my free hand to eat fries.  Seriously, this was so good, I’d be ready to go back tonight. 

After finishing my lobster roll and picking at my fries for a while, all three of us were stuffed… but there’s always room for dessert! 

butterscotch sundae with pralines

We were debating what pralines were, when finally I just asked the waitress.  She kindly informed us that it was pecans, basically coated in sugar.  When it came, it wasn’t exactly what I’d expected nor what she’d described- it appeared that a bunch of pecans were laid out, melted sugar poured over them, and hardened into a brick which was then smashed/broken up into chunks for sprinkling on top.  Don’t get me wrong, this was not a bad thing, but just unexpected.  The overall effect was deliciously gooey with crunchy bits of pecan-sugar chunks sticking to our teeth.  I really liked this dessert. 

Our other choice was a Belgian bittersweet chocolate mousse.  I stupidly, stupidly tried the sundae first, so the mousse was pretty bitter when I got to it, plus the overall plating was very unappealing.  After a few more bites, it wasn’t bad, and the thick (homemade?) whipped cream was a nice accompaniment, but the plating could have done with a few berries, a sprig of mint, something, even just being put in a bowl instead of the center of a plate.  Honestly, when it first came, I exclaimed something very rude in another language, stating it looked like… a plop of poop.  That’s kind of how it was displayed!  But aside from this one very minor negative point, the rest of the meal, even this part actually, was delicious.  I was thrilled with the place, the waitress was nice and attentive, she was effusively thanking us as we left (though we left a fairly normal tip, I thought), everyone was extremely friendly.  LL gave me a lovely bouquet of flowers, and the host asked if it was my birthday and kept wishing me happy birthday and have a nice night, which was very nice as well. 

The overall atmosphere was very laidback, casual; like they didn’t take themselves too seriously, and to have fun.  The space was packed, and a bit cramped- we could easily hear those around us chattering away (some of them annoying, I might add: one lady proclaimed that “If you’re a pretty girl, you don’t ever do anything with your life because you don’t have to, you get by on being pretty” which I laughed and told my friends, uh, look at us, hello?), but despite my general dislike for close quarters while dining, this was more… cozy.  I didn’t feel uncomfortable by how small our table was, nor crowded… and best of all, they didn’t rush us, despite the fact that plenty of people were still waiting when we left.  Our meal was relaxed, delicious, and very cozy and friendly all around. 

Yvo says:  Definitely, definitely, definitely go here if you like seafood.  Oh my gosh, it was fantastic: fun, laidback, delicious,… I don’t know how to explain it, but I really liked this place and it has secured a place on my list as a standard for “Where should we go?”  It might be a bit pricy: two appetizers, three “big plates”, two desserts, one glass of wine, and two Sprites (served in 8 oz. old fashioned glass bottles), came out to $150, including tax and tip.  $50 a person, but we ate like queens and enjoyed every last morsel. 
highly recommended