Black Pearl

After a glowing review in the New York Times' $25 and Under column; Goldie, Smunch and I decided to brave the crowds and give Hill Country a try. Touted as "one of the best barbecue places to open in New York City in a long time" we were curious to see if it lived up to the hype. We were not alone. Arriving at 7:45pm on a Thursday we were told that it would be at least an hour and fifteen minute wait and since we didn't want to wait quite that long and instead we went across the street to Black Pearl.

RRR and I have had lobster roll at Black Pearl a long time ago; when it was a window within Julep, an East Village dive bar. The owners must have had some success there and opened a true blue restaurant in Chelsea. Or at least I am pretty certain these guys are one and the same.

We were seated promptly which was surprising since I would have thought Black Pearl would see more impatient diners from Hill Country. We HAD to have the lobster roll so three orders with fries and a side of haricot verts for yours truly.

The restaurant space might have increased but the portions have certainly decreased. The roll was decent but not as buttery or toasted as I would have preferred. The lobster meat was sweet and with just enough mayo to coat the lobster without being overwhelming. But overall, the lobster was a bit (well) underwhelming.

The fries were thin and crispy with a nice crispy coating and just enough salt. And the string beans were decent with toasted pignolis added to the veggies to give it a bit more punch. Overall a 'decent' meal and I stress decent - passable, good fare but nothing outstanding.

Perhaps I am spoiled by my Cape Cod lobster roll?

Dessert fared much better than our main courses. We shared a raspberry and plum cobbler and a slice of key lime pie. The key lime was more of a tart than a slice of pie and was sweet with just the right amount of limey tartness. The raspberry plum cobbler was quite good with rich creamy vanilla ice cream, a generous amount of cake to absorb the oozy berry syrup. The plum added a nice sour balance to the sweetness of the raspberry.