Pearl's Southern Comfort

Our own Danny Beck (jhawk1) has finally opened the long awaited Pearl's Southern Comfort featuring NOLA/cajun cuisine. I was meeting a friend for a drink who works at Gethsemane gardens and we decided to stop there tonight. She'd eaten a late lunch and wasn't really hungry so we sat at the bar for a drink and some food for me.

First for those of you who know Toons, Danny's other restaurant, this is a step up in decor and ambiance. It's much more of a restaurant that a sports bar and although there are still tv's behind the bar, the sound was off and it was easy to converse and hear each other. There's a bar on the north side that seats around 20 and beautiful exposed wood banquettes & tables facing the bar. When we arrived at 6 the bar was half full and there were 3 or 4 tables, by the time we left at 7:45 the place was full with a nice buzzy vibe.

They have a good drinks menu and they've clearly upped their bar game here with homemade bitter and syrups. I had a excellent sazerac to start made with rye whiskey, cognac, sugar, bitters and absinthe, I was really impressed with this version. We split the pimento cheese spread with house pickles, it came with slices of toasted french bread, another winner. For my second drink I had Pearls original orange blossom special made with Templeton rye, ramazotti amaro, dry curaçao and bitters, I was a little worried this might be too sweet, but it wasn't, they were two for two with the drinks. I tried the Shrimp Po’Boy which had fried shrimp in a cornmeal batter, lettuce, tomato and creole remoulade, the shrimp were amazing, the crispy cornmeal coating was flavorful, but it still let the taste of the shrimp shine through, the were also perfectly cooked. I didn't ask, but I know Danny sources gulf shrimp for Toons and from their taste and beautiful color under the cornmeal coating I assume he does the same for Pearl's.

This is a nice addition to the neighborhood, I look forward to trying more of the menu and seeing how their hurricanes taste.

Pearl's Southern Comfort
5352 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 754-7419

We are going next Tuesday 5/19 so I will try to post a brief review. Looking forward to it!

We are heading here on Saturday evening. Anyone have anything to report?

LynnB wrote:We are heading here on Saturday evening. Anyone have anything to report?

Was there tonight. Food was great. We loved just about everything we ate. I liked the fusing of the New Orleans classic dishes with this kitchen's distinctive touches and thoughtful, skilled technique. Looking forward to returning and trying some tempting items we didn't get to tonight.

I should disclose that Danny Beck is a friend, as is Jonathan Zaragoza, who is spending some time in the kitchen at Pearl's this summer. A few dishes were sent out to our group gratis.

=R=

Great minds think alike! Mbh and a friend, Teresa, laikom and I decided to hit Pearl's for a bite (or 12) last night as well. And we made a nice dent in the menu, thanks to having a good-sized group. I echo Ronnie's comments, including the fact that we got a couple of comps to try some items that Jonathan worked on and everything was delicious. Highlights for me were the sides--mac and cheese, terrific greens (both on the blackened catfish platter that we really ordered primarily for the sides--though the catfish was pretty good-not my favorite fish and not a huge "blackened fish" fan), dirty farro, sweet cornbread and the Boudin ball appetizer were all delicious. I also really liked the Nashville Hot Chicken which was a special but one they're considering adding to the menu. Drinks were well balanced and generous--I tried both the Sazerac and the Vieux Carre and both were excellent. Compliments to Danny on the space as well--it's lovely and and we had no trouble hearing each other in a full, buzzy room. Very happy for all involved and look forward to returning!

We went recently and really enjoyed it. Started with the pimento cheese. Mr. X had the jambalaya which he declared almost as good as his. I had the blackened catfish that came with mac & cheese and greens. All three components were great. We had dessert, details of which are hazy. I believe it was an ice cream sundae. I remember it was delicious and we had no problem finishing it. Drinks were tasty. We are so excited to have Pearl's around the corner from us!

Echoing the praise above, Pearl's really impressed. You could really tell that a lot of care went into the creation and execution of each dish. I am actually quite surprised that they were firing so high after only recently opening. Great as is, and if it gets any better this will certainly rank among the top Chicago has to offer.

Made a return visit to Pearl's last night. We split the Nashville Hot that was a Monday night special at $5. That was an excellent piece of chicken. Mr. X was in the mood for a burger and fries. Burger was perfectly done at the requested medium rare. I was in the mood for a salad and went with the smoked chicken cobb. Quality components, but I wanted something brighter to counteract the salty/creamy dominance. He had a beer; I had a Pimm's Cup, which was nicely balanced. All in all, another pleasant visit. We learned that they are waiting on the final city inspection for the opening of the rooftop. Hopefully soon...

I am so happy Pearl's is a short walk from our house! It has become a regular in our rotation. The last couple of visits found us sitting at the bar and having a bowl of gumbo, mac and cheese or a sandwich. The rooftop deck is finally open, just in time for the cold, gale force autumn winds off the lake. We're looking forward to enjoying it next year.

I went to Pearl's with a group of 4. We ordered a wide variety of offerings on the menu. Everyone was very pleased - especially with the fried chicken, cornbread, greens, jambalaya, blackened cat fish, as well as another fish dish that the kitchen blackened when requested rather than prepare with whatever sauce was listed on the menu. For my taste, though, next time I would request that the blackening spice be somewhat hotter. Our round of cocktails was pleasing, too. The noise level also lively but not off-putting. Definitely a place I'm looking forward to returning to.

The Nashville Hot Chicken that is one of Pearl's Monday's specials has got to be one of the best $6 spent. I'm a bit of a spice wimp -- love it, but have to deal with a runny nose and flushed face. The Nashville Hot, a couple of beers and a winning Cubs team made for a great Monday night.

The GP wrote:The Nashville Hot Chicken that is one of Pearl's Monday's specials has got to be one of the best $6 spent. I'm a bit of a spice wimp -- love it, but have to deal with a runny nose and flushed face. The Nashville Hot, a couple of beers and a winning Cubs team made for a great Monday night.

You must have been sitting just down the bar from me last night. I had the hot chicken as well (started off with the boudin balls for good measure).

The combination of Cubs and Pearl's has been working very well for me, so I'll likely be found there again.

Were they back to the regular hot chicken last night? My wife and I LOVE their rendition and went on 10/5 but they were doing special Nashville hot wings - still amazing, but not the same.

In general, we feel very lucky to have such a great place right down the block from us. Fantastic addition to a neighborhood that really needed it.

KevinM wrote:Were they back to the regular hot chicken last night? My wife and I LOVE their rendition and went on 10/5 but they were doing special Nashville hot wings - still amazing, but not the same.

In general, we feel very lucky to have such a great place right down the block from us. Fantastic addition to a neighborhood that really needed it.

Definitely regular hot chicken last night.

More positives: I've been four times now-well, once for a post-Jin Thai cocktail w/ mbh (where Jonathan was kind enough to bring out a complimentary farmer's salad which was fantastic and truly local and seasonal). The cocktails are particularly impressive - sazerac, orange blossom, peach amaro smash, heat stroke, droppin' beats . . . I've been very impressed with all of these, and particularly the fact that Pearl's avoids making cloyingly sweet cocktails that can be found so many other places.

As for the food, some of my favorite items have been:

Boudin balls - crisp & delicious, though I wish the accompanying remoulade delivered a little more horseradish. But the fritters hardly need an accompaniment.

Cornbread - plenty of corn kernels in this just dry enough cornbread. It hardly needs the Crystal hot sauce-butter, but I really like the cornbread for its great corn flavor.

Shrimp po'boy - a very generous sandwich just packed with freshly battered and fried shrimp. There were so many shrimp on this sandwich I had to eat some on their own before eating this as a sandwich. No, I'm not complaining. The po'boys come with fries. I normally detest "seasonings" (other than salt) on fries, but the spicy Cajun seasoning is delicious and has some real kick to it. This may be the first time in my life I have ever recommended ordering seasoned fries.

Nutter butter pie - Are they making this there? A chocolate cookie crust, a dense peanut butter filling, peanuts and a few miniature nutter butters. I am normally not a fan of chocolate-peanut butter pies, but this one is fantastic, much better than any similar version I've ever tried . . . certainly more elegant.

Other items:

I've had the gumbo, but I honestly can't recall what I thought of it. Sorry. Along the same lines, I've had tastes of the jambalaya and mac & cheese but not enough for me to render a judgment.

The New Orleans BBQ shrimp is good, but not one of the best versions I've tried. The accompanying bread for dipping is unimpressive (very soft and little flavor), and if you've ever had this dish, you know that one of the very best parts is dipping the bread in the leftover sauce. They should find some better French bread. The sauce is respectable. I can say I've enjoyed other sauces better, and I don't know why I've preferred them to Pearl's version, but Pearl's version is still solid and delicious.

Finally, the smoked pork poutine wasn't a big hit for my table. The pulled pork is exactly what you'd expect from these guys - delicious! The curds are terrific too. But instead of fries, they use chicharrones. The problem is that just so many (most) of the chicharrones became soft and mushy in the mixture so that the dish was very lacking in texture. Flavor-wise, this poutine is terrific. But I think it would be a much better dish served with fries or converted to nachos and served with chips.

As for the vibe, I love the decor. And I think they have a terrific staff. It's been mostly packed every time I've been there (except for when we visited for just a cocktail), which is great. I wish them continued success. I'm sure I'll be visiting them often.

Hit Pearl's for an early dinner tonight. Place was hopping, which was great to see. They've updated the menu, though this isn't reflected online as of yet. They've got a Caesar salad now - full, weird disclosure: my favorite food - that is damn good and some new sandwich options.

Sazerac for my wife and a few well made Manhattans for me. This place is still a gem for Edgewater.

Pearl's is a regular stop for us. I'm a fan of the blackened catfish as it comes with sides of their excellent greens and mac and cheese. Mr. X had the Crawfish Monica special, which was delicious. I had noticed the changed menu as well and look forward to trying some new things.

The GP wrote:Mr. X had the Crawfish Monica special, which was delicious.

Wow Crawfish Monica, a taste of New Orleans Jazzfest in Chicago! I need to get over here ASAP.

Had a hankering for the wings at Pearl's after having them a few weeks ago. Bonus for us on Thursday night is that they were on special. I had an order of wings and a side of greens, Mr. X had gumbo and a Caesar salad. A couple of beers and a nice chat with Danny rounded off another pleasant visit.

The GP wrote:Pearl's is a regular stop for us. I'm a fan of the blackened catfish

Terrific Sunday brunch at Pearl's Southern Comfort with the bride, highlight perfectly cooked rich almost buttery tasting blackened catfish served along side silky smooth scrambled eggs and creamy cheese grits. Three seemingly simple dishes that are surprisingly difficult to nail in a restaurant setting.

Rest of the meal rocked, especially Annie Beck's White Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding, and Danny Beck is the ultimate host, I will be thinking about Pearl's blackened catfish for weeks to come.


Pearl's Southern Comfort, Count me a Fan!

I've been there twice in the last month;both for brunch.First time had the Cajun omelet which was quite large and quite good.Last Sunday tried the fried chicken with gravy,biscuit,and mac and cheese which was delicious.They brought out a steak knife for the chicken.Didn't need it as a fork was all that was needed to cut thru the moist chicken.Real good place to being friends with.Alot of different choices to choose from on the lunch menu.

After our move from Edgewater to Los Angeles, there's not a restaurant we miss more than Pearl's. Glad to see it's getting some love! Can't wait to come back and visit.

Apparently I’ve been mistaking all these references to Pearls over the last few years for Pearls place at 39th and Michigan. Popular name for a Southern style restaurant I guess.

For there to have been no reports from here for 23 months is scandalous.
I had a sexpositive event on nearby Berwyn Ave. a recent Sunday evening, and opted to survey the neighborhood beforehand.
When I arrived in the early afternoon, the venue was pretty much vacant, which stunned me. The atmosphere seems similar to when I was last here. It is a soothing space is how I would specify it. I am not a brunch diner, but this was still on, and contemplating the entire food menu, ordered the Cajun Omelette. It was quite good. I finished it all.
Yes, I also had a few beers on draught. There were a lot of hoppy pale ales on offer, and Great Lakes' Christmas Ale had just tapped out, but I had a few selections.
I think what I am stressing here is that this restaurant should not be this vacant, especially after noting what previous respondents to this thread have scribed.
Get back here.

I can attest that they have had some good crowds in the evening. Pearl's is one of our spots. There are only so many times you want to here me say how much I like it.

The GP wrote:I can attest that they have had some good crowds in the evening. Pearl's is one of our spots. There are only so many times you want to here me say how much I like it.

Similar to New Rebozo in Oak Park.

Still providing great food, a wonderful host and atmosphere, used to be the darling of this forum. Drawing a full house often.

Last post? 2013

Take-out last night from Pearl's hit the spot. The blackened catfish dinner is my go-to. I love their greens and mac & cheese. The blackened catfish is a nice counterpoint to those two items. Mr. X had a burger. Call direct at 773-754-7419 to pick-up and get 15% off. Delivery through Uber Eats and GrubHub. Pick up was in the restaurant, though I'd imagine you could arrange curbside.

The GP wrote:Take-out last night from Pearl's hit the spot. The blackened catfish dinner is my go-to. I love their greens and mac & cheese. The blackened catfish is a nice counterpoint to those two items. Mr. X had a burger. Call direct at 773-754-7419 to pick-up and get 15% off. Delivery through Uber Eats and GrubHub. Pick up was in the restaurant, though I'd imagine you could arrange curbside.

Did the same this week. The smoked wings keep excellently at pickup.