Simple Seafood Options but Not So Simple Seafood in a Good Way
A few years ago I was at Casa Pearl during the time the population was trying to recover from the pandemic. A group of us went to Casa Pearl for dinner, but it really turned out that most of us ended up sharing lots of appetizers. We were seated in an outdoor covered tent. All I can remember from that time is that everything was good. So why haven’t we been back since? Not sure I have an excuse except that maybe seafood isn’t my husband’s favorite first choice. It’s a favorite for a lot of our friends. Heck, we even know the bartender that has been there for a few years now. Really no good excuse. That will change now.
We had some dear friends of ours ask us what we were doing for dinner (spontaneously) and if we would like to get together. They suggested Casa Pearl or any place we would rather go to. I told my husband, “Yes, Casa Pearl it is!” We headed to meet them there within the hour. Remember, this was a spontaneous dinner plan. Can’t tell me that hasn’t happened to you too..lol. Spontaneous events always seem to turn out great!
We arrived and saw someone pulling out of a parking spot, and were able to grab that one. Oh, let me back up. This restaurant was a former gas station (not a big one like the ones we have today), renovated into a restaurant (of course, they removed the pumps/bay). So, of course, the parking lot is small with limited parking up front, but there is plenty in the back, although you have to get there by going through the CVS parking lot next door. They were busy, and our friends got there before us and said it would only be about 10 minutes for a table, so we had a drink. Got to catch up with our bartender friend too, as well as a chef we knew (I forgot to mention)! By the way, they are also known for their cocktails and beer too. Didn’t want to forget that.
We ordered quite a few appetizers, starting with a dozen “Oysters on the Half Shell”. They have a list of oysters from different areas with a description of the oysters. You choose, as they should if you are going to be famous for your oysters. They were served with my favorite red wine mignonette (I always call it the vinegar sauce), cocktail sauce, and horseradish. All amazing. Oh, I don’t want to forget their own hot sauce. I put a couple of drops on each of my oysters. Great flavor and not overwhelming heat which I do not like. Perfect heat for me and with flavor. Back to the oysters. They were so good we got another dozen. We also had the “Ceviche”. Fresh fish tossed with avocado and taro root. It was supposed to have jalapeño and pickled garlic. I’m sure it was there because the flavor was amazing, I just didn’t notice it. Served with chips that were great on their own, but I put some of the mixture onto a chip… excellent! It was very fresh and so good. I have had some not so good Ceviche in the past, so I usually won’t order it because it’s always a hit and miss. This one was a hit! We also had the smoked fish dip. If you like smoked food, you will love this dip… again very good. Brussels sprouts made one of my favorite ways, slightly roasted. They were dressed with a lemon-caper vinaigrette and small shreds of parmesan. Last but not least was the “Scream” Corn which was their take on a Mexican street corn but a creamy version. Something I will always order if a restaurant offers it. It was one of their food features that day. It was creamy, with a few BBQ spiced corn nuts, some queso fresco, and flavored with lime and jalapeño. Interesting but again very good.
Now for dinner, I usually gravitate towards any salad that sounds good or get a side salad. But since one of our friends was going to order the Golden Salad, I decided to wait until another time so I could see it. That is because the ingredients had me intrigued. It has napa cabbage, avocado, peanuts, herbs, dressed in a Sambal Nuoc Cham, which is a traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce. Right up my ally..Asian flair. This salad was her go-to when they eat here. If you want an add-on, they offer fried chicken, grilled fish, or fried oysters. I knew the Golden Salad would be good for it to be our friend’s go-to, and it looked amazing. I was eyeing their grilled fish taco that night (Wahoo was the market fish of the day), so that is what I got. Gotta remember they are known for their Oysters and Tacos. It came with chimichurri, red cabbage, mint, cilantro-soy aioli. I opted without the mint due to an episode I had once and didn’t want a repeat. Although I’m not convinced mint was the reason, I didn’t want to take a chance. I ordered two, and each was served with two white corn tortillas. I didn’t use the second tortilla it came with on each taco. They held up well with just one, and I always reduce the bread, etc., whenever I can for the main item to shine through, and this was no exception. I put a couple of drops of their signature hot sauce to give it a little kick, and they were soooooo good. The fish was cooked perfectly, and the flavors…yum! Husband ordered his own Ceviche for his dinner. Can’t go wrong there since we had already tried it for an appetizer.
Overall, everything about our dinner and experience was outstanding. Service, atmosphere, selection of food and drinks, prices, and most of all the food was outstanding! This will now be a part of our rotation of favorites!
Peninsula Foodie 