Bites Nearby: Pearl Restaurant

Oysters? Foccacia? Pork chops? With diverse menu options and a just-off-the-beaten-path locale, in downtown Napa makes you feel like you’re in a gourmet Napa mama’s kitchen—which you are! Proprietors Nickie and Peter Zeller are longtime Napa restauranteurs, having been involved in a series of down-home Napa eateries prior to opening The Pearl over ten years ago.   

With cozy indoor seating and a warm outdoor patio, The Pearl is a perfect Saturday date night or Sunday brunch choice.

If oysters are your thing, check out The Pearl's Saturday Lunch Oyster Extravaganza, running every Saturday from 11:30-2:00 pm. (Oysters: $1.00 Each, Italian Sparkling Prosecco Glass: $5.00!)

Other delicious options (and there are a-plenty) include their Wild Caught Oregon Bay Shrimp Louis (13.95), Guerrero Style Arrachera Soft Tacos (9.75), Fragrant Roast Liberty Duck with Pear and Ginger Chutney (17.95), and plenty more chops and steaks.

The desserts make me want to thank the Holy Mother of Pearl -- especially the Dreamsicle Sundae (7.25), which is full of blood orange sorbet and sauce, topped with whipped cream, and quite possibly the gateway to my soul.