Wellfleet, MA Oysters Rule the Day Before Mother's Day at Little Pearl Oyster Bar in Downtown Boise
Lobster roll and Old Bay fries? Not so much
Our first mistake? Not ordering the Wellfleet oysters from Massachusetts, and going with the tried-and-true kumamotos from California (not Seattle?).
To celebrate Mother’s Day without the crowds, we headed to Little Pearl Oyster Bar in downtown Boise the day before, around 7 p.m. Ever since Nell Thorn in La Conner, WA blew us away last Sept., I’ve been hankering for real, fine-dining seafood…the kind my parents grew up on in the ‘60s-‘70s, along with Steak Diane, Oysters Rockefeller, and Crepes Suzette.
We lucked out. No crowds. Not even a little.
After being seated in the ground-floor, outdoor patio and settling in with our non-alcoholic cocktails (a dishwater Negroni for him, a floral-tart Ghia Spritz palate war for me), we decided to start with a dozen fresh, raw oysters, then a Maine lobster avocado salad and lobster roll (pseudo-Connecticut style, room-temp to warm).
Our server rattled off the day’s selections. All we heard was “kumamoto,” which we remembered from our time at Elliott’s Oyster House on Seattle’s Waterfront. I looked over at Ed, and he looked at me, both of us sharing an unspoken thought: better to go with something closer to home. We almost went with oysters from Seattle, but the server described them as bigger and cloudier, and probably not something we’d like.
The kumamotos were, indeed, cold, crispy, cucumbery, and clean-tasting, if a bit small for the three sauces (sweet cucumber, mignonette, punchy cocktail).
One or two were so small, they may as well have been smears, which didn’t sit well with me.
By the time Ed’s appetizer-sized lobster avocado salad, side of Old Bay seasoned fries, and my lobster roll with potato chips arrived, with much fanfare, we began to covet more … oysters.
Even though my husband’s avocado salad (at $28) was on the small size, the flavor was mighty. This could easily rival the raw oysters as the star of the show. Each component, from the razor-thinly sliced beet and potato to the lightly dressed micro-greens, married well to produce an unforgettable spritely umami.
My lobster roll, however, was just okay, if a bit bland. The split, toasted roll was on the dry side, and the generous chunks of lobster a tad over-done. I also couldn’t taste lemon or remoulade anywhere.
I’d much rather have just had the lobster roll, or maybe a side of potato salad.
Halfway through our main course, we decided to be adventurous and try six of the Wellfleets from MA.
Best decision of the night — and we’re still alive the next day, so they must’ve made the cross-country trip safely.
In hindsight, we should’ve ordered either a mix of all the available oysters or a dozen of just the Wellfleets, one lobster avocado salad, and called it a day.
We have one more restaurant (Stardust) to try that serves continental classics with a twist, and then we’ll probably just visit for the raw oysters.
Little Pearl Oyster Bar
132 N. 8th St., downtown Boise, ID
(208) 889-8555
