First Taste: Miss Pearl's Jam House at Jack London Square

Celeb chef Joey Altman oversees new Oakland dining hotspot

I had a fun and delicious dinner at the pre-opening party at Miss Pearl’s Jam House on the waterfront in Jack London Square this week. This lively new spot serves tropical drinks such as the Watermelon-Cachaca “Smash,” and food you don’t find much of in the East Bay: Caribbean specialties Sugar Cane Barbecue Shrimp on corn-griddle cakes, Grilled Skirt Steak with horseradish-garlic puree and onion rings, and a heavenly Island Gazpacho with heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, mango, jicama, and lime. All were fresh and full of spicy, intricate flavors. Plus, they serve Jell-O shots.

The restaurant is a revival of Joey Altman’s original Miss Pearl’s on Eddy Street in San Francisco—which closed on New Year’s Eve in 1996—and Altman www.joeyaltman.com said the new spot is everything he ever dreamed the original would be. No wonder, this Miss Pearl’s is right on the water, in the soon-to-open Waterfront Hotel. And, the backers hired top restaurant designer, Michael Brennan, www.michaelbrennandesign.com who’s done Domaine Chandon in Yountville, BOCA in Novato, and Cortez, La Table, and Tartare in San Francisco. Brennan modeled Miss Pearl’s on a Caribbean mansion with sunny colors and a most unusual shell motif. Look for the “sea floor” inspired bar.

Perhaps best of all, Miss Pearl’s is the first step in a major redevelopment at Jack London Square—a project that’s been long overdue.

To see a video of the restaurant's construction, click here.

Miss Pearl’s Jam House opened Wednesday, August 27. One Broadway, Oakland (510) 836-3800, www.misspearlsjamhouse.com. 
 

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