[New] You

By Cathy Salustri

Eaten Camel? At The Pearl, It’s Well Worth the Price

When it comes to food, I’m down for almost anything. When my friend and colleague Amanda Hagood told me about her pregnancy reindeer cravings, I was all “sign me up!” When a Largo restaurant had rabbit ravioli on the menu, I relished every gamey bite.

But it’s hard to tear me away from a quality steak. I don’t eat steak much, but at a nice restaurant, I’m hard-pressed to order anything else. This past summer, at an Orlando steakhouse, I deviated and tried the bison strip loin, which was... fine. Fine was not enough to tear my eyes away from my husband’s steak, though.

At The Pearl – recently moved to Gulfport from Treasure Island – I wanted to try the camel. I did. But that filet looked so good. And so, I did what any well-adjusted adult woman does: I persuaded my husband to try the camel, and I ordered the filet.

Before the main, though, came appetizers. We split a bottle of Silver Palm cabernet and tried the bacon-wrapped dates, stuffed with goat cheese and jalapeño ($14), and the escargot ($14), which, de- lightfully, was not coated with breadcrumbs or too heavy with butter.

Then came the camel. I should really mention the filet ($44) – it was delicious, and I thoroughly enjoyed the peppercorn sauce. But the camel was clearly the star of an already standout evening. Any- one I know who has eaten camel elsewhere calls it a “stringy” meat, but our server assured us the filet of camel Chef Karim serves ($52) looks and tastes like a steak filet.

She was wrong; it tasted much better. The camel at The Pearl was fork-tender; succulent and delicate all at once.

I instantly regretted my amazing filet.

The entrees come with salad (assorted greens; wonderful), vegetables (green beans and corn, which were a bit “meh”), and mashed potatoes (solid, but also a little bland). The table gets bread but, as seems to be the custom anymore, only olive oil dipping sauce and no butter.

Chef Karim later came by the table (we did not disclose that we were reviewing) and we asked why so many people thought camel was a stringy meat. He explained that he only buys the filet cut. The rest of the camel can get used for other food products, but The Pearl only buys, prepares, and serves this cut of meat.

The escargot here isn’t drowning in butter or coated with breadcrumbs, which makes for a nice change of pace.

I’m not about to rush out and find my own cut of camel to cook, but will we return to The Pearl? Absolutely.

And next time, I’m getting the camel.

While we thought the filet couldn’t hold a candle to the camel, it had plenty of flavor in its own right. We suggest adding on the peppercorn sauce.

The Pearl Restaurant , 5802 28th Ave. S., Gulfport. Tues.-Sat., 4-9 p.m. 727-360-9151; thepearlfinedining.com. Reservations strongly encouraged.

Things To Know If You Go

• Chef Karim, who owns The Pearl, serves a rotating assortment of unconventional meat options, which can include camel, but also ostrich, elk, antelope, venison, and buffalo. When we dined, the offerings included camel, elk, and buffalo; if you have your heart set on a certain one of these, call first to make sure it’s on the menu for the night you have in mind.

• This review focused on the camel, but The Pearl serves a full menu of more conventional offerings, as well. This includes pastas, chicken, steak. They also serve lamb and fish tagine, duck, lamb, and veal, as well as some seafood.

• The Pearl offers an early bird dinner Tues.-Sat. from 4-5:30 p.m. for $15. This does not include the full menu, but a selection of dishes.