This weekend, we needed a long walk to shed our cares so we headed to Cape Ann for a stroll on Crane’s Beach. We wanted an early dinner afterward so, on a whim, we tried CK Pearl in Essex. We managed to snag the last two seats at the bar at 6:30-ish.
Two cocktails and a half-dozen Aunt Dotty oysters to start. Expertly shucked, perfectly chilled, and accompanied by a lively mignonette (which I’ll always taste even though I don’t use migonette on pristine oysters. Go figure.)
Our mains were new to the fall menu: I chose scallops with charred squash, house-cured guanciale, Brussels sprouts leaves, shiitake mushrooms, and dabs of Marsala cream underneath. A dish like that requires proportion and restraint to be successful, and I am happy to say that it was. The charred squash paired better than I thought possible with beautifully caramelized scallops. Crisped slices of guanciale brought porky richness to the plate.
My husband picked spicy lobster carbonara. The dish was topped with a soft-cooked egg to mix into the hot pasta. Another departure from the traditional prep was sautéed cherry tomatoes that helped lighten the dish. The only drawback was that the spicy carbonara was not at all spicy—maybe chili flakes or pepper were missing? Even so, my husband was pleased with his choice.
Two cocktails, 6 oysters, two generous main dishes (our dinners were among the priciest items on the menu), and two glasses of wine set us back $128 before tip. A nice treat.
We hope to try CK Pearl again sometime to see if this happy experience can be duplicated. We didn’t book a table but will think ahead next time given how busy the restaurant was early on a Saturday night in October.
hah, this is me as well. I never put the mignonette onto a good oyster, I just taste it on its own. There’s no sense gussying up a perfectly good oyster!
To celebrate my birthday, my husband planned a daycation consisting of a beach stroll and a (very) socially distanced outdoor lunch. He reserved at CK Pearl because oysters and a cocktail were on my wish list. The weather cooperated so we were able to dine riverside on the completely open-air deck.
We started with a dozen oysters, including one of our favorites: the 1620 variety distributed by the folks at Island Creek. We chose hot buttered lobster rolls for our main course, served as we requested with both green salad and thin-cut fries.
Reservations are usually essential, particularly on a nice day. (Indoor dining is back as are tables inside their screened deck, but we’re only okay with dining out in the open air.)
A late lunch and a beach walk make for a lovely day. I probably ought to mention that the though service is friendly, servers don’t check in on you as much as in pre-pandemic times (presumably to limit interactions). We simply waved our server over when we needed something. Also I’d reserve even for lunch.
P.S. If you enjoy Crane Beach like we do, I suggest looking at the website to reserve a parking pass ahead of time. This well-loved property is even more popular than usual so visitor flow is managed using entry passes. We noticed last summer that passes for a given day might sell out so we learned to plan ahead. People want to be outside.