On a recent Friday evening during the Fairhope Art Walk, Linda and I met a friend downtown to hear The Modern Eldorados. The band was playing on the sidewalk across the street from Pearl Seafood + Raw Bar, a small but popular restaurant that opened three and a half years ago in the space that used to be R Bistro. After a little while, we decided to settle in at the bar and ordered one of their specialty cocktails and a dozen oysters.

Pearl is the brainchild of Will Sams and Erin Bell, a married couple from Gulfport, Mississippi, and Thibodaux, Louisiana, respectively. Will attended Mississippi State University in Starkville, studying biomedical engineering while also working at the Bulldog Deli making sandwiches to earn some cash.

After a while, he moved back home and went to college in Long Beach, a satellite campus of the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned his degree in Business Administration. It was there that he met Erin. While in school, he also worked at Confusion, a restaurant in Gulfport that offered “Lots of eclectic dishes.” 

After three years, he graduated and moved to Hyde Park, New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America. Because he had earned his business degree at Southern Miss, he was able to earn his culinary degree in two years, normally a three-year program. “I wanted to finish what I had started in the culinary world. It was great. One requirement was that you had to work with fresh ingredients for a full year before completing your studies.” 

He tells me it was a wonderful experience. “The instructors were some of the best chefs in the world, many with MICHELIN-star restaurant backgrounds. There were four restaurants on campus, and in the second year, you had to work in them. You had to serve on the wait staff as well. It refined my experience.”

Erin went with Will to New York, and they traveled a lot. He remembers going to a Saints vs Jets game and how cold it was. “The Saints lost, too,” he says. As part of his culinary curriculum, in 2013 Will did an internship at the Grand Hotel in Pt. Clear working closely with Executive Chef, Mike Wallace (No relationship to 60-Minutes)

After graduating in  2014, they decided to move to New Orleans.  i. “It’s always about the food, and New Orleans is as good as it gets. We also wanted to be closer to family.” Married in 2018, their son, Will the 5th, now 10 years old, was born in New Orleans, but their love for the Empire State never wavered. “We loved New York and went back for Christmas this year.”

In New Orleans, Will started as a prep cook and Sous-chef at Cochon Restaurant, where he worked for four years. Erin worked at an event company that catered to big corporations. New Orleans is a popular destination for corporate meetings and events, such as Taylor Swift and Super Bowl parties.

Cochon is part of the Link Restaurant Group, with James Beard award-winning chefs. “They had extensive backgrounds in the New Orleans culinary scene, and it was an awesome experience. After four years with Cochon, Will, Erin, and their son Will moved to Orange Beach where Will was the Executive Chef at Fisher’s Restaurant at Orange Beach Marina.

After three years, Covid spelled the end of Fisher’s and its sister restaurant, Playa, located at Sportsman’s Marina. “The beach is hard. The summers are grueling with so many tourists in town every week. There was a lot of coaching for the staff. It was a good run, but I was ready for a change.”

Will and Erin began doing some restaurant research in Fairhope hoping to open their own place. “The restaurant offerings in Fairhope had grown since my time at the Grand Hotel, almost 10 years earlier. Yet, there really wasn’t a restaurant that served fresh, local seafood. When R Bistro decided to close, we thought it was the perfect spot to open Pearl.”

With only 35 seats and the bar, Will and Erin did an extensive renovation to the small space. “I must have a binder at home with 20 different concepts and recipes, but I discovered there was no dedicated seafood restaurant in downtown Fairhope with an oyster bar, so that’s what we did.”

Pearl opened three and a half years ago and serves lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. They don’t take reservations, but Will says Pearl is small but efficient. “People see us as fine dining, but we see ourselves as casual. The kitchen is a well-oiled machine and the food is delivered on time, but you will never be hurried. I’d like to think we have  a fine dining experience without being stuffy.”

Erin works the front of the house. The Raw Bar, where we sat, runs the length of the entrance to the dining room with a few high-top tables for dining opposite the extensive bar. There is always a specialty cocktail menu and a variety of local and regional oysters from all over North America including the East and West Coasts from which to choose. 

We enjoyed our dozen local Murder Point oysters and ordered a dozen fried. The raw oysters were outstanding and were served with a cocktail, Mignonette, and an extra hot horseradish sauce. Some other friends came through the door and after a brief visit, they were seated in the main dining room. Linda and I shared a delicious bowl of dark roux Gumbo served over potato salad.

Will tells me they make three seasonal menu changes throughout the year. Staples that are considered house specials include Redfish on the Half Shell, Swordfish (caught locally), and Fried Chicken. Salads and desserts also change seasonally. “With an early spring, we have Louisiana strawberries and a Goat cheese salad, homemade strawberry ice cream, and strawberry cheesecake coming soon.”

Going from a 250-seat restaurant to a 35-seat restaurant is quite a departure from the hustle and bustle of a large restaurant in a tourist-centric town. “We work hard coaching the staff so the dining experience is special. We have a low staff turnover, which certainly helps with consistency.” Pearl offers a full menu at lunch and dinner. Hours are 11 am until 8 pm including a 5-item lunch menu also available. “We carry a unique, large selection wine list, especially white and sparkling offerings. We hope to introduce you to something new.”

Pearl is available for private events and hosts a Feast of Seven Fishes 6-course dinner during the holiday season. They also host special wine dinner events every month throughout the year. You can get on their email list to receive notifications. “We usually sell out pretty quickly,” says Will.

Will, Erin, and Will the 5th have lived in Fairhope for 5 years. Both sets of parents also live in Fairhope. Erin’s sisters, Amanda Calhoun and Stephanie Bergeron purchased Fantasy Island Toys across the street from Pearl about the same time Will and Erin purchased the Pearl property, so Fairhope has become a family affair.

As far as his first restaurant ownership goes, Will says they have lots of loyal repeat business. ‘We’ve had tremendous community support. We love this town. Besides, you can’t go wrong with fresh seafood and oysters!”

Visit the Pearl Seafood and Raw Bar soon!