Restaurant On The Luxury Attaché Radar: Perla

Perla

24 Minetta Lane, near Sixth Avenue

Contemporary Italian, Recently Opened, Notable Chef, Buzzing, Rustic

Gabe Stulman, the restaurateur behind Fedora, Jeffrey’s Grocery and Joseph Leonard, opened his newest venture Perla last week. Located on Minetta Lane, Perla is warm and inviting neighborhood spot that features a semi-open kitchen with wood-burning oven, red leather banquettes, a marble cocktail bar and charcuterie counter with approximately 12 additional bar stools.

Interesting art and black and white photographs from the 70s adorn the exposed brick walls. The intimate and rustic atmosphere makes it an ideal spot for a date or a group of close friends. There is definitely a neighborhood vibe, which is something Stulman aims to achieve in all of his restaurants.

The restaurant offers a combination of contemporary and traditional Italian fare. Michael Toscano, the former chef of Eataly’s acclaimed Manzo, is at the helm in the kitchen. It is apparent that chef Toscano took great care in creating an offering that is both innovative and comforting.

I started with foie gras tramezzini (with pistachio and cherry; described as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich the way your mom used to make – complete with the crusts cut off!). The combination of the ridiculously  savory foie gras with the sweet layer of cherry and plush bread was heavenly.

Next were two antipasti – the Brussels sprouts with black truffle and grilled octopus with oven roasted tomatoes and eggplant – both were good, but there are other antipasti that are definitely worth trying.

I then moved onto the cavatelli with egg and pancetta – super rich and delicious. We rounded out the meal with a monkfish with artichokes and black truffle vinaigrette – lush, decadent and super satisfying.

I encourage guests to discuss the menu with their waiter – all of the servers are extremely knowledgeable and are able to provide personal recommendations along with detailed descriptions of all menu items.

Jenene is one of the foremost experts in concierge services and lifestyle management.  Over the past 10 years, Jenene forged and executed concierge programs with some of the world’s leading hoteliers, real estate developers, hedge funds, and Fortune 500 clients. Previously, Jenene ran guest relations at CNN for 7 years. At CNN, she learned to address the exacting demands of high net worth clients, and developed relationships with hundreds of exclusive vendors to seamlessly execute and exceed  requirements.  At Luxury Attaché, she leveraged her expertise to create a unique lifestyle service provision fueled by proactivity to provide clients with personalized service delivery, access, convenience and once in-a-lifetime experiences.  Jenene attended the NYU Stern School of Business, and the University of Colorado, Boulder.