The Pearl

I eat and work to learn, and the more experience I have with receiving hospitality the better I will be at delivering it. On Prince Edward Island I had the chance to eat and work at The Pearl, an institute defined by its hospitality. Colorful art and design set the tone for this gem of a restaurant.   Maxine Delaney, the owner, fills her dining room with life through her thoughtful decoration, display of magnificent local paintings, and her warm and welcoming presence.

As you enter the twilight-lit dinning room, you can see the hard work and love that has gone  into making this restaurant a success. When Brian and I ate at The Pearl we were treated as though we were old friends.

There isn’t a bad seat in the whole room.  Large windows allow you to enjoy the rolling hills and fields of baled hay outside. No matter what wall you are facing you will see beautiful renditions of local harbors, beaches, and fields. Even the restroom has an amazing painting of blue heron standing tall in the bay. Not a detail has been missed.

Behind the kitchen window, The Pearl’s chef, Lanny MacLeod, is baking fresh rosemary focaccia and broche bread. He purchases beautiful ingredients direct from local farmers and fishermen and gathers fresh herbs and flowers, radishes, and fennel from the restaurant’s garden!  When these fresh pickings find their way onto the plates of the happy guests of Maxine’s dining room, the difference is clear; people know when the food is fresh, and it makes big difference.

We had a wonderful meal that included a delicious tomato soup–creamy and acidic–with a small pizza slice that had a buttery crust and was topped with butter-braised spring onions and cherry tomatoes. We had an amazing scallop dish, each one was tiny, light-pink, and caramelized golden on the top and bottom.They were as sweet and tender as it could be, served in a creamy warm lobster sauce, grated zucchini, and a crisp potato cake. This was an outstanding part of our meal and it is clear that Lanny performs his own art on each of his tasty and beautiful dishes.

Art also takes the form of music at The Pearl, where Maxine regularly hosts local musicians.  While we dined at the pearl, Aunt Karen played a riveting Bach piece on her Testore cello that was built in 1733. She also accompanied singer/song writer, Gerry Edge, for one of his original songs, and we were mesmerized by the beauty of the piece. Gerry plays his guitar as he sings his soulful, folk-like music: to hear his lovely words accompanied by Karen’s cello was a new experience for us and elevated our already incredible evening.   Click here to listen…

After our magnificent dining experience at The Pearl, Brian and I were eager to get behind the scenes! Brian decided to spend his Saturday night working in the kitchen with Lanny, and I decided to work as a server with Maxine as my guide.

It was great to be able to work alongside someone who performs hospitality so well. I liked how Maxine and Sherrie (the other server of the night) worked with me as we acted as a team and helped when it was needed–from filling water glasses or clearing tables, we worked as one. Maxine says “we like to have fun here” meaning that she wants her staff to enjoy where they work and what they do. This positive work environment shows in everyone’s work, in the kindness displayed to the guest, and in the extra steps taken to make sure everyone is taken care of to the fullest extent.

In the kitchen, Brian observed the kitchen staff as they prepared worked dinner service, helping to gather herbs from the garden just before the dinner rush and even making a quick rhubarb chutney with fresh rhubarb stalks right from the garden.  He was impressed with the high quality of the ingredients that he encountered which included beautiful baby salad greens that complimented many of the appetizers and entrees, purely flavored local beef and chicken, and he even helped to thinly slice a beautiful fillet of the Island’s prized Medallion smoked salmon.It looks like all that experience with Scandinavian food paid off!

We enjoyed our time with The Pearl team, and we ate well and learned a lot. These are the type of experiences we are looking for as we continue on our trip. The more we can learn from a great host like Maxine, the better hosts we will be ourselves, and there is always something to be learned from others. We are thankful to The Pearl staff for welcoming us into their family–their hospitality will always be a part of us.