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Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Whither Pearl?

The nightspot Pearl (1904 Chestnut St.) has had its share of drama in its 16 months: Feuding between management and opening chef Ari Weiswasser was followed by a major blow-up last August that saw co-founder Brett Perloff on the outside.

In a criminal complaint, co-owner Scott Stein accused Perloff of assault. Earlier this year, Perloff sued Scott Stein, his brother Sean Stein and his father, David Stein, in Common Pleas Court over the control of the business.

The Steins later renamed the first-floor restaurant Akoya, leaving the Pearl name attached to the second-floor lounge. Perloff, meanwhile, opened the lounge Strongbox several blocks away.

Last month, the Steins announced that Akoya would be closed for the summer and that Pearl would be open three nights a week. Perloff also closed Strongbox for the summer, as he is promoting events in Atlantic City.

Now, there's a suggestion that there's something amiss at Pearl/Akoya.

Scotty Buck, who has been involved with Pearl at a promotional level, tonight posted on his Facebook status:

"Bad news PEARL is officialy closed. So I am really looking for a job now. If anyone hears of anything let me know. Time to redo the resume."

Scott Stein's voicemail was full, and he didn't reply to a text message. A rep did not return a message for comment. "It's all a very unfortunate set of circumstances," said Perloff, still an owner.

Posted by Michael Klein @ 9:53 PM  Permalink | File Under: TableTalk | 3 comments
Comments   
Posted 11:05 AM, 07/08/2009
rdolch22
It was a great restaurant----what a shame..
Posted 11:25 AM, 07/08/2009
Eaton.N. Drynkun
wow shame, it looked like they spent some cash on that spot too!
Posted 10:34 AM, 07/10/2009
Lisa Rose
This is a big loss for Philadelphia - this was one of the best night spots in the city. I wish the owners and employees the best of luck and hope to see them again soon.
3 comments
About Michael Klein
Michael Klein chronicles local people, places and things (in easy-to-digest portions) three days a week in his Inquirer column "INQlings." He also covers the restaurant scene in his Thursday Food column, "Table Talk." See his work at http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/michael_klein.
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