Pearl’s Place

Whoever you are, Pearl, thank you. You must be pretty special to have inspired this Creole-influenced soul-food restaurant in your name. We’ve learned the hard way to be patient with the long waits. But don’t worry: The fried chicken is so damn juicy and sealed in a crunchy, pepper-flecked exterior; the collard greens so tender and flavorful with pork bits; and the sweet-potato pie so fragrant with cinnamon and nutmeg (fluffy near the middle and caramelized where the filling meets the flaky crust) that we’d wait forever.