I love when a neighborhood-favorite business gets even better. I recently stopped in to Pearl Market & Wine and Carmella’s for a meeting with a coworker and was happily surprised by their recent changes! Based on my prior visits, I’d always thought of the space as mainly a high-end grocery store–but now, there’s also expanded restaurant seating and service. One of the owners, Dustin Chiapetta, is a friend and former client of mine, so I got the scoop from him. You can learn about those changes in this post and the video we shot together (below) at the space.
Dustin is a true community builder here in Central Park. He told me that he listened to his clients and neighbors and realized what the neighborhood needed was a straight-up restaurant to serve as a gathering place. So you’ll still find the grocery and wine store to the left when you enter. But on the right, there’s now lots of seating with a true restaurant that changes throughout the day.
In the morning at Carmella’s, you can grab a Glissade Coffee Company house blend coffee and a croissant or French toast; from 11am-4pm, they have pizza, salads, and “panuozzos,” which are sandwiches with bread made from pizza dough. (I tried the “Figgetaboutit” and it was the tastiest thing I’ve had in a long time! The caprese panuozzo was also top-notch, loaded with tomatos, pesto, and cheese, plus arugula for a little bite and crunch.) The Carmella’s vibe at lunch time is welcoming and casual, with Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie coming through the speakers as well as really comfortable seats at the tables. And the biggest change: Now at dinner, Carmella’s turns into a full-service Italian restaurant, with a license for a wine bar coming in a few weeks. Curious about their menu? Here you go.
As for the grocery store, the word “curated” gets thrown around a lot these days, but in this case, it’s accurate. Rather than a huge selection, the store offers products that are carefully chosen–nitrate-free bacon, tinned fish, Guittard baking chips, vegan options, as well as meat, seafood, and wine. And I loved the refrigerator case by the register with all the from-scratch prepared foods–easy dinners for the whole family. I picked up the premade red beef enchiladas, lasagna, and chicken parmesan for the family as well as a quick salad. (So far we’ve had the enchiladas and they were loved by the whole family. Tonight is the lasagna night!)
If you haven’t been to Peal Market or Carmella’s, or if it’s just been a while, it’s time for a visit. This place has evolved into the neighborhood spot that we all want, let’s get in and support it so it continues to flourish!
To see more about the changes, below is a quick video with owner Dustin Chiappetta showing me around!
