SHERMAN OAKS—The New American restaurant located in Westlake Village has expanded. The Pearl District has opened a location in Sherman Oaks. The new location is nestled near Chef Ludo’s Petit Trois restaurant and Chef’s Ted Hopson’s restaurant Bellwether.
The name pays homage to the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon. The Pearl District’s upscale menu by Chef Richard De Mane offers a diverse selection of New American cuisine. Main dishes like Malaysian sea scallops, grilled New Zealand venison, and “Center Cut” filet mignon are offered on the menu. Appetizers include braised short ribs, house cured Faroe Island gravlax, grilled Spanish octopus, and the popular crispy Shishito peppers. This appetizer is made with Fresno chili sauce, pico de gallo, fresh goat cheese, cotija, and cilantro.
The Pearl District’s dessert menu offers a wide array of choices. The Wonder Bar which is a dessert dish made with a shortbread crust, peanut butter-white chocolate bourbon ganache, caramel-peanut topping, and salted caramel ice cream. They offer a bittersweet molten chocolate cake, made with creme anglaise, and cappuccino crunch ice cream.
The location at 14015 Ventura Boulevard has been home to various restaurants in past years. The space occupied Café Cordiale, an upscale spot called SOCA, and the Boneyard Cantina. Former owner of the Boneyard Cantina Aaron Robins sold the space to Peyman Afshar, the owner of Pearl District. According to Eater Los Angeles, most of Robins’ staff has been retained by the Pearl District.
Afshar opened his first restaurant in Portland, Oregon called Tribeca and has owned several restaurants in Southern California. Chief Richard De Mane’s style incorporates American contemporary cuisine while combining eclectic regional and ethnic influences. Afshar and De Mane ran Leila’s Restaurant and Bar in Oak Park for about 20 years.
