Retooling, this Boise restaurant has closed. Among challenges? 8th Street is ‘killin’ us’

Cal Elliott might be the busiest chef in Boise.

Over the summer, he opened the four-story Avery Hotel and Brasserie, 1010 Main St., where he is founder and executive chef. Simultaneously, Elliott kept the bivalves churning at Little Pearl Oyster Bar, 160 N. 8th St., a “passion project” that he owns with his wife, Ashley.

But the 100-hour work weeks might taper off slightly. For now.

Elliott has closed Little Pearl Oyster Bar for an undetermined amount of time. “It’s not going to be for long,” he promised. The restaurant will reopen with a freshly overhauled menu.

In the meantime, the eatery remains available for private and holiday events, with customizable food options. In addition to seafood, Little Pearl specializes in “refined comfort food,” its website says, “all finessed by classic French technique.”

Next door — on the south side of the Main + Marketplace escalator — the restaurant’s sister concept, Little Pearl Bar, remains open at 132 N. 8th St. It serves drinks Tuesdays through Saturdays, including liquor. Food service is not available.

‘Creative break’

When the restaurant half of Little Pearl reopens, Elliott is unsure whether it will have the same name, he said. Little Pearl Oyster Bar debuted in 2020.

“The chefs are getting together, and we’re going to retool the menu and come up with something exciting and new,” Elliott said. “We’re just pulling back to take an emotional break. To take a creative break.”

Hiring challenges prompted Elliott to make the decision, he said, as did time diverted to opening The Avery.

Little Pearl didn’t have any cooks left, he said. “And I want to make sure the product is up to my standards. When you’re not there every day, it’s hard to maintain the products.

“Also,” he added, “8th Street has kind of taken a hit.”

Barriers, new restaurants

To make it pedestrian-friendly, 8th Street has been closed to cars since 2020. But barriers installed where 8th intersects with Main, Idaho and Bannock streets are an imperfect solution, Elliott said. “Ada County and the city need to get together and figure out those crosswalks. It’s killin’ us,” he said.

“... They make 8th Street a pedestrian street, but they haven’t figured out the crosswalks, so they put the barriers on the end of every street. It has the exact opposite effect of what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to open it up so people can walk that street and enjoy that street, but the message they’re giving is that street is closed completely.”

Help would seem to be on the way. The plan is for 8th Street to stay pedestrian-only, according to recent Idaho Statesman reporting, but the city plans to remove the barriers. The project will include improvements such as new crosswalk markings and relocated pedestrian crossing buttons and ramps. It’s tentatively set to happen this fall.

Other challenges for Little Pearl Oyster Bar have included construction downtown and increased competition, Elliott said. “There’s been a lot of new restaurants opening,” he said. Newcomers nearby range from Percy, 404 S. 4th St., and SEA Crab House (now closed at 800 W. Main St., supposedly temporarily) to Elliott’s own fine-dining destination, The Avery.

Still, the goal is for Little Pearl Oyster Bar to return. Soon.

If not in name, then in spirit.

“I am actually really excited about our creative break,” Elliott reiterated. “We are going to come back with a better, well-trained crew, and interesting food and drinks.”

This story was originally published October 10, 2023 at 1:41 PM.