Cincinnati’s newest oyster bar is nearly ready to open, soon set to offer fresh tastes from the ocean (and much more) in Over-the-Rhine.
Executive Chef Leroy Ansley will oversee the kitchen at Pearlstar, located at 1220 Vine St. While the interior undergoes a redesign, Ansley is no stranger to this building — he was culinary director for A Tavola at the same address for three years.
“It is full circle that I get an opportunity to build another restaurant in this space,” he says.
Born in Kansas City, Ansley has lived in Cincinnati for 11 years and has since made a name for himself in the culinary scene. His career has taken him from fishing boats in the Virgin Islands to a year at Nada and his aforementioned stint at A Tavola. More recently, he has served as executive chef for Queen City Hospitality Group, first with Senate in Over-the-Rhine and then opening up Senate Blue Ash in 2017. Ansley says he’s excited to return to Over-the-Rhine and to create something new in a familiar space.
Pearlstar is expected to open this summer.
CityBeat: Talk about the team behind Pearlstar — who’s to thank for your upcoming opening?
Leroy Ansley: I was fortunate to cross paths with Terrell Raley, and after meeting with him, I knew I wanted to help him on this new venture. He is a successful restaurateur based out of Nashville and this is his first restaurant outside of that market. He operates Butchertown Hall and Liberty Common, both of which are great eateries in Nashville. He had a strong vision for what he wanted Pearlstar to be and I am excited to be able to work with him on bringing Pearlstar to Cincinnati. 3CDC was also instrumental in helping the vision get off the ground.
CB: How did Pearlstar’s concept originate? What seemed to indicate Cincinnati needed another spot to eat oysters?
LA: Pearlstar is one of those concepts that there is so much you can do with it. In the truest sense, it’s an oyster house that’s going to source really fresh ingredients and allow those ingredients to speak for themselves. However, I know you have to expand the menu past the signature idea of what it is. For that reason we will have a lot of vegan and vegetarian options, po’ boys and tostadas, steaks, ceviche and crudos to name a few. We didn’t want to do just seafood; we really wanted it to be a place where you can have something for everyone. I also believe Cincinnati is ready for some awesome oysters on a huge patio. I used to love going to The Anchor on Thursday nights for their oyster specials. There is a market for it, and I hope we can be a welcomed addition to the Over-the-Rhine dining scene.
CB: Where do you source the oysters? What’s important in a good oyster?
LA: The key with oysters is freshness — obviously, that is not groundbreaking. But there are so many different flavor profiles the bivalves offer that we intend to showcase. We will offer oysters from the East and West Coast as well as the Gulf Coast. You want them to be velvety in your mouth with a beautiful liquor of tasty briny seawater.
CB: How’s the buildout going? There’s bocce ball, as well? What else can we expect and when are you set to open?
LA: The buildout is going strong and we should be wrapping up the construction phase any day now. We wanted the space to feel completely different than what has been here before and I believe we accomplished that. Terrell did a great job on the design aspect of the restaurant and patio. It will be light and airy, somewhat nautical but transition to a candle-lit sexy-space at night time. I am very excited with how it turned out and can’t wait for people to come in and check it out. Also, the patio will have an outdoor bar and two bocce ball courts. Anyone that has been coming down to Over-the-Rhine for years will remember playing bocce at Neons, so we had to incorporate that into the buildout.
CB: What’s the most important thing for CityBeat readers to know about Pearlstar right now?
LA: I want Pearlstar to be approachable to everyone. As much as we love oysters, I know they are an acquired delicacy. So we built a spot where, if you don’t like oysters, you can still come and enjoy some great food in a truly beautiful setting.
Pearlstar, 1220 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, pearl-star.com.
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