Pearl & Ash and the Two Stars from Mars

[ed lefkowicz for the times] cappiello at workPearl & Ash has been a much buzzed about restaurant since it opened four months ago on Bowery. The combination of Patrick Cappiello's extensive wine knowledge and Richard Kuo's eclectic plates there quickly garnered rave reviews.

Cappiello was a sommelier at Gilt previously, and he worked with the wine lists at Veritas and Tribeca Grill before that. Kuo was born in Taiwan, lived in Australia, and cooked with Fredrik Berselius at the short-lived Nordic pop-up Frej in Williamsburg before it closed and morphed into Aska.

"First things first," Wells starts his two-star review of Pearl & Ash in today's Times. "Going to Pearl & Ash without opening a bottle or two is like buying a chocolate bar and not unwrapping it." Cappiello has a thing for low markups. His competitive pricing affords wine enthusiasts and casual diners alike the ability to drink from his near-300 bottle list, one where high-end Bordeaux is balanced by an abundance of affordable new world selections.

"Mr. Kuo studied the modernist tool kits at WD-50 and Corton," Wells writes of the chef's background. "Some people who’ve gone to Pearl & Ash seem confused about what kind of restaurant it is," he continues. "The menu is heavy on small plates, but then the dishes under the meat and fish headings can also be prepared in main-course sizes. You can cover the table with a carnival of little dishes, or start with an appetizer and proceed to an entree. Whatever. Let’s just call it a very high-functioning wine bar that offers one of the best values in the city, and move on."

Jordana Rothman filed on Pearl & Ash for Time Out last week. Her review mentions Cappiello was "sporting a Joy Division tee" during her visit. Wells notes a "Black Flag T-shirt under an untucked, unsnapped cowboy shirt." At Pearl & Ash, Cappiello has abandoned the suits and showmanship of uptown and opted for a more casual, downtown approach. But it's one he executes with an equaled sense of passion and professionalism. The band shirts could be a nod to what was once New York's most iconic venue two blocks north, but maybe they're a sign that wine is the new food is the new rock. [NYTimes]