I want to post this review and express the enormous disappointment I experienced while dining in The Black Pearl. As every customer, I heard wonderful things about this restaurant (owned by the rudest and most money-hungry New Yorker) and convinced myself to take my wife and enjoy a beautiful evening. After struggling with TONY (the owner) to convice him I had a reservetion made weeks ago and being greeted by a drunk server (could smell alcohol from a mile away), we were finally served (hoping the experience would get better) our finely presented entrees. I can give credit for presentation; however the food tasted like a culinary experiment project. For every single bite of my meal I could taste the lack of experience and the lack of imagination in the matching of ingredients. Hate to sound snobby but when you pay around $30 for an entree the least you would expect is quality. In addition to the horrible taste that made you stop eating by your third bite, the temperature of my filet was so cold I could feel I was eating a fresh corpse. Overall experience was really disappointing. If you are searching for fine dining, a romantic, quiet and very personal experience in the Tampa Bay area I suggest Armani's Restaurant. Forget about spending all this money in a ""wannabee"" exclusive restaurant.
more