If you tried to visit Pearl Diver at 1008 Gallatin Ave. this week, you were probably disappointed to discover the tikitorium was closed. Fortunately, unlike a lot of other establishments at the center of restaurant news of late, the Pearl Diver team just took the week for a refresh before reopening Saturday, March 21.
The first big change is an adjustment to the cap table, with two of Pearl Diver’s founding owners, Ben Clemons and Corey Ladd, bringing on new partners Jacob Forth, Steve Perdue and Edward Lipnickas into the ownership group for both Pearl Diver and its sister establishment Tiger Bar. Adding new entrepreneurial investors after eight years of operation offers the chance to get a new set of ideas on the table while maintaining the key hospitality pros who started up the venture.
“Rather than change a lot about Pearl Diver, there are other cylinders to fire to help it reach its next form,” says Clemons in a press release. “Our new partners see the vision and have a hope for the next chapter. We’re excited about making some edits as Nashville evolves and allowing the space to evolve with it. Pearl Diver is the spot that you come back to after trying the new shiny thing.”
Other notable and noticeable changes include a menu refresh to feature some classics and “greatest hits” invented through the years by Pearl Diver bartenders. The food offering is also seeing some adjustments under chef Jesse Valenciana of Secret Bodega, the food business that takes up residence at Pearl Diver. Valenciana’s new menu leans into the tropical island theme with dishes like pork belly, guava chicken, poke tacos with chile crema, a pupu platter and the Hawaiian specialty of spam fried rice with a sunny egg.
Valenciana and the ownership also plan to offer a new weekend brunch service featuring festive plates like mochi waffles with ube whipped cream, a loco moco plate and "Pearl’s plate," with fried spam, fresh berries, scrambled eggs, steamed rice, banana bread and local honey from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Pearl Diver is also reimagining the space, and has added a free pool table on the patio and dart boards, plus plans for new programming, including luaus and pig roasts.
Upon reopening, Pearl Diver’s hours will be Monday to Thursday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Happy hour will be offered 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
