Chef Nickie Zeller, Pearl

“I’ve known Michael and Kathryn Havens since the mid-80s, at the beginning of their own winemaking ventures here in Napa. They had a little warehouse in town, and we carried their wine at the Brown Street Grille from the early 90s. We’ve always had a Havens wine on our list. They offer a good price point for such elegant wines.
We especially love Havens Albariño, which pairs beautifully with the oyster recipe we offer here. Oh, it is such a beautiful wine! One day a few years ago, a lady called and said,” I know you have oysters; do you have Albariño?” I hadn’t heard of it, but a week later, Kathryn Havens came in with America’s first Albariño.
We love that Havens is still small yet produces very well known, sought after wines. Winegrower Michael has a great passion for winemaking, it reflects in all of his wines”.

Nickie Zeller has been part of the California cuisine scene for almost 25 years, but in all that time, she holds decidedly non-chichi beliefs in the restaurant business. “I believe in square meals. I think portions should do more than decorate a plate, but I don’t encourage overeating. And I love red meat; I’m a huge carnivore.”

Pearl is Nickie’s jewel, a casual bistro located in Napa, California, which she opened in 1995 with her husband Pete. Pearl could be all about oysters, given its name. But, while her Hog Island beauties and ginger-lime mignonette have dazzled oyster lovers, Nickie still likes her “squares,” her meats, and a little variety. So she invented Pearl to satisfy diverse palates with a multi-ethnic menu and a sensational wine list. Pearl also delights the eye with vibrant yet cozy décor, and it warms the heart with great service.

As with Pearl, Nickie is known for bucking a few trends and winning food fans for it. For example, she launched the legendary Yountville prize, The Diner, with Cassandra Mitchell in 1976. And even when vegetarian and nouvelle cuisine later dominated the industry, this landmark breakfast and lunch spot served home-style square meals for twenty- five more years.

“My favorite foods? Well, ironically I like eating in a very traditional way. I like to start with seafood appetizers, like shrimp and oysters, along with white wine. Then I’ll move to the main meal, with lamb or steak or a mixed grill and vegetables complemented with a truly great red wine.

“Food is the social elixir of our time. I love to put new ideas together, create special menus that bring people back. Customers depend on that to make dining out a very special experience. Living where we live, with access to some of the freshest ingredients in the world, you can’t not be tempted by the creativity of this job. The business might be crazy, but it requires that I be creative every day.”

Nickie also owned the popular Brown Street Grille in Napa but at a time prior to the town’s tourism revival, and so closed it just after taking over Pearl. As executive chef, Nickie leaves much of the actual cooking to head chef Jose Bravo Guzman while she creates the menus, the specials, and works on the sauces, salsas, and dressings.

“Jose and I have worked together for eleven years. His culinary talents and creative imagination were obvious from his earliest start as a prep cook at the Brown Street Grille. But his technical skills in the kitchen are incredible and result in the highest quality, most beautiful work. People ask to sit at our counter just so that they can watch him work. Without Jose, who creates all of our breads and pizzas as well, it wouldn’t be Pearl. Jose turns out a lot of food from our tiny kitchen, working with fresh vegetables, baking, everything from scratch. Our customers love his beautiful dishes and the fact that it’s all done so quickly.”

Born and raised in St Petersburg, Florida, Nickie left for California in ‘67 and never turned back. While she’s had no formal culinary school training, she mastered the skills of the trade through on-the-job experience, from dishwasher to line cook to general manager, to where she is today. “I believe a successful restaurant has an owner and chef who has experienced all of the jobs it takes to make it work right.”