Capitol Hill resident and James Beard award-winning chef and restaurateur Aaron Silverman’s Little Pearl coffee shop and wine bar is opening for business in the historic carriage house at the Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE) on Saturday, December 16. Silverman is well-known for his acclaimed Eighth St. SE restaurant, Rose’s Luxury (717 Eighth St. SE).
Little Pearl will be a larger version of the shop that served coffee during the day at Pineapple and Pearls (715 Eighth St. SE). That coffee bar closed on September 9th, in preparation for the opening of Little Pearl. The expanded shop, led by Chef B.J. Lieberman, will make pastries, sandwiches, gelato and snacks in-house, outsourcing only a few items. During the day, enjoy these with coffee and in the evening, with wine.
Hill Center staff had been working with Little Pearl for the past few months, and “everyone – from the owner to the management to the staff whose smiling faces will greet you every day – are dedicated to being excellent neighbors and a real part of our community.”
The carriage house was a stable in the era when horse-drawn ambulances transported military personnel to the Old Naval Hospital for treatment. The Old Naval Hospital was commissioned by President Lincoln in 1864 to care for wounded Civil War sailors. After a community-led rehabilitation effort, Hill Center opened its doors in 2011 as a vibrant home for culture, arts and education.
