What’s a “legend?”

It’s a story, presented as historical but without formal authentication, such as The Knights of the Roundtable or the Easter Bunny.

Does the Pearl Street Grill fit the definition? Well, the founders, four supposed college buddies, are said to have opened the place on December 30th, 1983. Of course, if they had wanted to stretch the truth for dramatic purposes, they’d have said the event occurred just before midnight on the following day, with champagne corks going off all around. In the authenticity department, so far, so good.

In case you’re wondering, their names were Paul Murray, Patrick Lyng, Rick Shanks and Rich Director. At least that’s what we’re told.

The partners are said to have done all of the interior work themselves, which if you notice the wainscoting in the back is oak while the front is pine, seems true enough. The bar, we’re told, came courtesy of the father of one of the partners. We buy that. But what’s remarkable – and possibly suspicious is that said antiquity is rumored to have been originally used in the St. Louis World’s Fair. Yes, the one in 1904. Hmm.

Then there’s the stained glass – also from the packrat father of the possible partner. But why did they use so much of it? We’re told the decorator liked it – but we were also informed the partners were on a shoestring budget. Maybe they just used the word decorator as a way of inferring they had professional help. One may never know.

In the beginning, as the legend goes, Pearl Street was more of a bar than a grill, possibly due to the fact (we use the word loosely) that the original chef – a Frenchman – attempted an upscale menu which included rabbit. The Frenchman “retired” roughly a year later and after a couple of Americans ran the kitchen, a German chef by the name of Hans, of course, was brought on. He worked tirelessly for fifteen years, never taking a sick day and always opting to receive his vacation in cash rather than time.

Dedication? Or fabrication? You be the richter.

The Pearl Street Grill, we’re led to believe, was even on the cutting edge of the microbrew phenomenon. Yes, if we are to trust our source, the bar offered ten beers on tap and fifty in the bottle – and this was a full five years before our city’s beloved Wynkoop opened. Even more astounding, Mayor Hickenlooper, back when he was simply known as “John,” visited the Pearl’s partners to pick their brains on such matters as bookkeeping and general restaurant operations.

All the while, Pearl Street remained a reliable neighborhood joint. Even as clothing and hairstyles changed, the Vogue Theater down the block turned into lofts and people grew so impatient for their fish that they began eating it uncooked.

Truth? Possibly. Legend? Undeniably.