1. Some weeks life is a Captain’s Platter

Let’s get the “R” thing out of the way right up front. The rule that you shouldn’t consume oysters during any month without an “R” in it is a myth – a persistent one.

“Sure, back in the 1700s, the 1800s, when there wasn’t refrigeration, eating oysters could be a problem,” explained Rick Eltife, who has just opened the Black Pearl oyster bar next to his iconic Rick’s on the Square restaurant in downtown Tyler.

But the “rule” wasn’t really about safety. It was about the spawning times in the Northeast oyster beds.

“Oysters spawn when the water gets warmer, so in the summer months, states like New York and Massachusetts passed laws banning oyster harvesting in the summer. Those laws have long since been taken off the books, and oysters are a year-round delicacy now.

In fact, the state of Maryland recently put out a statement on the matter: “New aquaculture technology, strict harvesting standards and modern refrigeration have debunked this myth and made our Chesapeake delicacy enjoyable year-round.”

And because of the speed of modern transportation, sweet summer oysters from the cold Canadian waters can be on the table in Tyler in a matter of hours.

“I love oysters – I always have,” says Eltife. “I love the East Coast oysters and the West Coast oysters and the Gulf oysters and the Canadian oysters.”

That wasn’t the sole motivation for Eltife to open the Black Pearl – a project two years in the making. He was also looking for something new and different for the Tyler market.

“We’ve got Mexican restaurants and Tex-Mex restaurants and Chinese food,” he said. “I wanted to do something different. I wanted a really fresh product – and since oysters are still alive when you shuck them, it can’t get any fresher than that – and I wanted something growing in popularity.”

THE DEAN OF RESTARAUTEURS

Rick Eltife opened his first restaurant, Rick’s, after two hard years of renovation in September 1992. In what became his signature style, the restaurant featured exposed brick, hardwood floors and rich mahogany accents. And from his historical corner at Erwin and Broadway, Eltife has seen restaurants come and go around Tyler.

It’s a hard business, and the Tyler clientele is especially demanding.

“What does it take to make a restaurant a success here? Consistency,” Eltife said. “You start with a good product, and good service. But that’s not enough. You’ve got to have consistency.”

That’s particularly true of restaurants downtown, he added.

“Something’s wrong with me, because I keep opening up restaurants here,” he said (he also owned Jakes, down the street, from 1999 to 2008). “Meanwhile, everyone else is going south. What that means is that no one just stops by here; I’m a destination. You have to leave home intending to come here.”

It’s consistency that brings people back.

“That’s all about hiring the best people,” Eltife said. “Gigi (Tatum) has been with me for 24 years, and most of my staff (at Rick’s) have been with me 10 years or more.”

The emphasis on quality service is why he tends to hire older kitchen and wait staff, he added.

“I’m going to find people who like and care about what they’re doing,” he said. “I’m looking for independent thinkers, people who can solve problems and take some pride in what they’re doing.”

He said he could have opened the Black Pearl months ago, if he had found the right staff for it. But he waited, and a few weeks ago, chef Nathan Frushay became available. A New Orleans native, Frushay has worked in Miami Beach, Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas and elsewhere. Frushay recently left The Grove, and thought he might stay with Eltife at the Black Pearl just long enough to get the place on its feet.

“But now, seeing what we’re doing with it, what’s happening here, I think I’m going to stay,” Frushay said. “This is what I want to be doing.”

THE OYSTERS

On an early August afternoon, the Black Pearl has three varieties listed on the blackboard just inside the front door, along with other daily specials; it will soon have five or six varieties of oyster every day.

“They’re all different and all wonderful,” Eltife said. “They come in three days a week and they’re just as fresh as can be.”

It’s not just about the oysters, though. Black Pearl will feature lighter fare, such as crab cocktail, snow crab claws, beef tartare, lobster bisque and lobster roll. The bar also offers a wide selection of beer and wine, and also classic cocktails with a New Orleans twist.

“Restaurants are changing,” Eltife said. “This is where it’s going. People want classic cocktails, they want lighter meals, they want the right atmosphere.”

Eltife was aiming for an East Coast oyster bar feel, with customers elbow-to-elbow, slurping down the briny goodness. He toured oyster bars throughout New York and Boston, absorbing as much information as he could. He also took note of how they used the space; the Black Pearl is in a space a little less than 16 feet wide, and less than 100 feet deep.

“In the Northeast, they know how to use space,” he said. “So that’s where I got the layout.”

Although for now, the restaurant has two long bars, there’s room for a few tables in the near future.

“Some of our older customers will want chairs with backs, and some people will want to sit facing each other,” he said. “We’ll have that. It won’t just be the bars.”

DOWNTOWN

Keeping a restaurant afloat downtown is still a challenge. The lawyers and bankers and clerical workers leave at 5 p.m., and in years past, Eltife has seen downtown seem dead after nightfall.

But there’s something going on downtown now, he said. There’s revitalization, there’s reinvestment, and there’s a real night scene.

“I’m glad it’s happening,” Eltife said. “I was worried they were going to wait until I was dead before they realized how great downtown is. But finally, things are happening.”

He cited the redevelopment of the People’s Petroleum Building and the Liberty Hall theater.

“These are great developments and it’s all interrelated,” Eltife said. “More action downtown is good for all of us.”

Twitter: @tmt_roy