Where Land Meets Sea

Less than a decade after opening the award-winning George Bistro + Bar, Chef George Lazi and his wife, Luba, decided to expand their culinary footprint in 2021 with a second enterprise. And while they could have mirrored much of what has made George Bistro a success, the couple instead chose to explore new avenues that broadened the scope of their creativity—both in the kitchen and in the details of design.

Pearl & Horn turns the otherwise care-worn surf-and-turf idea on its head, abandoning the expected steak and seafood menu to offer guests dishes that showcase the unique flavors of wild game while leaning into the nuances and delicacy of fresh seafood. While the two are wildly different, an overarching philosophy unites them with a passion and creativity that makes the menu so much more than words on a page in a leather binder.

Photos by Emily Veal

The aptly named Pearl & Horn evokes a sense of luxury—the pearl is a jewel of the sea; the horn is a crowning glory of the land. As Georgian-born Chef George explains, the name holds a deeper significance, nodding to culture, history, and hospitality.

“A pearl takes time,” Lazi says. “[It takes] years and years to build and become such a beautiful thing. It takes grit and resilience. We associate pearls with our lives since Luba and I moved from a different country. For the last quarter of a century, we’ve been grinding and working and building our foundation. We’ve been building this beautiful family.

Photos by Emily Veal

“As for the horn, in Georgian culture, we have what is called a khantsi—a drinking horn used to toast during a formal dinner feast, most often with wine,” he continues. “It is a representation of hospitality, of a very special moment to share with your loved ones. That horn is passed down to generations, and it’s such a big part of my memories of growing up.

“When a household brings out the horn and passes it around for everyone to drink, there’s something special going on. We wanted to share that meaning and that feeling with every guest who comes in
our restaurant.” 

Photos by Emily Veal

Both Chef George and Luba’s cultural and professional backgrounds, as well as their personalities, can be seen in the menu: in the flavor profiles, the spices, the techniques, the ingenuity. However, the restaurant space itself is where Luba’s design vision shines. 

Due to the space’s previous lives, construction constraints divided Pearl & Horn’s interior into two distinct areas—something the Lazis ultimately used to their advantage. One side, complete with oyster and cocktail bars, gives a more coastal aesthetic, leaning into colors and textures that suggest the “Pearl” aspect of their name. The other side is more earthy, with leather and velvet and richer greens throughout the space to evoke the “Horn.”

Photos by Emily Veal

A large part of what makes the Lazis’ restaurants successful is quality. Equal weight is placed on high-quality meat, seafood, and every other ingredient that passes through the kitchen. The restaurants boast quality people, who become part of the Lazis’ created family. Combined with a wine and beverage program that beautifully complements the menu, Pearl & Horn is an experience that makes the Lazis proud, exuding a spirit of care through every course, every glass filled, every interaction with the staff. It is a masterwork, complete with chef George’s own masterwork of crispy red snapper collar, a signature dish that took years to perfect.

“It represents basically everything we wanted to achieve in our concept,” he says. “I’d say it’s probably the best thing I’ve ever created.”

Pearl & Horn reflects the journey that brought the Lazis here in the first place—one built on patience, persistence, and an unwavering commitment to hospitality. Like the pearl that inspired its name, the restaurant is the product of quiet strength, shaped by the belief that everything good in life takes time to become something truly exceptional.  

Photos by Emily Veal