Patrick Shea, chef/owner, grew up two doors down at the Essex River House Motel and worked much of his teenage years at Tom Shea’s, their family restaurant. He started as a dishwasher at age 12 and eventually worked his way through all of the stations in the kitchen.

At age 16 he apprenticed at Yanks in Beverly Farms training under acclaimed Chef Erhard Wendt, nurturing an appreciation of a more sophisticated style of cuisine presented in a simple yet elegant manner. A love and passion for food truly took hold.

After Johnson & Wales University in Denver Colorado, and a short stint at Marriott Hotel, he returned to Boston and worked at a couple of popular Boston restaurants including Anthem Kitchen & Bar and the eclectic Lucky’s Lounge in the Fort Point area.

A few years later a longing to cook in Italy was realized, apprenticing at an acclaimed restaurant under an old world chef, Bennedetta Vitale, at Zibibbo in Carregi, just north of Florence. The way of life, day to day tasks, and overall experience was an adventure that brought clarity in understanding the importance of food in relation to family and brought some insight on a certain “quality of life”.

After several years of engagement in high volume Boston restaurants, including Eastern Standard, The Regal Beagle and the Tavern at Quarry Hills Patrick returned to the North Shore to take the opening Executive Chef position at Barrel House American Bar in Beverly MA. “Moving back to the North Shore fulfills a longtime dream to return home with my wife Mercedes and two daughters, Copley and Kennlee.” The Barrel House set the stage to bring exciting city style fare steeped in classical techniques to the North Shore.

“It is with great excitement for me to come full circle and be able to open the doors to C.K Pearl and share with my hometown, my life travels and culinary perspective. With hard work, a skilled team, and shared passion for the restaurant industry, I look forward to continuing to raise the standard and providing a warm, comfortable, hospitable restaurant setting on Essex river.”