Chef Ari Weiswasser leaves Pearl

Amid a feud among owners at the Rittenhouse Square nightspot Pearl, chef Ari Weiswasser has gone his own way.

Weiswasser, whose past includes Striped Bass and New York's Daniel, says all is amicable between himself and owners. "I just don't think Pearl is recognized as a restaurant," he says. "It's been overshadowed by the club upstairs." The perception translates into slow weeknight business in the restaurant. Weekends are busy, he said.

Weiswasser he wants to do his own restaurant.

Meanwhile at Pearl, owners David and sons Scott and Sean Stein are feuding with partner/promoter Brett Perloff over the direction of the company. The dispute escalated into what was described as a fistfight between Scott Stein and Perloff. According to a filing in Municipal Court, Perloff was accused of simple assault and harassment in connection with an Aug. 22 incident. Perloff told me that the complaint is "baseless."