This New Jersey couple got the surprise of a lifetime while eating their favorite appetizer at their favorite restaurant. They’ve been going there for 34 years, but they’ll remember this year as the most special one.
During Presidents Day weekend, Michael and Maria Spressler went for dinner at The Lobster House in Cape May.
This is a yearly tradition that they’ve been doing since the 90s. But, this year’s dinner was extra special after Michael discovered a pearl in a clam he was eating.
He said how he picked it up with his fork, somewhere at the 12th clam on a half shell, and saw that it’s quite heavy, but didn’t realize what it was at first. However, when he began to eat it, he saw that something was in his mouth and it wasn’t food.
Couple Finds a Pearl Worth Thousands During Dinner at the Lobster House
At first, Michael thought that he probably broke a tooth; however, he soon realized that he actually uncovered a pearl, an 8.8-millimeter one! Maria says that it was an exciting moment because they’ve never found something like this.
They’ve eaten dozens and dozens of clams, but nothing similar has ever happened.
Although it’s a pearl that it’s probably worth thousands of dollars, the couple decided to keep it. They don’t plan to sell it. They will probably include it in a lovely piece of jewelry.
The Restaurant Shares the Happy Story on their Social Media Page
After the restaurant shared the positive story on their social media page, they wrote that it’s a misconception thinking that pearls can only be found in oysters.
Oysters and clams both produce pearls and probably mussels too. This is the bivalve’s reaction to grit or debris.
Since finding a pearl inside your meal isn’t something that happens often, plenty of the customers of the restaurant celebrated the amazing discovery.
One user said how it couldn’t have happened at a more special place whereas another replied that the couple is so lucky. Another user wished the same or similar thing to happen to them as well!
The restaurant has been run by the same family for more than 100 years. The owner, Keith Laudeman, said that he’s surprised that this story went viral so fast.
People from all over the country are calling him, which is definitely good for business. The couple is a longtime customer of the restaurant. They’re happy to have walked away with a pricy souvenir.
They say it will remind them of this day and why it holds a special meaning.
Sources: