By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

One of the first things I noticed when I took my seat at a table in Perso was the high quality of the table itself: Burnished wood, smooth as silk, it reminded me of the work of Shaker artisans.

Then I unrolled the black cloth napkin and noticed something unusual about the quality stainless flatware: Every surface was mirror-shiny, without a single dishwasher spot in sight, almost as if each piece had been wiped clean by hand before service.

And speaking of service, that was great too: Friendly but not smarmy, attentive but not bothersome, there when we needed them, good with eye contact and a smile.

So what, you say? How about the food?

Chef-owner Emil David’s creative, chef-driven, Italian-accented cuisine is remarkably good. We’ll get to that. But seeing those other, seemingly smaller signals of attentiveness and care from the moment we sat down signaled management that cares, a level of care that permeates the entire Perso dining experience.

A relatively new addition, Perso got its start in the pandemic autumn if 2021 as Square Cut, a pizzeria with a Roman twist that landed in Shelby Park after two years as a popular food truck. Its Roman-style pies were popular with their squarish hand-formed construction, thin but relatively crisp, loaded with toppings and cheese. Then Chef David started featuring special dishes with farm-to-table ingredients and chef-driven flourishes. By early in 2023 the evolution from Square Cut to Perso was complete.

There is a unified aesthetic to Perso’s space in this attractive two-story 19th century red-brick building: The style, the decor, the attractive tableware, the mood, and the cuisine are classically simple yet highlighted with unexpected flourishes; all of very good quality.

The menu continues its farm-to-table ethos with a bill of fare that changes with the seasons but always includes house-made charcuterie and breads, craft cocktails and a thoughtful bar program, and, of course, Roman-style pizza.

This is not cheap eats, but pricing is reasonable and fair. Charcuterie boards sufficient for three or four are priced from $9 to $18. Dishes billed as “mostly vegetables” include six starters from $12 to $17 and three entrees from $21 to $25. “Land and Sea” dishes feature four starters from $12 to $23 and nine entrees from $24 to $42, plus a single $75 outlier, a 16-ounce 30-day aged rib eye. Included in those categories are four Roman-style pizzas priced from $23 to $29. A three-course prix fixe menu is available Sundays through Wednesdays at a flat $29; and a family-style three-course chef’s dinner for your table is $55 per person.

We combined a prix fixe selection and several a la carte items to make an abundant meal without a flaw.

A grilled artichoke dip starter ($15) began with a pool of thick, creamy and gently smoky artichoke puree drizzled with a pool of black tahini and garnished with a garden of pea tendrils and garlicky snipped ramps. It was served with a round of spectacularly good house-made bread the size of a baseball, crisp on the outside and fluffy within, dotted with a peppery spice mix on top.

Cauliflower three ways ($21) was impressive in presentation and taste. A whole head of cauliflower, roasted to tender perfection, was dusted with a subtly peppery and aromatic spice mix. It sat atop a thick pool of pureed cauliflower and was flanked by tiny, crunchy and tangy quick-pickled cauliflower florets.

The three-course prix fixe ($29), available dine-in only, offers a choice among four starters, four entrees, and two desserts. A portion of all Prix Fixe sales is given to Blessings in a Backpack, a worthy organization that helps feed local school children who suffer from food insecurity.

A hearty pasta e fagioli starter mixed plump cranberry beans and fresh campanelle pasta in a thick tomato sauce, topped with grated mild pecorino toscano cheese and snipped basil leaves.

Osso buco (pictured at the top of the page) was built on a grass-fed beef shank braised to full doneness, yielding a dark, intensely flavorful chunk of beef. An intense stock reduction was poured over the meat and pooled on the plate, with thick, al dente asparagus spears and a pea tendril garnish. It’s a gift to be simple, as the Shakers sang, and this approach through simplicity yielded a dish with real class.

The “chef’s choice” prix fixe dessert was a “candy scone,” fresh-baked and filled with tiny bits of Reese Cups, Twix, and other candies, served with blobs of sweet mascarpone cheese and a caramel drizzle.

An exceptionally good dinner was $68.90 plus a $20 tip. We couldn’t resist paying homage to Perso’s heritage with a formaggio pizza ($23) to go. A blend of mozzarella and ricotta cheeses, garlic cream, and herbs on a hand-thrown, artisanal-bread base, it was as memorable as everything else about Perso.

Perso
741 E. Oak St.
290-5721
persorestaurant.com
facebook.com/persorestaurant
instagram.com/persorestaurant

Noise Level: When this modest-size room is full, the sound definitely rises, with average sound levels ranging from 74.2dB to 77.2dB on repeated checks; but the high ceiling and an acoustically helpful wall of wooden slats seemed to help. Conversation was always possible.

Accessibility: The restaurant and restrooms appear accessible to unassisted wheelchair users. Tables are fairly closely spaced, but easily moved, and a wide walkway through the room was available.