Built on beef shank rather than the traditional veal, Perso's ossobuco is intensely flavored, giftlike in its simplicity, and very good to eat.
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. ...
Read my full review on LouisvilleHotBytes:
https://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/pers ... ings-right
You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly's Food & Drink section this week:
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/
Perso
741 E. Oak St.
290-5721
nttps://persorestaurant.com
nttps://facebook.com/persorestaurant
nttps://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, with only rare peaks into the 80dB range; 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.