Louisville hides culinary gems in nearly every neighborhood. At the corner of Oak and Shelby in the Shelby Park neighborhood, you will find one of my new favorites: Perso. My wife, Hope, and I recently booked a table for a slow, relaxing dinner. Our mission was simple. We wanted to see if this artisan kitchen could accommodate our highly specific dietary requirements.
What happens when a gluten-free vegetarian and a dedicated fish-lover walk into a meat-heavy artisan haven? You might expect a salad. . . at best. Instead, we were treated to some amazing flavors, high-end dishes, and some imbibing opportunities that “got the job done.”
Here is how our evening unfolded, complete with strategic cracker hoarding and a healthy respect for alien sea creatures.
Setting the Stage with Sips
We kicked off our evening by diving straight into the beverage menu. Hope started with a crisp, refreshing glass of Sauvignon Blanc. It perfectly matched her seafood intentions for the night and set a bright, zesty tone for the meal ahead. Also, it was vino, so she was in her happy place.
I opted to start the repast with a classic rye Manhattan. Perso makes theirs with a house well rye, Old Forester, lavender bitters, smoked lavender, and literally a cherry on top.
With our drinks sorted and our initial thirst thoroughly quenched, we turned our attention to the food. Perso heavily promotes its land and sea dishes, but a gluten-free vegetarian can explore a surprisingly deep bench of artisan starters, sides, and entrées.
The Great Cheese Debate and Mushroom Magic
Perso takes its cheese program seriously. They boast two distinct, house-made options. You have the rich, velvety ricotta and their glorious take on stracciatella. If you avoid gluten, take note of this crucial detail. Only the ricotta is completely gluten-free.
Not Your Mom’s Ricotta
We ordered the house-made ricotta, which arrived crowned with a vibrant, zippy chutney. The sweet and tangy flavors cut through the rich cheese beautifully. It came served alongside homemade gluten-free seed crackers that provided a sturdy crunch as a food delivery mechanism.
If you do not use all the seed crackers for the appetizer, definitely hang onto those crispy squares for future bite building purposes.
Marvelous Miso Mushrooms
To pair with our ricotta masterpiece, we ordered the marinated miso mushrooms. We received hearty, meaty cuts of mushroom swimming in a puréed mushroom broth. The chefs topped the dish with fresh microgreens, adding a lovely pop of color and a bright zip of flavor to the fungi. Mixing and matching the rich ricotta with the savory, umami-packed mushrooms created some interesting pairing combinations.
Entrées: From Alien Warnings to Veggie Victories
When you look at the meat-eating side of the menu, you will see plenty of pork, duck, lamb, and choice aged steaks. You will also see octopus. Allow me to offer a brief public service announcement regarding the octopus. Please do not eat these guys. They are incredibly smart, solve puzzles, hold grudges, and are quite possibly aliens.
A Seafood Lover’s Delight
Hope, who normally defaults to salmon whenever possible, decided to branch out. She ordered the Florida royal red shrimp. The kitchen served these succulent beauties over a bed of warm, comforting buckwheat polenta and chives. She asked the kitchen to hold the nduja (a spicy, spreadable pork sausage from Calabria). Her Sauvignon Blanc proved to be the perfect companion to the rich shrimp and polenta.
The Romanesco Broccoli Triumph
On the entrée side, two of the three vegetarian dishes are entirely gluten-free: the Romanesco broccoli and the butternut squash velouté. I went for the broccoli, baby! The kitchen roasted the visually stunning Romanesco and mixed it with Brussels sprouts, a smoky piquillo pepper sauce, and slivered almonds for crunch. Remember those leftover seed crackers I told you to hoard? This piquillo pepper sauce is exactly why you save them.
Dinner and a Show
Hope and I were not in a hurry to give up our seats. We sat comfortably close to the open kitchen, granting prime viewing for the culinary theater unfolding before us.
We arrived as one of the first reservations of the evening. Over the next hour plus, we watched the relatively empty restaurant gradually fill with vibrant energy. We spotted folks pregaming before a local show, at least one birthday celebration, and a raucous group eagerly exploring both the wine list and the craft cocktail offerings.
We each ordered another glass of wine for dessert. Did we really need it? Probably not. But we definitely needed to justify spending twenty more minutes taking in “the show.”
Encore
Perso delivers an exceptional dining experience, even if your dietary needs are a bit complicated. The staff is excellent, highly accommodating, and knowledgeable about the menu. The chefs curate their ingredients with obvious care, and the resulting food tastes amazing.
When you do go, try ordering several things family-style. Exploring their starters and sides by sharing is the best way to uncover the hidden gems on the menu. Remember: save your crackers, enjoy the show, and please, spare the octopus.
Address: 741 E Oak St, Louisville, KY 40203
Neighborhood: Shelby Park
Zip Code: 40203
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