Cafe Perusa Review

Cafe Perusa review by: Ashley Ethington
sometimes i find myself going into a restaurant that i want to not like. call it selfish reasons; i only have so many nights in a year, and my list of restaurants to visit frequently is quite long. thus was my thinking going into cafe perussa on a balmy wednesday night. the restaurant is tucked away from taylorsville road by ways of a few turns from hh gregg at the corner of hurstbourne lane.

once inside we were greeted and seated. the host was short on his greeting, but let us pick our table. we quickly pointed to one of the very large "sunken tables", with which our soon to be 3 yr old daughter was going to be much more comfortable, as would everyone involved. the bright dining room was a contrast to the spanish exterior, but no less than gorgeous. upon settling in, our excess place settings were whisked away and drink orders placed. although the split of champagne was out of stock, an alternate was not made available. the other three adults ordered wines by the glass, all different, and all handled with meticulous care, as a mother would give her 5 day infant. each wine was presented in the correct glass and a taste offered before the generous pours were complete. the jordan chardonnay ($12) was perfectly chilled, and art that somehow gets overlooked in our fair city. the table settled in with good converstion and appetizers on the way. a crawfish salad was a perfect august dish. two tomato carvings could have been replaced with a fruit and nirvana would have been at hand. the lobster bisque ($5.95_cup) was a solid version of the wonderful soup. the corn chowder, part of the $25 m-t-w three course tasting dinner, was equally flavorful, with a nice kick. the pride of the table was the study in oysters($18.95?). the chef needs to start teaching and stop studying. he has aced this test. 6 wonderful chesapeake bay oysters were pulled from the bay in a very small number of days. the freshness even shone through the wonderfully combined array of flavors bestowed upon them, such as a peppercorn bouillabaisse, oscar styled, and even a buffalo hot sauce version.

after a small hitch in delivery of the entrees, all plates were beautifully arranged, and the venison loin looked scrumptious. the venison, along with the tempura battered salmon were the second course choices on the $25 tasting menu. the new zealand rack of lamb was easily the best entree ordered for our table. the beautiful redness of the meat foreshown the massive flavor packed in the cells of the rack of lamb. the juice exploded in my mouth as  I closed my eyes and shuddered with disbelief ( our a sort of prayer to the great chef in the sky). accompanying the rack was a shot glass of a minty sauce that caontained 6 or 7 long crispy sweet potato french fries. they matched the lamb as well as any side dish has ever matched a main portion. a crab cake appetizer served as my entree and sufficed pleasantly, especially since i ate nearly 2 pieces of the heavenly white bread with a honey flavored butter. a sweeter bread was also offered with our initial waters. the crab cake had all the right ingredients: crab, crab, and sweet crab. very little breading, very little of anything except a dab of remoulade that perfectly accented the crustacean's aroma. the buttered noodles for our youngest diner were sufficient if not bland. i understand its not there target audience.

as we spoke, we went to thoughts of dessert. my fellow reviewer and i swapped seats as the very modern bathrooms were visited. we moved together so that we could comment on the exquisite evening we were having and so we could easily share our flan. a short ginger bread stick was places atop the perfectly executed dish. it spawned a memory of my splitee from her travels as a young girl in france, as she spoke we were transported to that balcony overlooking the mediterranean sea. the flan was the perfect ending with a dollop of whipped cream just enough to add a cool ending on that hot night.

overall i feel cafe perusa showed a perfect feel for the east end crowd and beyond. by the passion shown from our waiter, the maitre 'd, and the chef- i know this restaurant will be in the minds of many in-the-know louisvillians for the comings seasons. the quote we read when we walked in the door seemed to show the omnivorescent knowledge of the establishment; as it read_______________________________________________< ________________, _____________!



****stars (out of four) one of the top 12 in louisville.