Perron's Sul Lago

Address:
16154 Main Ave. SE, Prior Lake, 952-440-1411, perronssullago.com

The Scene
Perron’s Sul Lago, a self-described urban bistro, occupies the corner of a white condo complex just off the main drag in Prior Lake. The interior is dominated by a long bar. Large spacious banquettes and oversized tables line up along windows overlooking the lake. PSL attracts mostly locals. Half seem blessed and content to have a restaurant cooking real food with flair in their backyard. The other half has the hundred-yard stare emblematic of the discomfort that comes when an Olive Garden palate meets serious restaurant fare.

Our Take
Perron’s Sul Lago is a warm and inviting restaurant serving freshly cooked Italian influenced dishes. Most of the food is well prepared. From the gracious and friendly greeting to the wine service, the effort is from the heart. There’s no pretense. There are also no surprises. Well-made salads and a trio of sturdy bruschettas were not nearly as tasty as the calamari, crisped and tossed with hot pickled peppers, or the mussels in a nifty Neapolitan-style marinara sauce. Pasta was underwhelming, but roasted meats, fish, and poultry were all perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned. The rack of lamb and Parmesan-crusted chicken were especially good.

For a small restaurant with an equally small menu and a chef-owner in the kitchen, my hope was to see a more creative repertoire. Truffle oil, roasted garlic, demi-glace, balsamic vinegar, and the rest of the 1990s ingredient-all-star team taste just fine, thank you, but when they are the signature flavors on a chef-driven menu, it’s boring. Just because asparagus and mashed potatoes are simple to turn out doesn’t mean they pair well with half the menu. And mushroom risotto doesn’t necessarily team confidently with the other half. Desserts were all perfectly fine, but equally predictable. The crème brûlée and flourless chocolate torte were a cut above the rest.

That First Step
Restaurants in the outer suburbs often seem derivative compared with the large class of chef-owned neighborhood restaurants in the inner ring. And though I think Perron’s Sul Lago may underestimate its clientele’s appetite for innovation, for a much larger portion of patrons who are steeped in the chain experience, PSL is likely the entry point into the world of food-driven restaurants. It’s a first step into a realm they’ll hopefully want to return to repeatedly. The ensuing restaurants that open in Prior Lake will be increasingly ambitious—count on it. And they’ll owe a tip of the toque to Perron’s.

Fine Print GETTING THERE, GETTING IN: Reservations recommended. Street and parking lot spaces are plentiful once you find this well-hidden restaurant. HOURS: M–Th 5–10 p.m., F–Sa 5–10:30 p.m., bar F–Sa 5 p.m.–1 a.m. NOISE LEVEL: Moderately noisy. KIDS: No children’s menu, but booster seats and highchairs are available. SMOKING: None permitted. CARDS: MC, Visa. WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE: Yes. ENTRÉE PRICES: $12–$27. EXTRAS: Chef Perron prides himself on his Valpolicella tomato and parmigiano reggiano Alfredo sauces. Both are available for purchase.