Perilla is a cozy neighborhood restaurant in the village, located at 9 Jones Street. Most well-known for taking home the win on the first season of Bravo's Top Chef, Harold Dieterle cooks up a variety of creative and satisfying seasonal American dishes. The menu is brief and to the point, with little waste, but still something for all tastes.
I love this place - I keep finding reasons to come back. The decor is classy, but intimate and warm. Service is very good, better than than the prices would dictate. And the food...one of the rare restaurants where everything on the menu sounds incredible (and usually is). Came here for dinner with Leah last Friday night, and it did not disappoint. Portion sizes are substantial and I always feel that the management could be charging significantly more for the quality and quantity you receive.
Starters
Crispy Berkshire Pork Belly
apple kimchi, pickled watermelon radish, & carob molasses
- how can you go wrong with pork belly? This take is delicious and the accompaniments allow the pork to shine.
Spicy Duck Meatballs
mint cavatelli, water spinach, quail egg
- One of Harold's dishes that were featured on Top Chef. Absolutely delicious, and always fun to mix the raw quail egg into the sauce for added richness.
Mains
Braised Elk Osso Bucco
celery root puree, baby carrots & ginger-sassafras sauce
- When I see uncommon game on the menu I usually have to order it. The elk did not disappoint - it was rich and flavorfull and as with any traditional osso bucco, the chef allowed access to the marrow inside the bones. What flavor!
Black Trumpet & Sheep's Milk Ricotta Cannelloni
deep fried egg, leeks & white truffle-cardoon sauce
- Rich and satisfying, even to a non-mushroom lover like Leah. I thought doing one large cannelloni was a fun and unusual take.
Cheese
Rivers Edge 'Up in Smoke', Oregon
semi-soft, pasteurized goat, maple & smokey chevre
Five Spoke Creamery 'Tumbleweed', Pennsylvania
semi-hard, raw cow, aged, sour & fruity cheddar
Penterman Farm 'Marieke Aged Gouda', Wisconsin
hard, raw cow, crunchy, rich & sweet like molasses
- Nice to enjoy a small cheese course prior to dessert. I think we selected well - everything was complimentary and quite nice on the palette after our rich meal.
Dessert
Frozen Banana Parfait
candied peanuts & caramelized banana caramel sauce
- Quite spectacular, this one. The whole thing was stacked as almost an ice cream sandwich. A little tricky to eat actually, but this was exactly what I want in a dessert flavor-wise.
Dessert Special
- I wish I could remember what was in the dessert special Leah ordered. It was a similar ice cream, crispy wafer, stacked affair and really fantastic.
