On Saturday night, after asking MSPD to make a suggestion for a great restaurant South of the River that would be great to celebrate a special occasion and host a group of five, we headed to Perron’s Sul Lago. A self-described relaxed bistro on a lake, this restaurant serves continental cuisine out of a mixed-used development strip mall in an out of the way place way down in Prior Lake. It is so out of the way that even though Google knew exactly where it was, I honestly didn’t believe it and ended up having everyone wait while I scoped it out–finding a large Italian chef statue pointing the way to the entrance.
We walked in and found our table for five ready and waiting against the windows. Even though there were plenty of seats elsewhere in the restaurant, I was very happy that we ended up sitting where we did, with a nice view of the outdoor seating and the adjacent park’s lake beyond. The entire place is nicely decorated in a simple manner but I was surprised at the way that the servers were dressed (jeans) as it just didn’t seem to match everything else inside.
Our server took her time taking orders and even waited for our appetizers to be delivered before asking what we wanted for dinner. She admitted that they are not into turning tables–something which we appreciated tonight. My mother and Josh ordered their tomato and basil soup (which my mother later referred to as “stewp”), my father ordered their tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto with dill and basil with olive and balsamic (instead of whatever garlic dressing they normally offered) while I ordered their calamari. Instead of charging for bread, like The Strip Club does, ridiculously, we were treated to unlimited baskets of decent bread to tide us over between courses.
While I don’t normally care for tomato soup (actually I get nauseous just smelling it), this was fantastic. My mother and father both said it was like eating my father’s homemade tomato sauce that he makes for pasta. It was thick, hearty, and enjoyable. I’d definitely order it myself in the future. My calamari was good. The tubes were a bit chewy but the rest was fine. The marinara could have used some spice but overall it was decent for Minnesota. It came with pepperoncinis which I suppose made up for the lack of spice in the sauce ;-) My father devoured his appetizer and didn’t give me a chance to even take a taste! He said it was “excellent”.
While the staff was clearing our plates from the appetizers, the server began taking our dinner orders. Josh went with their tortellini, my wife ordered their parmesan chicken, I chose their rack of lamb special, my mother chose their chicken risotto, and my father chose their 12 oz filet mignon. A wide variety of choices this evening and definitely a good cross section of what was available on the menu (which differed between what we saw online and what is there now).
After another round of bread our entrees appeared. The portions were definitely more appropriate than what we saw at I Nonni and I was absolutely shocked at how good they all looked. My wife’s chicken parmesan was one of the biggest pieces of chicken I have ever seen grace a plate at a restaurant and honestly, it could have passed for an entire breast. Her only complaint was that her asparagus was buried under a mountain of garlic mashed potatoes–something which seemed to genuinely annoy her. Josh’s pasta was brightly colored and didn’t stand a chance as he demolished the entire dish without a single bad thing to say. My mother’s risotto was a bit overcooked but otherwise had an excellent flavor and was something I’d order for myself. My father’s filet mignon was ordered rare (so rare that when you stick your fork in it, it moos) but unfortunately a good portion of it was overcooked and even the waitress said it looked as if it was medium-rare. My father refused to send it back and ate the huge hunk of meat (it was also one of the largest portions I have ever seen at a restaurant). My meal, the only one that I ate in great abundance, was absolutely fantastic. It was cooked perfectly (rare+), was tender and flavorful. So much so that it required me to, ceremoniously, tear the remaining meat off the bones leaving a pile on the plate.
After looking at the menu and deciding that the options were definitely up my alley, many others looked at them as well and we all ordered something except for my mother. My wife and Josh both ordered creme brule (which wasn’t the best I’ve ever had but was nice), my father ordered their vanilla ice cream with Amaretto marinated cherries which, to this non-cherry enjoying individual, some of the most incredible tasting cherries I have ever had. I ordered their blueberry bread pudding and being that I find it sacrilegious to put raisins in bread pudding, this was an amazing idea and one I enjoyed immensely.
Overall, Perron’s Sul Lago comes highly recommended by me and the rest of my party. It absolutely trounces everything else I have had in the MSP area lately and it was on my very short list of places I want to return to for future celebratory events. If you are looking for a restaurant with great service, food, and ambiance, I definitely recommend you check out Perron’s Sul Lago.
Have you ever eaten at Sul Lago in Prior Lake? If so, what did you think? What have you ordered there? Did you think the service was good? Whatever you think about Perron’s Sul Lago, please go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear what you have to say about a place where even the server had to thank us for coming in to a small restaurant tucked away.
Address:
Perron’s Sul Lago
16154 Main Ave SE
Prior Lake, MN 55372
Phone:
952-440-1411
Vegetarian friendly:
Some options available
See all the photos from Perron’s Sul Lago on Flickr here.
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September 8th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Sounds very good. We were actually hoping to try it this last weekend, but again thier hours did not match up with the hours of our babysitter.
We instead had Med Cruise Cafe on Sunday for lunch and Fogo De Chao for lunch on Monday.
Hopefully we make it to Perons soon, as your review sounds fabulous.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I went here with a friend of mine a few months ago. It was the first time I had been to this restaurant and was very impressed with it. I found it by searching the web one night for restaurants. I was talking to a friend about it, who had been there previously and loved it, so her and I went together on a Friday night. The location is a little odd, I wouldn’t have imagined the restaurant to be where it was, but oh well. We didn’t have reservations, but we were still able to get in right away and got a table on the patio. We started with the mozzarella appetizer with asparagus, proscuitto and greens. It was delicious as well as the breads that came before the meal. For dinner I had a chicken pasta thing (forgive me I can’t remember the name). It was fettucini noodles, with a red cream sauce and chicken. I can’t remember having a dish so flavorful in all my life. My friend got the Scallops Gnocci. I took a taste of it, and will definately be getting this the next time I go. The scallops were huge and cooked perfectly, the sauce and gnocci were good too. Neither of us had dessert or drinks, so I can’t comment on those. Overall it was delicious and I would go back again and again.
September 8th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I’ve been following your blog for a while now and was wondering if you would consider my suggestion to add table on the empty left part of the blog to house your top places to eat.
~Mike.
September 9th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
It’s great to hear continued good comments about this place. My in-laws recently ate there and were also very happy.
When we first visited shortly after they opened, we were told by our server that one of Perron’s strong suits was braised/slower cooked meats. I agree.
All in all, it’s approachable food, well-prepared and served by helpful and pleasant staff. Don’t expect anything cutting edge or downtownish (although if you’re familiar with Grand Cafe in South Mpls, the food is on that level) and you’ll probably be thrilled with your meal there.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:38 am
[...] Perrons Sul Lago 2. BD’s Mongolian Grill 3. Ramy’s Pizza 4. Roasted Pear 5. Taqueria La Hacienda #3 6. [...]
May 26th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Finally getting the chance to bump this thread back, as I had an outstanding meal at Perron’s the other day. If you have any reason to go to a nicer restaurant anytime soon, please, please, please give this place a try. If you’ve been there and were thinking of getting back, don’t hesitate.
Perron’s just puts out better and better food as the years go by. I’ve never pretended the restaurant competes with the gold standards of downtown with the nationally-recognized chefs, but the gap continues to narrow. The pork tenderloin with morel cream sauce special my mom had the other night was more inspired and balanced as 95% of dishes you’d get anywhere in the cities. My ribeye was an extremely generous cut, cooked precisely as I ordered and was thoroughly satisfying. The only disappointment of the meal was that my brother also ordered the ribeye and it was a noticeably smaller cut and done a bit more well than he ordered. The mojito, polenta appetizer, and spinach salad, as well as the bread with olive oil (hint of truffle) were all excellent as well.
This is the kind of place that has something that will please everyone from the most novice diner to the most critical. Prices are reasonable considering there is a skilled chef cooking with solid-quality ingredients and care, a professional and knowledgeable wait staff, and nice surroundings. All in contrast to the money-sucking, soulless places in this price point like Rudy’s Redeye, Enjoy, and the Outback, and less inspired, more expensive joints like Chianti Grill, etc.
I was thrilled to see them extremely busy on a Tuesday night and hope to keep sending people there…it’s a south metro treasure.
May 26th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
While I wouldn’t bother to compare RRG to Perron’s, I must admit that I liked RRG each and every time I’ve been there and have nothing to complain about.
That said, I hate you. Now I want to go back to Perron’s. Right. Now.
May 26th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
I’m not saying Rudy’s is awful on its own merits. But when you compare a pork dish at Rudy’s for $18 and a pork dish at Perron’s for $18, you’re going to get a much more refined, soulful product using better quality ingredients at Perron’s.
May 26th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
I want badly to try this place, but the hours simply make it difficult. Perhaps at some point we will make it over there.
May 26th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Because they don’t do lunch?
May 27th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Not open on Mondays and dont do lunch. Most of the time my wife and I go out for lunch on Saturdays. We often try new places and have just found its a great way to have a nice meal out without dealing with crowds/waits that you might deal with on a Friday or Saturday night. Also, many places are actually less expensive at lunch.
Following the same idea, once in awhile we will both take a half day from work and have a nice lunch and catch a movie (recently went to Brasa for example). Its a great way to relax a little bit and not have to worry about finding/paying a babysitter.
So, for the most part, we just dont get to places for dinner.
September 25th, 2010 at 11:34 am
My wife and I finally got down to Prior Lake to try out this place last night. We were very pleasantly surprised. A very high-quality, high-class contemporary Italian restaurant, nestled in a small town south of the river. Joy! We had the prosciutto as an appetizer, quite tasty. (As was the fresh and warm bread, which flowed throughout.) We both had spinach salads, also nice. I had the scallops and gnocchi, with a light white sauce and peas, and I was very pleased. My wife had scallops with fettuccine, her only complaint was that the mushrooms were tough, almost like they were freeze dried and not reconstituted properly. Other than that, no complaints, and nice to have another fine dining experience in the neighborhood.
October 25th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
We tried Perrons last Friday night. Thank you MSDP and Bill for this great destination.
Incredible service. Great food. It was really a very nice evening.
The Scallops and Gnocchi were out of this world.
April 10th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
I was at Perron’s last night celebrating a friend’s birthday, and was actually able to sample many of the dishes everyone ordered. I came away impressed with the vast majority of the food, with one notable exception. I ordered the Salmon with roasted roma tomato risotto, a house salad, and finished with a cannoli from a visiting chef they had that evening. Sadly, I was disappointed in the cannoli. The filling was outstanding, but the outside tasted more like a coffee-infused waffle cone. My friend who also ordered the cannoli felt the same way. The Salmon went exceptionally well with the risotto, and the portion size was great for the $19 price tag.
I sampled other dishes as well, including the scallops, the Filet, the ravoli, and someone’s garlic mashed potatoes (served as a well-portioned side dish). All-in-all, I was very impressed with the portion sizes of the entree’s and that garlic mashed mountain, especially when compared to the price. I was, however, disappointed in the size of my house salad when compared to the $6 price tag. The salad was delicious, but I expected more for the price. Also, the aforementioned cannoli was priced at $12, which didn’t seem to fit either (though they did include some of those delicious cherries on the plate, which helped). I was more impressed with the flourless chocolate espresso cake my girlfriend ordered. It was dense and flavorful, though I didn’t taste too much espresso.
In the end, it was great food (except the cannoli). Overall though, the price tag hurt a bit. Just for myself, the salad, salmon, cannoli and a couple $7 scotches (a bargain actually for a 12 year), came to $75 after tip. My girlfriend’s was another $65. I would definitely go back, but for the money, I’d rather go to Al Vento in South Minneapolis. Outstanding Italian, on par if not better in my opinion, and my girlfriend and I got out of there for $70 after tip for the both of us. We split an appetizer, dessert, and a bottle of wine, and each had an entree and after dinner espresso. Portions there are a little smaller, but definitely right-sized and I left very full. Might be worth checking out if you get the chance.
April 10th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Appreciate the writeup on your meal and glad you liked it. But……
I’m not a math major, but I’m at $44. Add in tax and you’re still under $50. Did you really leave a $25+ tip?
I do agree with you…$12 for a cannoli is highway robbery. The best cannoli, hand-filled, etc. should be no more than $5 and even that’s steep.
April 10th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Sorry…just did a recount. $51. That’s how my weekend has gone.
April 10th, 2011 at 7:16 pm
I saw that Perrons is having a 5 course meal with wine pairings and a guest chef next weekend. $75 per person, for 5 course meal and wine. Maybe a bit expensive, but sounds delicious to me. My guess is it will be worth every penny.
April 10th, 2011 at 8:02 pm
Good catch MSPD. I checked out my receipt again and it turns out I had three scotches, and not two. I also estimated my portion of the tax since they wouldn’t split the bill up, and likely erred a little on the high end.
Chad, they had the 5 course pairing last night as well, which is where I picked the Cannoli from. They didn’t have Cannoli on the regular menu, but allowed us to order it off the paired menu (which didn’t have a price listed on it). Had it said $12 for it, I’d likely have passed. The rest of the paired menu looked delicious though.
April 11th, 2011 at 9:22 am
I am glad to hear that Victor has moved from dating (Black Sheep review in December) to girlfriend here in the review for Perron’s.
I am however sorry to hear that he needs to drink 3 glasses of cheap scotch to enjoy her. Hope she was driving.
April 11th, 2011 at 9:35 am
lefty, I sometimes prefer a 12 year Scotch to older ones like 18 and 25 years. Especially considering the price differences at various restaurants.
No, your 18 year old Glenlivet is not worth $31 a glass when the bottle runs about $50.
April 11th, 2011 at 10:01 am
While my joke was clearly biased in favor of Victor’s love troubles, I won’t disagree with your scotch assessment.
That said, I went to a scotch tasting at Axel’s last week (do not eat the food) and I now have 4 bottles of some seriously excellent stuff gracing my shelves right now. A few are so good that I don’t think there is an event worthy of me drinking it. This includes the Bunnahabhain 18 year that is makes Glenlivit 18 taste like drool in comparison. I suspect that won’t be opened until there are people celebrating my death.
April 11th, 2011 at 10:16 am
Hah! No scotch necessary to enjoy the girlfriend, but I appreciate the sentiment none-the-less, Lefty. I did actually drive though. (She can’t drive a manual transmission). Since our meal took over three hours, I was more than capable. (By the way, I forgot to mention that the service was friendly and accurate, but much slower than I’d normally expect, even on a busy Friday night. Nothing too annoying though, since we were in no hurry)
Considering the scotch in question wasn’t the worst-tasting 12 year I’ve ever had, and it was all of 25 cents more than a pour of Walker Black or Red, I consider it a small victory for $7. I don’t normally go for the high-end scotches in restaurants, since as Bill pointed out, it’s not usually worth the cost. I’d rather buy a bottle and enjoy it at home.
April 11th, 2011 at 10:48 am
Well Victor. I am again glad to hear not only that you have a girlfriend, but that you are enjoying her.
Does dinner at Perron’s always take 3 hours? I enjoy a 2-3 hour meal once or twice a year, but La Belle Vie is about the only place I can think of that warrants that time commitment. I hardly think Perron’s is doing themselves a favor keeping that table occupied for 140 dollars or whatever Victor and his enjoyable girlfriend paid.
April 11th, 2011 at 11:10 am
It was a little more justified, as we were with a group of nine. Total bill was around $550 I believe. Again, it didn’t really bother me all that much since we weren’t in any hurry, but it just seemed a little slow. It took them 10 minutes at one point to get us more oil for the bread, and we had to remind them about the bread refill they had already offered us as well. For all I know though, they may have been under-staffed and the bread may have needed to finish baking. The place was full, and the only open seats I saw were one or two at the bar.