Casa Pernoi

Casa Pernoi needs an extra two starts at least.The two of us were invited to a dinner party here by one of our vendors. It was a haul to get out there but we love the restaurant scene in Birmingham and I hadn't met these guys yet. I didn't know what to expect. The entrance is around the corner, in the alley. It's a walking path very well lit and charming. Step inside to beautiful dark wood, high ceilings and incredible aromas. We were shown to a private dining room around the corner. It was beautiful. High ceilings with windows on two sides, floor to ceiling. Introductions were made and the service began. The wait staff were on top of everything. Coat check bam! Wine glass bam! Refills, replacements, very thing was meticulously attended to. I think her name is Monica. She runs a tight ship for sure. There were others but I didn't get names. The food arrives in courses as noted on the table cards. I stuck with the red wine offered as it was one I would have ordered anyway. Montepulciano d' Abruzzo is a medium bodied red Italian that goes well with anything. (In my opinion) This label was excellent and was flowing for most in the room. The antipasto boards with bread baskets were first: Marcona almonds, cured meats, Manchego slices, chunks of parm, and delicious warm olives. Easy to eat and still chat at the table. The breads were so creative. Made in house olive bread, stout crackers well-salted, and a soft sponge slice that was almost moist. Next were the hot appetizers. I didn't try the meatballs though my husband said they were really good. My focus was on the incredible grilled octopus with grilled vegetables on a lovely ceci (creamed chickpea, aka hummus) it was so mild and tender though had a great flavor. The char didn't over power the dish. I will trek back out just for their grilled octopus. The third was sausage and peppers. They had a little heat though not much but was another fantastic dish. Mains was served in two courses : pasta and proteins. The pasta servings were about two large bites of two different pastas, red and white. Both stand on their own with perfectly cooked pasta. The cacio de pepi is a cheese sauce with black pepper tossed in a regular noodle. The bolognese was my favorite. Chef's special lamb ragu that was so mild, my husband ate it and liked it! I wanted to kiss the chef! He did not, however, try the fish in the next course. I wasn't going to push my luck here. I was stuffed by the mains but cannot pass up a branzino. There was also filet cooked to a perfect medium, broccolini, potatoes, and sides of a red sauce that was a perfect topper to the potatoes. Dessert was the tiramisu. A generous hunk on chocolate sauce and an espresso infusion sauce. To top off the night, we accepted the offer of a cappuccino after dinner and while we were winding down the evening of networking and chatting with others in our industry. I had to stay focused but was completely blown away by the everything about this restaurant. It will be a high recommendation for years to come.

We had been to a restaurant in this location in the past, but had not visited since it became Casa Pernoi, so we decided to give it a try. It was a beautiful September evening, so we sat in their spacious patio section in the back alley. The word "alley" may give the wrong impression...this is Birmingham, so of course it was a very stylish alley .Our server, Jeremy, was very knowledgeable and attentive. We started our meal with an appetizer special that I believe was call gnocchi fries. It was a little different than we expected, but it was good. The portion size was also more than expected, so it would probably have been more suitable for a bigger group. We followed that with a Caesar salad - we split one, which was more than enough. For our entrees, I selected the Cacio E Pepe. This has become a favorite of mine recently, and this was an excellent interpretation. At Jeremy's suggestion, I added ground sausage, which was an inspired choice. My wife is a big fan of bolognese sauce, so she ordered the Tagliatelle Bolognese. The sauce was a little tomato heavy for her tastes, but she still enjoyed it. With both entrees, we truly appreciated the homemade pasta.

Food was amazing! The Caesar salad and the meat balls along with our entrees were delicious. Great service! Will definitely be back soon

This is a great restaurant!!! Comfortable atmosphere with a great patio that is awesome in the summer. Waitstaff is great and the food is always delicious!! This is one of the best restaurants in Birmingham!!

Great food and great service . The only thing the place is very loud they need to do a better job with acoustics it gets very loud where some times it is hard to have a conversation.

This was our first time at Casa Pernoi, and it was an enjoyable evening with excellent service. And the food was very tasty. The restaurant itself has a few different sections and we were in the main area right when you walk in. But the side areas "faux outside" would've possibly been an even better ambience. That said, the tables were very close together. It reminded me of cruise ship dining in that you can hear conversations of your next table and it almost feels like you're dining with them. That would be the biggest downside to Pernoi, if that is something you don't like. My husband and I shared a number of things. House made bread was served first and was very fresh. We got a Brussel sprouts starter roasted with a red wine vinaigrette and I absolutely loved it. It was my favorite item of the evening. We then shared a Caesar salad. It was nice that they split it into two parts for us. It was a flavorful Caesar. And the croutons were likely from the bread they make. Next was the entrees. The chicken parmigiana and meatballs. I was already getting full so I only ate the chicken parmigiana. It was good, but not the best I've had. But I did enjoy it and my husband liked the meatballs a lot. I'd definitely come back sometime. And if allowed I'd say it was a 4.5 stars. Then

I love Casa Pernoi all year round but especially in the spring/summertime when their patio is open! It's beautiful and has such a great ambiance. Their food is also amazing! Their spicy vodka pasta with chicken is great and so is the octopus appetizer.

Too many doors that you can't actually enter at front façade. Once you enter down the alley there is no room to move. They need to relocate the hostess stand to a less trafficked area and have more than one bathroom stall. Ambiance lacked any cohesive theme. Dined with 10. Wendy our waitress was fine. When asked for the beer options she just flipped the menu and pointed to them. Happy to see Peroni on the menu. Waters were kept full and plates cleared throughout the dinner quickly by the supporting waitstaff. Bread basket was good. Wish there was some other spread or dip to accompany it. The lavash made such a mess of the table. Branzino was ok. Very thin portion - more skin than anything. I'm not running back here anytime soon.

Overall rating: 3.8 stars Starters: Eggplant fritti 9/10, amazing and would definitely order again. The sauce was amazing. Entrees: Spicy Rigatoni 4/10, ours was sadly very aldente and we couldn't eat it, the sauce was just okay. Wouldn't order again. Pasta emilliana, 8.5/10. Removed the mushrooms and pancetta but the cream sauce was amazing. Drinks: Cherry Nojito 8/10, good basic mocktail Service was well, multiple people were checking up on us. As for atmosphere, there are a few different dining areas. We were sat in the back right at the entrance of the outdoor dining area which was pretty cramped.

Italy in Birmingham. The food is absolutely exquisite and beautifully presented. Service was top notch and ambiance was perfect. Their vegan options, including the creative beluga lentils, roasted cabbage, cherry pepper relish entree as well as the mushroom puree soup, were divine! I look forward to returning soon for another very memorable dining experience.