Perche’No Pasta & Vino

At the Green Lake Perche'No, the menu lists plenty of veggie pastas, each coded to match the wine list.

The family behindQueen Anne’spopular Perche’No (“Why not” in Italian) have rolled out a second restaurant, Perche’No Pasta & Vino, near Green Lake, and boy, is it user-friendly. The outside looks like a peachy suburban villa and the yellow two-story eating area boasts a chandelier of wine glasses, marble tabletops, and a huge wine storage area. As soon as you are seated at your numbered table, you get bread for dunking in wonderfully rich extra virgin olive oil. The enormous menu may look daunting at first, but geometric symbols next to the various dishes help guide you toward a complementary wine. For instance, the delish portabella mushroom ravioli with truffle oil ($15) I ordered had a circle next to it, which indicated that a light red wine would be a good match. Deciding to go along with the system, I got a glass of Chianti ($6). My vegetarian companion, torn over which of the many meatless cream- or red-sauce-topped pasta options to pick, opted for pappardelle with basil and tomatoes ($10). It was lacking something, perhaps a stronger punch of garlic, but at least the portion was impressive. Despite all the carbs in your system, don’t be afraid to sample the molten chocolate cake ($6) if it’s a dessert special. After all: Perche’no? MOLLY LORI