Terroni | Los Angeles
Before I went on a 2 week cleanse, I wanted get a little dressed up and have a nice meal. So a friend of min suggested a little place in Los Angeles called Terroni, just east of the Grove on Beverly Blvd. This is one of those places that you could miss if you were not paying attention. As you walk in, you notice the tight quarters of all of the two tops and larger tables along with the open kitchen and wine bar. You would think that this would be a louder place than it is. But the conversation that I had with my friend was was really easy. But I did notice that the couple next to us stopped many times to listen to what we had to say. The menu is a little confusing, all of the dishes are in italian and can be overwhelming, but there are explanations of each dish under the names. The wine list is rather limited in wine types, but the variety rather impressive from vintage to vineyard and region.
Piatto a Stutare
We started with the Piatto a Stutare (Prosciutto San Daniele, burrata, grilled fresh artichokes, mint & extra-virgin olive oil). Now Im almost addicted to prosciutto, so this was an amazing starter. The meat is sliced very thin and had a buttery finishing note. The burrata and artichoke gave it an added freshness that worked well on the tongue and gave it a lighter taste.
Santo Stefano
Since our dinner was rather late, I wanted to have a lighter dish as a main, so we shared this Santo Stefano pizza (Tomato, buffalo milk mozzarella, fresh arugola & prosciutto di Parma). What can I say, this hit the spot. Nothing on the pizza contracted or overpowered each other. The prosciutto di Parma has a distinctly different taste than the San Daniele and paired well with dollops of buffalo mozzarella and light tomato sauce. This is one of those pizzas that is satisfying but has no guilt. Now if I could only get it more often! All in all, Terroni is a great casual to dressy place, with prices in the high teens per dish or daily specials in the upper twenties, our dinner was about $75 for 2, which included 2 glasses of wine, the plates you see here, and coffee afterward. These dishes were more than enough for a quick nosh, but if you are looking for a couple appetizers and 2 main dishes with drinks, be prepared to spend another $50. Not an every day hitter, but a great place for a nice dinner on occassion.
I still need to figure out a ratings system. I would give it 4 out of 5 for now …
Italian Kitchen, Grille and Cafe
Sometimes, instead of going out for a good meal, it’s always nice to have a good meal come to you. This time, I decided to visit a little cafe just down the road from where I live, and bring the goodness home. Just for full disclosure, my mother is from Sicily, so I am a little biased when it comes to Italian food. But walking into this quiet, unassuming cafe in a strip center with no more an probably 15-20 tables, small kitchen, and owner greeting you with a thick Italian accent, you know there must be love in every dish!
Black Mussels Sambuca
There is something to be said about quality Italian seafood dishes, one way to know is the size of the mussels. Lately, when I have enjoyed them I have got a good portion, but they have been small and flavorless, which is not the case here. These giant mussels are cooked in a sauce of natural juices, Sambuca (I’m assuming from the name), a smidgen of oil, tomatoes, onion, pepper, and a touch of garlic from what I can tell, and the taste is amazing. The sauce that the mussels are cooked in have a great flavor that doesn’t have one overpowering taste, but compliments the meat tremendously with just a hint of salt water and a slow burn on the backside. Personally, a hint of sea water makes this dish for me. Instantly one of my favorites. Easily a nice dish to share with a great companion.
Classic Lasagna
Just from first sight, this is made with quality ingredients. The cheese melted on top is uniform with no oil puddles, which you can see in lesser ingredients, and there is that little line of burn on the edge which is visually pleasing to me. I don’t typically think that pasta as tender, but a fork easily cuts though this like butter. The layers of pasta, cooked to perfection, are held together with a light ricotta cheese and meat, cooked in a light tomato sauce. It’s not a heavy dish, and even with the mussels, I don’t feel insanely full like I have with other pasta dishes.
For just under $40 I got an appetizer, entree, and dessert. It is a little more than I tend to spend on takeout, but I have been passing this place for a year now and I was ready to dive into it head first. Easily a place I would take a date or group for a great meal and not feel like I have to talk over anyone or feel rushed to get in and out. One good thing about these types of restaurants is that they don’t feel the need to turn and burn their customers in order to get the next table in, but are more interested in the quality of the food, experience of their clientele.
If you are on the east side of Tampa, driving down 301 south just past I75, be sure to stop at the little unassuming cafe in the strip mall, there will be no disappointment!
Zingari
Now this was a nice surprise. On our way to another restaurant suggested by the concierge at the hotel, the hike was a little too much, so we stopped at a place just across from the JW Marriot called Zingari.
This place was a little unexpected, its hard not to miss. You are greeted by these unassuming doors and with just the name as you walk right on by it, but when you travel up the stairs, its a whole new side to San Francisco dining that I am not used to. I would call it upscale casual, because when you walk in not expecting to eat, you do feel a little underdressed.
Apart from everything being a solid surface with nothing to absorb the noise, this was a nice place. When you walk up, you are flanked by dining rooms on each side of the splitting stair. Their menus range from traditional to the artistic, and it may take a couple of visits to really get a sense of the diversity of the menu. But, being the food lover that I am, I tried as much as I could.
I started off with Marscapone Ravioli, which was more of a dessert item than an appetizer. These ravioli were as delicate as they were tasty in a merlot reduction topped with brandied cherries. I think these would be just as at home at the end of your meal as the beginning. Taking the bites in small portions helps bring out the sweetness of the filling and sauce, but it is tamed by the light dough that holds it. Next time I will leave this to the end.
I think its sacrilegious to be in the City without going for seafood, which always leads me to mussels! These were some of the best mussels that I have ever had. No flavors were overpowering, and the broth let the flavor of the mussels come through. Side this up with a slice of the crusty sliced bread that is served up to the table and it made for a great intermediate for the main course.
I have always seen braised lamb or pork on the menu, but couple ossobuco that with “wild boar,” well that’s a natural selection. This wild boar was served up on a bed of mushroom risotto which provided a compliment of flavors. The boar was braised to perfection that fell off the bone and was not gamey as I would have imagined. The risotto provided a bit of saltiness and cheesy flavor to the savory meat which danced in my mouth. Im not a huge fan of mushrooms, but I didn’t mind that they were in this dish. Something I have to remember for next time.
All in all, I liked this restaurant, and would give it 3.5 out of 4 stars.. (I would love suggestions on what I should use for my ratings system.) Its a great change of pace for local restauranteur like myself, but anyone that loves upscale dining would love this place just as well!
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