Yes, we went back. We arrived in the North End with every intention of branching out and filling our mouths and stomachs with a new menu. But here’s what happened: we walked past Terramia, and two words instantly brought us to a dead halt. Restaurant. Week. That’s right, Terramia was participating in Restaurant Week Boston Summer 2011, and that meant we could get three courses for the attractive, fixed price of just $33.11. We rearranged our stomachs, prepared for a feast, and entered joyfully.
First of all, the Restaurant Week menu was supposedly a “tasting” menu, meaning that the portions were smaller. To that, I say, thank goodness, because the portions were still ample, and had they been any more, one of us surely would have burst a button. We started with the Burrata Caprese – handcrafted cheese served with assorted tomatoes and a spicy, sensual, shot of gazpacho speckled with perfectly balanced herbs and garlic. The Insalata di Mare was our second Antipasti selection, and was one single chilled scallop, one ring of calamari, and one shrimp served on the side of a cous couse salad. Each seafood bite was stark white and barely seasoned – just the textural canvas to the Sardinian cous cous with microgreens and scant droplets of guacamole that provided all the flavoring of the dish. The seafood alone would have seemed anemic and lost, but the dish eaten altogether crafted a cohesive and texturally luxurious appetizer.
For the Primi we ordered the Pappardelle alla Bolognese and (I couldn’t resist returning to that alluring dish from last time) the Agnolotti di Melanzane al Pesto. The pappardelle were a treat, fresh, and delicate, yet hearty and satisfying on the tongue. The eggplant ravioli dish was a surprise, however, because it was delicious, but decidedly distinct from last time (this is why, of course, actual restaurant critics are paid enough to eat at a restaurant several times before making any formal reviews). This time, the roasted eggplant flavor did take the forefront with a warm and creamy texture that settled in the mouth comfortably with a final smokiness. The pesto, however, was not at all bitter. This made me wonder: was my previous experience with this dish a mistake – had the basil and mint simply been overprocessed last time – or was this evening’s sauce not quite up to snuff? In both cases the pasta itself was flawless, and the overall plate was successful, just a different bite and showcasing different flavors each time.
I’ll admit I was not as excited about the Secondi as the other courses. I enjoy all food, but given the choice, I’m more of a vegetable and seafood lover than a meathead. Moments after taking my first bite of the final course, Zach reached his fork over to my side of the table, and I pulled back my plate, declaring that this was the best lamb I’d ever tasted, and I wasn’t sure there was enough to share. Of course I gave in, if for no other reason than I wanted to taste his final course too, and can therefore say that both dishes were expertly prepared, meat cooked to its perfect texture, and dressed appropriately to compliment earthy flavors without ever overpowering them. The Saltimboca di Agnello – lamb loin cutlets, Parma prosciutto and fontina, perponata, arugula, fingerling potatos, and a trebbiano wine sage reduction – was served stacked, salad on top of meat. The crisp greens played off the salty, smooth meats and cheeses below, and the light vinaigrette infused the whole dish with an edge that triggered that happy reaction where you can feel your palette’s delight in the depths of your jaw, tingling all the way to your neck with the excitement of your taste buds. The Ossobuco D’Estate, served with a petite, fried, squash ravioli, was also blissful. The veal mirepoix sauce did give the whole course a bit of a single note, but the meat was so tender that it seemed to drip off the bone and it was a chore to eat this course slowly enough to savor each bite and flavor.
Unlike my previous experience, the service this time was impeccable. Every course arrived hot and perfectly timed to when we finished off the final crumbs from the plate before. The waiter was attentive without seeming overbearing, or putting pressure on us to scoot along and kindly just smiled when he caught me with my camera tucked under my napkin (the stunning presentation needed to be documented!) We did have two small gripes about meal details. The first was simply that the potato chips topping the roasted eggplant ravioli had obviously been pulled from the fryer a bit too soon, had sat waiting for the rest of the order, and were limp by the time the dish hit the table. The flavor was spot on, but the crunch just wasn’t there, and it was missed. The other disappointment was actually the tomatoes on the Burrata plate, which were, clearly, store-bought, from afar, and out of season. Certainly I’m willing to say that I might be overly judgmental when it comes to tomatoes, and I’ll even own up to spending perhaps a little too much time fawning over this year’s haul from my own garden, but since I do consider myself a tomato connoisseur, I felt let down by what arrived on the table at Terramia, a restaurant that so obviously prides itself on seasonal ingredients and fresh flavors. The selection of cherry tomatoes was lively, but the larger slices were mealy and wet, and lacking pizzazz.
All in all, this was one of my favorite meals, the atmosphere was, again, cheerful and sophisticated, and the whole evening left me buzzing with the memory of beautiful flavors (and maybe a bit from the Chianti too), and wholly, happily, full.
Photos of are each course, in order. As the meal went on, the lighting became more romantic, but since I was afraid using the camera flash would draw way to much attention, the photo quality does dim a bit too.
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