Terroni (Queen Street West) has been on my radar for quite some time now for Italian comfort food. I always thought of food as a beautiful form of art that is meant to heal, bring people together and not only feed your body…but your heart and soul. Hence, the section regarding food being titled ‘Edible Art’. Tis a gift to be able to feed people, it really is. I ventured out to Terroni Queen Street to find some comfort in the traditional, homestyle Italian dishes they offer. I was not disappointed. It was the first time in a long time that I was blown away with the quality of the food offered. Let’s go through it, shall we?
Carpaccio di Manzo
hand cut, raw cumbrae beef tenderloin, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, parmigiano reggiano shavings, arugula
Frittura di Calamari
deep fried lightly floured calamari
I adore a good carpaccio, and this carpaccio was good. I was a little apprehensive on the flavour profile of the dish as it didn’t look as fancy as the other carpaccios that I have had. Looks aint everything eh? This was divine. I also really want to highlight the flavour of the olive oil used in this dish. I NEED TO BUY MYSELF A BOTTLE. It was of impeccable quality, and they do sell many components of their dishes in the restaurant. Love it. 10/10
I would really have to say that the same goes for the calamari. The floured coating was actually so flavourful. I know that many places rely on a good sauce and some lemon juice to make their calamari really pop, so of course when I saw no dip I was a little confused. One bite and I wasn’t confused anymore. Perfectly crispy, the calamari was cooked beautifully and again…flavours..amazing. 9/10
Ravioli di Zio Paperone
homemade ravioli stuffed with duck confit, fig, roasted butternut squash, sauteed with oyster, button mushrooms and parmigiano
This was one of the most beautiful raviolis that I have ever tasted. The pasta was wonderfully al dente and the duck confit filling was cooked to perfection and still tender and full of flavour. The flavour profiles of the duck confit, fig and roasted butternut squash just worked together so well. I was at a loss of words. It had a sweet and savoury component which was brought to an all time high with the earth flavour profile of the mushrooms. I was ready to see the light. No joke. 10/10
Tonnarelli alla Norcina
Italian black truffle shavings, homemade spicy sausage, pecorino, garlic
This beauty, had an amazing texture and cooked al dente. The homemade spicy sausage was extremely flavourful and was not dry in the least bit. The symphony of flavours that the pecorino, garlic and black truffle brought to my palette was just undeniably one of the best I’ve experienced with a plate of homemade pasta (that’s right, it is made in house just as pretty much every thing else on their menu is as well). 9/10
Panna Cotta
simmered cream, fresh berries, aged balsamic
I had an incredible panna cotta a long time ago and just didn’t have one again since. So seeing this on the menu definitely tickled my fancy. It was firm enough, yet a light creamy field of vanilla pods in my mouth. The flavour of the panna cotta itself was so light, so I can definitely appreciate the strawberries as well as the aged balsamic. I believe it was also served with a strawberry jam of sorts. It was the most refreshing way to cleanse my palette after such a rich and hearty lunch. 8/10
Budino di Caramello
Butterscotch pudding, vanilla caramel, wafer and rosemary salt
Listen, I love this so much. I went to Sud Forno the other day and had their butterscotch pudding and saw God smiling down at me. You can imagine my delight when I found out that Sud Forno is affiliated with Terroni and this dessert was pretty much that pudding on a grander scale with a wafer on top. Hells yeah I loved it. It wasn’t at the consistency of the conventional pudding, it was a little smoother, a little less firm. But, it was a beautiful dish nonetheless. The vanilla caramel gave more depth to the flavour profile of this dessert as a whole and the rosemary salt definitely cut through that. It was a beautiful medley of flavours for my tastebuds. 10/10
Overall Ratings
Food: 9.3/10
According to my calculations, that is the exact number. But for the sake of this review and based on my entire experience with the food, I would give Terroni a 9.5/10. This place is NOT overrated and is absolutely worth the try. All their noodles are made in house, as are almost every other component of their dishes. I find that so impressive, especially in this time and age. If someone told me that one of my friend’s nonna was in the kitchen making me my lunch…I would have believed it. I’m not Italian and it felt like home to me, lol. I am curious to see what my Italian friends would think of this place so I will absolutely be back with them and 110% be back for myself. I am so wholly satisfied with the food at Terroni. 100% recommend.
Drinks: n/a
Ambience: 10/10
It wasn’t over done, but that’s what I like about it. Terroni is a quaint little place with a chockfull of charm. I felt so comfortable and at ease, no need to constantly be aware of what hand I was holding my fork with. The restaurant is a home and their staff behaved like family, of course I’d be comfortable. It was a cheery and welcoming energy that wafted through the place. I would absolutely go back, whether it is on a date or with my family. Everyone is welcome at Terroni.
Service: 9/10
I recognize that it was incredibly busy when I went and our server did her very best to attend to us. And, that is so deeply appreciated. I just feel like she could have checked in a little more. I don’t really like that I had to ask other staff members for our server. So in that sense, I feel like service could use the teensiest bit of work. With that being said, I do want to say that all the other staff went above and beyond to make this an enjoyable experience. The hostess was training two others, and all three of them were incredibly friendly and inviting. They were so accommodating that I was actually surprised. The food runners were so helpful and ensured lunch was going as smoothly as possible. The support staff and host stand really brought this score up several notches for me and I do believe that they deserve to know that. Thank you!!
Overall, 100% worth going to whether you’re by yourself, with a friend, a significant other or a group of people. It is definitely a beautiful place to hang out, share good food and have a good time.
Until next time, good vibes!
