food comas

Terroir

Executive Chef: Marco Canora
Chef: John Lomanto
Cuisine: Italian, Wine Bar
Neighborhood: Tribeca
Price: $30-50 pp
Phone: (212) 625-WINE (9463)
Address: 24 Harrison St., NYC
Hours: Mon-Sat 4 pm-1 am Sun 4 pm-11 pm

When the awesome duo of Marco Canora and Paul Grieco decided to bless Tribeca with a fantastic wine bar called Terroir, my roommate and I were ecstatic.  Within just a week of its opening in April 2010, we had already visited Terroir three times and tried most of their menu.  Prior to this, I had never been to the original wine bar Terroir in East Village, nor the actual genesis in the form of their Italian restaurant Hearth. The latter is the venture that initially brought wide-spread acclaim and accolades to the Canora and Grieco duo.  Actually, the reason I had been so psyched about Terroir’s opening was due to a little pig cooking competition called Cochon 555 in March 2010 that Canora participated in.  With his Duroc breed pig, Canora prepared house-made sausage with white beans, ham and cabbage sandwich, lard-crust mini tart, arancini stuffed with hearts, pork-stuffed agnolotti, and porchetta served with crispy skin strips.  I don’t even need descriptive adjectives to explain just how good it was.  A couple weeks after the event, I ran into Chef Canora who was just chilling on Harrison Street outside the newly built Terroir Tribeca.  I have been a solid customer (and Canora groupie) ever since.

Terroir is probably my favorite wine bar in Manhattan.  Not the cheapest wine by the glass prices but it’s TriBeCa after all.  This spot is perfect for groups of friends, intimate dates, or even informal business meetings with clients.  The metal binder that contains a magazine-esque tome of a menu is fun and a bit zany (the graphic designer really let loose here).  I personally have trouble navigating through a 45 page wine list (14 of which are dedicated to Grieco’s passion for Riesling), and so I leave my palate’s happiness in the capable hands of the knowledgeable and oftentimes comedic servers.  Their suggested cheese pairings have always been spot on and I particularly love the condiments (smoked almonds, honey drizzled pistachios, exotic jams or my favorite: peach butter!)  that come with each cheese.

Now the FOOD is just as overwhelming as the wine — in a good way.  I love all the creative bruschetta toppings especially the thick and pulpy tomato and basil with a semi-sunny side up egg on top of a thick slice of perfectly toasted, airy bread.  Also, the succulent slabs of bone marrow and the rich whipped lardo bruschettas are to die for (the best heart attack possible).  I am also a huge fan of the unique flavors of the risotto balls like the red wine and oxtail or beet and gorgonzola.  Terroir is the place I go to for hearty and heavy food to accompany amazing wines — I’ve tried a salad or two but I just wasn’t as wowed by them as I was by the cooked (fatty) dishes.

CHEESE
Just trust your server to put together a great flavor balanced cheese platter with accompanying sauces/condiments to complement your wine selections.  I highly recommend the peach butter… with everyting… or on its own… The cheeses below are Adrahan, a semi soft, buttery Irish; Moses Sleeper, a triple-cream (ah divine creaminess!) cow creation from Vermont; and Ewephoria Gouda, a sheepsmilk cheese.

LITTLE BAR SNACKS

Marinated Mushrooms
Probably the healthiest dish I’ve eaten here aside from the salads

Brussel Sprout Frittata
Surprisingly good combination of brussels sprouts + omelette!  Very dense as most dishes that are served here

FRIED STUFF

Red Wine, Oxtail Risotto Balls
Very heavy but I adore these risotto balls with their delicate red wine-braised oxtail filling

Saucy Mozzarella Balls
Gooey and cheesy fried mozzarella balls in a very good marinara sauce

Baccalà Balls
Fried salt sod sticks

B IS FOR BRUSCHETTA

Tomato, Basil, Egg
This is my favorite bruschetta!  I love the thick and pulpy tomato and basil mixture with the semi-cooked egg on top… reminds me of my Tomato and Feta Baked Eggs on top of bread! Also, Nat eventually made this at home, so click here for the DIY recipe!

Pork Sausage, Black Cabbage

Whipped Lardo
Yes, it is as good as it sounds

Bone Marrow
Plump, rich, fatty, buttery bone marrow… yum

TERROIR SANDWICHES

Eggplant with Grilled Radicchio, Basil, Mozzarella

COOL STUFF YOU MUST EAT

Veal and Ricotta Meatballs
I concur with the menu section heading “Cool Stuff You Must Eat” — these are some of the best meatballs I’ve ever tasted

Bev’s Famous Pork Blade Steak
We devoured this entire medium cooked, tender pork blade plus that thick strip of butter-esque fat