Terra Restaurant

Truly Malin
Truly Malin
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
3
Reviews
Editor Pick

Terra

  • July 7, 2005
  • Rated 5 of 5 by s2artr from Woodland Hills, California
This restaurant has many culinary awards and is rated 4-star by Zagat, Travel and Leisure, Food and Wine, etc. It is so popular that advance reservations as far in advance as possible are highly recommended. It is possible to get last-minute reservations, but they will undoubtedly be very early or very late. It is a small restaurant on a side street in St. Helena in a historic building. There are no signs outside the restaurant. People seem to find it by word of mouth.

The cuisine is unique, with a fusion of Asian and French cuisines. Preparations are all very unique. The restaurant features a cookbook with its recipes. We started our meal with an appetizer of tuna and salmon tartar with sesame crackers. The taste was magnificent. My main course was a sirloin of lamb, thinly sliced, on top of a bouquet of fresh vegetables and fingerling potatoes and a most delicious sauce. My wife had a filet of black cod, which was marinated in a miso broth, served with baby bok choy and jasmine rice. The wine selection was extensive, and I was offered a sampling of two different white wines so that I could choose my favorite. The dessert choices were amazing. I sampled a buttermilk panna cotta, which is like a flan or creme brulee, which was surrounded by a bouquet of fresh orange, grapefruit, and thinly sliced apple. I highly recommend this restaurant for a special treat. It was a highlight of our Napa Valley visit.

From journal Getaway in Napa Valley

Editor Pick

Terra Restaurant

  • February 19, 2001
  • Rated 3 of 5 by food&fun from Truckee, California
The husband-wife owners met while working for Wolfgang Puck; he was a chef and she was a pastry chef. About 10 years ago, they started Terra restaurant. Although it is reputed to have an Asian-fusion cuisine, we found it to be "California-French-Italian." Now, this is not to imply any disappointment; my husband and I were happy with our dinners. The restaurant is two store-fronts combined to make up two sparely decorated dining rooms. The setting is one of elegance but not formality. Our desserts came in beautiful Japanese-style ceramic bowls -- the only hint of an Asian influence that we could detect. I started with a delightful mussel saffron soup with a cream base. The flavor was delicate, and the cream rounded out the taste, rather than tasting like mussels in cream sauce. My husband started with wild mushroom soup garnished with two quail-and-gorgonzola fried wontons. Like my soup, his had a cream base that complimented the flavor, rather than overwhelming the mushrooms. I can't tell you what the wontons tasted like because he liked them so much he wouldn't share even a little taste! We both had squab as the main course. It was cooked to the perfect medium rare that squab should be served and was very simply prepared. It was served atop an eggy savory bread pudding, which was good, but which I thought was too rich in combination with the rich squab. For dessert, I had a very light tiramisu, not too sweet. My husband had Terra's famous dessert of sauteed strawberries in Cabernet-black pepper sauce with vanilla ice cream. The strawberries were fresh and sweet, but the black pepper spark that should have been in the sauce wasn't apparent and the small scooplet of ice cream melted very quickly into a creamy garnish. Wine is served by the glass or the bottle. Our dinner, with a glass of champagne and two glasses of wine, was less than $100, which we considered a good deal (considering this is the Napa Valley) for the quality of the food and service.

From journal A Taste of Napa

Editor Pick

Terra Restaurant

  • February 9, 2001
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Truly Malin from New York, New York
Located 'across the tracks' from the railroad that gives the street its name, Terra welcomes immediately with its warm, beautifully lit stone façade. The interior is no less disappointing, with simple earth-toned banquettes and chairs around intimate tables that seem to curl up cozily against the massive stone walls of the interior.

The menu spices up the region's typical French-Californian style with the addition of an Asian influence, no doubt that of the Japanese chef, who is also the owner's husband. We chose Terra for it's carefully selected wine list, which highlights the best of the Valley's smaller vineyards.

From journal Wine-Soaked Women in the Napa Valley

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