It
was bound to happen at some point. The months spent in preparation of avoiding
the Marina at all costs abruptly came to a halt. When Terzo
was announced as our first Marina W2W adventure, I calmly prepared myself for
the worst. I imagined hair flips knocking me in the face like Tyson, Lulu lemon
and American Apparel mash-ups strategically arranged in a way that screamed,
"I spent hours to look like I didn’t" (don’t even try to fool me),
and college campus hats still paying tribute to the “best four – er, was it
five years – of my life that I am still hell bent on living out.” My
cringe face was ready. But the biggest let down: I didn’t even get to use it!
And so, at the latest W2W adventure on September 19th selected by Natasha
and attended by myself, Chelsea, Melissa, Bree and Elizabeth – we all were
reminded of the age-old lesson: don’t judge a book by its cover. Read on to see
how the rest of our story unfolded…and how we rated it on the 0/10 scale.
That’s right…we won’t judge the book’s cover, but you can bet your ass we’ll
rate each chapter. This is for you, friends. Yes, you are welcome. In the first
chapter, we cover ambiance – enjoy.
Ambiance
8.5: Terzo gives a
comfortable nod to a modern atmosphere. A contemporary feel is accentuated
through big mirrors creating an illusion of a much larger space, leather seats
to rest your back, and lightbulbs that hang from the ceiling in lieu of
traditional track lighting. However, coupled with warm rays of candlelight that
spill across each table, exposed brick throughout and endless rows of wine
bottles that seem to envelope the whole restaurant in a drunk hug, it creates a
sense of comfortable warmth for you to bask in as you enjoy your meal. And of course,
try some of the wine. After all, it’s not just there to look pretty. Speaking
of….
Wine
8: I’m well
aware of my track record, where I fail to remember to take notes on the red
because I’m too self-absorbed in the white wine I’m drinking. And if you’re a
red wine drinker, you’re probably used to rolling your eyes as you skip this
section. Alas, my friends, the book cover wasn’t the only lesson I learned at
this W2W…I actually remembered to take notes on the red wine too. Cue the big
sigh of relief. I know, I’m learning. First off, the white. We started with the
2010 Smoke Screen Chardonnay. The nose put me off a bit (it smelled a bit
yeasty), but still fresh from my learning, I decided not to judge, and down the
hatch it went. Another success: I liked it! Creamy with hints of apricot and
peach, and a bit of depth from very faint touches of oak and vanilla. Needless
to say, we finished off the bottle pretty fast and moved on to the red, which
was a 2011 Bovio Barbera D’alba. Unlike the Chardonnay…the nose of the Barbera
was intoxicatingly good – like buttery popcorn – delicious! The wine itself was
smooth, velvety and medium bodied with hints of blackberry. Overall…two wines,
two winners in this chapter. Pulitzer anyone?
Food
9: If you’re coming
here with a group, you’ve come to the right place. The menu is mainly filled
with small, shareable plates - -perfect for any large party. Enter: the
W2W crew. Yes, we’ll take it all.
-
Heirloom
Tomato Panzanella:
Delicious bread salad packed with crispy cucumbers, ripe red tomatoes,
red onions, fennel, olives, and topped with feta. As if that weren’t enough,
the homemade herb breadcrumbs hidden throughout were an added zesty bonus to
this fresh dish. Yum!
-
Humus: Served with warm, house-made pita bread
topped with spices (primarily oregano), it was a dish that was comforting
without being too heavy…but, in my humble opinion, lacked in taste. Skip.
-
Fresh
Fig Bruschetta: Holy
figgitty fig! What seems like it will be a normal run of the mill bruschetta,
actually ended up being one of my favorite dishes of the night. The figs
are so full of flavor and overall, the dish has a rich, complex taste – it’s a
must-order. Thick slices of bread are lightly toasted, with a generous spread
of warm, rich ricotta cheese. Chunky figs are placed atop the mixture, filling
every inch of room on the bread, and sprinkled with fresh basil. Just a light
drizzle of sweet balsamic vinaigrette rounds out the dish, giving it the
finishing touch that makes this “small plate” one that I would easily order for
my main dish. No shares. Sharing was not a lesson learned today. Phew.
-
Tomato
Braised Pork Meatballs:
“Now Dat’s A Meat-a-ball-a!” I imagine I would have cried out, had my mouth not
otherwise been stuffed full of said meatball. The meatballs were full of
flavor, rich and juicy – topped with grated reggiano cheese and sitting atop a
bed of fried, crispy, polenta croutons. Delicious!
-
Free
Range Chicken Spiedini:
Not your average chicken skewers here… Thick pieces of chicken were sandwiched
together along with large onion slices and thick cubes of bread. Juicy and a
bit on the spicy side, every piece of food on the skewer was packed with
flavor, stemming from a mix of the cilantro and spicy chiles….all cooked to
perfection.
-
Spaghetti: Zesty and flavorful, mixed with
house cured tesa (think Pancetta), broccoli di Ciccio, and tomatoes bathed in a
sweet marinara sauce and topped with Reggiano cheese. Heads up – though this is
listed under the “large plates” it’s not exactly about to give the small plates
a run for their money. It’s a rather small amount – and although shareable,
there just enough for a little bit for everyone. If you’re big spaghetti fan…order
two.
-
Roasted
Green Zucchini: Mixed
with Tahini to give the zucchini some depth and small pieces of rich ricotta
salata for complexity, the zucchini had both a refreshing zing to it and a bit
of spice….and all that’s nice.
-
Roasted
Wild Coho Salmon:
Succulent and full of flavor, the salmon rested between a bed of lentils, juicy
baby tomatoes, and spinach – creating a wonderful combination of textures and
flavors within the dish.
Dessert: Well, we didn’t order the amount of
dishes we typically do, and it’s a good thing we didn’t – because each dish was
pretty substantial and left us comfortably full at the end of the meal. Enter:
dessert. Upon the recommendation from our server, of some of the ‘must-have’
desserts, we sucked it up and pushed forward. That’s right, it’s a tough job,
but someone’s got to do it…
-
Lemon
Pot de Crème: This
looked like it was going to be, quite literally, a heavy pot of cream. It
looked rich, it looked intimidating…I was afraid. But alas, looks can be
deceiving (why does this sound so familiar…? Yes, we are full of lessons
today), and it was actually very light. The lemon cream was delicious, and
topped with light and airy whipped cream, with an equally light almond cookie
resting on top of the dish. A nice combination of flavors that eases you into
the dessert world. Okay…what’s next!?
-
Organic
Peach Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream:
One scoop from this dish, and you’ll be looking around for a cozy blanket and
fire to nestle up to. I know it sounds cheesy to say, but this dish just tastes
like home. The warm, juicy peaches are surrounded by crunchy, sweet pecans and
sugary, crispy oats, and topped with a small scoop of refreshing vanilla ice
cream on top. It’s a cozy, comforting dish and a perfect way to end the evening.
-
Flourless
Chocolate Cake: Nix that
last sentence. How could we possibly end the evening without chocolate??? Fear
not, the chocolate is here. And oh, is it worth waiting until the end for. Rich
and delicious with every bite, the espresso whipped cream accompanying it was a
perfect touch in adding a cool, light consistency to the dish.
Service
10: He got us. He
just did. And under our wing we took him – into our comments, our stories and
even our own little private jokes. Oh Ron…a BFF necklace is certainly in order
here. With great service, outstanding recommendations, patience with our group,
multiple tastes on wine (come on, it’s hard to choose with a big group of
girls)…he was already riding strong around a 9/10. But throughout the night,
with more stories and jokes that were told….we liked him more and more, and a
final solid 10 was achieved. Cheers Ron!
Price
7.5: Oye vey. We
went back and forth on this one for quite a bit. The total bill was $83….one of
our more/most expensive W2W nights out. We only had 3 bottles of wine and 8
dishes plus dessert. To me, that’s expensive. BUT a few things to take into
account: 1) we’re in the Marina. So I guess if you’re paying $8.99 for fro-yo
down the street…you’ve got to create some sort of price distinction between
dinner and fake ice-cream. 2) The dishes are meant to be shared. However,
with just 3 (don’t even get me started on 3 pieces on a dish) or 4 pieces that
come on a “shared” dish, I think they’re expecting groups of ants to dine here.
Of course with our group, we had to up the ante with how many pieces we needed
per dish – i.e. 6-8. So, I think the hidden cost to add a few more to just
about every dish, quickly added up our bill. If you need us, we’ll be washing
dishes in the back….
Noise
Level 10: I should
add a question mark to that statement – noise level: 10? We dined here the
week of a big conference in SOMA, and as such, not many people were having
dinner outside of SOMA. For us, that meant a very quiet dining experience at
Terzo where we could all easily hear each other, because frankly, sans about 3
other tables – we were the only ones in there. However, a few people from our
group have been to Terzo before on a “normal night” and said it was quite
different, remembering a very loud dining experience. So, if you are going
here, and it’s a “normal night” as far as you know it to be: proceed with
caution.
All
About The Area: It’s
the Marina, people. If you read the first paragraph, you know where I stand on
this. Terzo is definitely a hidden gem in the Marina and as far as I can tell,
doesn’t ring true to the stereotypical things you see in other restaurants/bars
in the area. But alas, IT IS THE MARINA. You either love it, or you hate it.
Pick a side.
Overall
Grade: 8.8
 |
| Ambiance - view from the front of the restaurant |
 |
| The back of the restaurant...can you tell there is only one section being sat? |
 |
| The delicious vino....calling to us from the wall. |
 |
| The RED! 2011 Bovio Barbera D'Alba |
 |
| The WHITE! 2010 Smoke Screen Chardonnay |
 |
| Heirloom Tomato Panzanella |
 |
| Humus |
 |
| Fresh Fig Bruschetta |
 |
| Tomato Braised Pork Meatballs |
 |
| Free Range Chicken Spiedini |
 |
| Spaghetti |
 |
| Roasted Green Zucchini |
 |
| Roasted Wild Coho Salmon |
 |
| Lemon Pot de Creme |
 |
| Organic Peach Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream |
 |
| Flourless Chocolate Cake |
