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| - I love Terroni's, although I find it's usually pretty loud in there due to the amount of people. Their popularity is definitely a good sign of good food. We decided to try La Bettola di Terroni for a weekday lunch.
Before I get into it, it should be noted that the other half of t
he restaurant is tapas style. Apparently you get a tiny, TINY little dish for $20 or more. My friend went there and left starving. They went to The Keg afterwards for a real meal.
We were a little skeptical, but the hostess assured us La Bettola di Terroni serves proper-sized meals. We were seated and shortly thereafter there was a mini-reunion of lawyers. Just to give you an idea of the crowd here...
I ordered the Barbabietole e Caprino salad to start (Roasted Beets, Goat's Cheese, Lamb's Lettuce, Pistachios, Candied Lemon Zest and Anchovy Balsamic Dressing). My date ordered the Nizzarda salad (Arugula, Italian Tuna, Potatoes, Egg, Red Onion, Tomatoes, Black Olives,Green Beans and Anchovies) but asked for no anchovies. The waitress originally told him that wouldn't be a problem. But a few minutes later, told him it couldn't be done. When his salad arrived, the anchovies were merely placed on top... how difficult would it be to remove? Oh well.
I decided on the Gnocchetti alla Norma for my main (Handmade Potato Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce, Fried Eggplant, Ricotta Salata and Basil) because of my love for eggplant. It was delicious. The portion was fair, but not overly big. (I complete forget what my date ordered...)
A co-worker was dining on the other side of the restaurant and came by to chat with us after his meal. He's Italian and was not impressed at all. He said he would never come back! He tried to order some simple pasta with a tomato sauce. Based on the items on the menu, he knew what types of pasta were available and what types of sauce were available, but the kitchen was not willing to deviate from the menu. Very similar to the anchovy incident. Perhaps the chef has control issues.
All in all, very nice atmosphere for a work lunch. Definitely on the pricey side. Not sure if I'd come back again, now that I've already tried it and was told by an Italian that he would never come back.
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