Restaurant Week Preview at Terra

On Thursday evening, I had the immense pleasure of   sampling the Restaurant Week menu being offered by Terra Bistro of La Mesa this coming week!

Are you familiar with Restaurant Week? It is seriously one of my favorite events of the year (and it happens twice! So would that be favorite events of the semi-year?). Basically, it's a prix fixe deal, tiered at $20, $30, and $40, depending upon the restaurant. For more information, visit http://www.sandiegorestaurantweek.com/

Anyway, back to Terra!!  Joining 8 other food bloggers, I was treated to a nice sampling of the meals that Executive Chef Jeff Rossman will be serving up to patrons for the next two weeks, at the incredible price of $30. Included in my tasting was: Potato and brie quesadillas, salt and pepper calamari, roasted beet salad, their delicious house salad, and pumpkin ravioli. And this was just the appetizers! The salads were both delicious; the greens fresh and crisp, the dressing light and tasty, and the bleu and goat cheeses were perfect compliments to the fresh greens.

The quesadillas were surprisingly spicy! The brie and potato combination worked nicely to create a soft, salty filling, but the chipotle certainly added a nice kick of flavor!

Calamari might be my favorite appetizer ever, and this calamari did not disappoint! The pieces were not at all greasy, and the salt and pepper batter was a nice taste.

However, the pumpkin ravioli was my absolute favorite of the night! Not overly sweet like much of the pumpkin ravioli that I've had, this ravioli stole my heart. So much flavor with hints of cinnamon and garlic, and the pumpkin flavor really shined through. The consensus of the table was that this dish was the best!

Next was the main courses! We were treated to two of the offerings for SDRW, the flat iron steak with asiago (!) mashed potatoes, and pot roast with mashed potatoes. Is there anything more comforting to eat on a fall night than beef and creamy mashed potatoes? I don't think so.

The pot roast was amazing! Such a wonderful depth of flavor. It is marinated and cooked with a local beer of the chef's choosing, then slowly cooked until the meat is incredibly tender. This dish would pair well with both red wine or a craft beer.

The steak flavor was fabulous. The steak was served with a wine sauce, but the beef flavors shined through brilliantly. The veggies served were fresh and crisp, with little seasoning, letting their flavors shine through. It certainly pays off in flavor to use local veggies and free-range meat, as is the practice at Terra. Paired with a good red wine, this meal was fit for a czar. 

And next was dessert! Beautiful lavender creme brulee piled with berries. The crust was nice and thick, but the inside very creamy and delicious. The lavender infusion was a nice take on a classic.

And...we had a second dessert! A fun chocolate ganache "cigar" served in an ashtray with whipped cream and chocolate powder "ashes." Very fun and original. I imagine that this dessert is quite popular among patrons.

I would definitely say make your reservations ASAP for Terra, as they were quite busy, and it wasn't even Restaurant Week! I know that I'm making mine to go back!