Upon a rooftop in Silicon Valley is where you’ll find Terra at Eataly, a destination filled with freshly made pizzas, pastas and luxurious curated cuts of the finest meats.
Terra is the South Bay’s new wood-burning Italian grill led by Executive Chef Antonio Giordano and Chef de Cuisine Luca Lussoso. Sitting on the third floor of Eataly, a luxury Italian market, is a rooftop restaurant and lounge inspired by two of the universe’s strongest elements: earth and fire.
Through the bustling Eataly market, you’ll find glass walls welcoming you to the restaurant for all to see the chefs’ roaring kitchen and wood-burning grill. With every turn of food on the grill brings rising flames illuminating the kitchen – an inviting element connecting customers and visitors to the concept.
“We’re showing you what’s happening. We do it in front of you so it’s not just a dinner, but an experience,” says Filippo Faggiani, director of Eataly Store Operations.
The restaurant, which opened last summer, is one of almost 10 across the U.S. and over 20 around the world. It’s a hit in Silicon Valley, offering a hot spot for business meetings, first dates, family celebrations and even the usual for groups of high school students living in luxury on a Friday night.
The space is designed to be engaged in a variety of experiential ways – from the main dining room, which centers on a custom-built, wood-burning Italian grill, to a muted but colorful lounge for light bites and drinks all with carts of fresh gelato and fresh cheese being wheeled around for all to see. The modern and open-air concept maintains the inviting atmosphere, and even with the most packed of seats, there’s still a relaxed charm.
When it comes to the food, there’s not a plate on the menu to disappoint, but there are a few dishes iconic to the menu for those wanting the full Terra at Eataly experience. As for the starters, the Gamberoni Alla Griglia, grilled king prawns made with fennel pollen, dried chili, lemon, Olitalia extra virgin olive oil, are a perfect choice – light as a dish but rich in seasoning.
To kick things up a bit, you’ll want to go with the Parmigiano Cart. It’s a rolling cart brimming with delectable parmigiano Reggiano; the cheese is cut from the wheel and served in front of you with balsamic vinegar from Giuseppe Giusti and Villa Manodori. (In the world of balsamics, the darker in color, the richer the sauce.) For this appetizer, you will tear, dip and savor.
Like any authentic Italian restaurant, you can bet the pizzas and pastas are a perfect choice for an entree and that stands true here, especially with two dishes. Terra’s springtime favorite is the Ravioli Verdi di Piselli with asparagi, house-made spinach ravioli filled with peas and ricotta, white and green asparagus sauce, butter, basil and parmigiano reggiano.
The tagliatelle al ragù di terra pasta is adorned with house-made, 40-egg yolk tagliatelle, coal-fired beef and pork ragù and agriform parmigiano reggiano. The sauce is light yet creamy with complementing flavors, and the meat seasoned to perfection while still holding its own within the dish,
But if you’re wanting to take it to that next level with an entree, the Tomahawk steak is going to be the answer. This is the crown jewel of the menu, and it’s the entree each employee will rave about and recommend. The 36-oz. dry-aged Snake River Farms Wagyu Tomahawk is cooked and seasoned with Olitalia extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, served with your choice of two sides. Add freshly shaved Urbani winter black truffle. The trick to ordering the Tomahawk is to only cut one bite to eat at a time, and to eat less than you think for two reasons. First of all, you need to savor every bite of the juicy cut. Second, you’ll need room for the sides that accompany the dish.
Though you have a goliath of a steak in front of you, staff say you have to get the potatoes on the side. And they are correct. The potatoes have a crunching exterior with soft center leaving the table next to us saying, “Oh my gosh.” Once you break through the crunchy exterior to get to the center, you are bombarded with flavor. The entire plate is worth every penny.
Grab a box to save the rest of your entree, whatever you chose, because dessert cannot be missed. There’s a pro tip for dessert at Terra at Eataly, one shared by the managers. You may be watching a gelato cart pass by your table all evening while enjoying your rich, flavorful dishes. No matter how tempting, skip the gelato cart – though inviting – and head downstairs to Eataly’s first floor and get a scoop of fresh gelato at the take-and-go area. There will be over two dozen fresh flavors to choose from instead of being limited to one flavor with toppings. The real Italian experience will be the single scoop instead of a bowl served upstairs.
Terra at Eataly is open Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (lunch); 5 to 9:30 p.m. (dinner); and Friday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
For more information on Terra at Eataly, visit www.eataly.com.
2855 Stevens Creek Blvd.
San Jose, CA 95128