Terra Gets High Marks

David Snyder visits Terra, the subterranean restaurant below Tavern on Camac and finds that chef Eric Paraskevas is turning out some inspiring New American cuisine.

What sets this chef apart is his ability to stack seams of flavor and texture without burying the elemental simplicity of a dish. Take his grilled tenderloin, where a generous portion of succulent beef sits atop a layer of crunchy fried mashed taters. Sounds like, well, good ol’ meat and potatoes — but the duo of sauces on the plate change the game quickly. A rich thyme cream sauce had such soul that I was surprised to learn its base is vegetable stock; in the background, dollops of red pepper pesto imbued with jalapeño and morita (ground chipotle powder) introduced a gentle undercurrent of heat.

Grounded [City Paper]
Terra [Official Site]