Fun and Lively
After reading Greg Maragos review-Hartford Courant Sunday March 19th., we (5 friends who go out once a month - we DO NOT bring a calculator!)were anxious to go to Terra Restaurant in the Canton shops. When you enter you get the feel of a Italian bistro, loud and lively. We had a bit of a wait, even with a reservation but the bartenders were friendly and attentive. Nothing worse than a dead bar. Love the decor - you have to go into the bathrooms! Seating is comfortable and we loved our more mature server, she knew her wine and was confident and friendly.    [04 Apr 2006 09:20:51]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Sole and Pork Chops

     ­Sally   

I have been wanting to try this restaurant since I saw it starting up. It was my husband's birthday last night and we decided this is where we wanted to go and it was very elegant and upscale. When we received our food and tried it for the first time we could not believe how outstanding it was! We had the gnocchi and the spaghetti alla carbonara.
The only thing I would say is that we were supposed to get bread with our meal and never received it, just a minor thing.
We would certainly recommend this restaurant!! Adina    [24 Apr 2006 14:14:25]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Gnocchi, Spaghetti

     ­Anonymous   

Out of NYC
Saturday night was our first visit to the new shopping center in Canton Ct, The Shoppes of Farmington Valley. While we were shopping we decided to have a bite to eat and stopped in at Terra. Let me just say that this restaurant is as good to look at as the food is superb. A large open space with Italian murals and cherub painted ceilings. We waited at the bar and ordered from the cocktail menu. The atmosphere was lively and upbeat, the music was very contemporary. Our server was mature and professional with none of the usual pretense to go along with it. She recommended almost our entire meal and hit it right on. The food was timely and well presented. The Chefs special was outstanding. If you're looking for all you can eat this is not the place though. The entrees were properly portioned for the European appetite, not the American glutton. The waitress even recommended home made desserts that put the finishing touch on a perfect dining experience. A+    [06 Aug 2006 22:02:16]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes:

     ­Beverly Hodgenson   

Very good food and ambiance. Not quite up to its sister restaurants in lower Fairfield Co but best restaurant on Rt 44. As all in the area, service is spotty....we have had both excellent severs and so-so on our several visits. But we love northern Italian food and this is a good spot for it.    [08 Dec 2006 11:12:12]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 

     ­Trailman   

Great atmosphere-poor service
We went to Terra based on all of the good reviews. We felt completely rushed by the waitstaff. Our server wouldn't wait for my husband to return from the bathroom for him to taste our bottle of wine. We asked several times for water before we got it. Our food was fair. My husband's pork chop as well as my scallops were overcooked. I ate one bite and the server asked if I wanted it wrapped. When I said no she never asked if the meal was okay. We'll never return to this restaurant.    [06 Jan 2007 07:40:05]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 

     ­Anonymous   

Consistency is the key
This was our second visit to Terra's - the first was an unintentional and delightful surprise. The second was planned and a disappointment.

Our first visit was towards the end of a long evening of Christmas shopping. At the late hour, the restaurant was mostly empty, which allowed us to take in the lavish decor meshing old country Italian designs with a contemporary flair - lots of subtly artistic eye candy here that will keep you busy on your first visit.

I wish I could remember our first server's name - she was fantastic, even to the point of serving and clearing from the right. She was most attentive, especially considering the late hour and what must have been a long evening for her.

The food was fabulous, and this is the consistency that does prevail at Terra's. Our second visit found us enjoying different menu selections and the food just as fabulous. The service, however, was poor to the point of distraction.

Starting with the bar (the bar itself is made of onyx and under lit - very beautiful), which was crowded, I find I disagree with a previous reviewer's experience of "friendly" bar keeps. This bartender was flat in personality and robotic in her interaction so much so that I felt our presence was less than welcome. This was more than made up for though by the presence at the bar of the owner, Paul, who made us feel much more than welcome (he was accompanied by an eccentric companion however who insisted on wearing sun glasses over his eyes - it was night time - and ski goggles on his head. Most odd). While sitting at the bar, I was at the far end and adjacent to a serving station where the table bread is kept in a warming drawer. One of the hostesses opened the drawer and pawed around the bread with her bare hand, I guess checking to see how warm it was, before closing it again. Wish I hadn't seen that.

At the table, our server was young and poorly trained, almost comical. We ordered a high end bottle of wine (Barolo) which was also used in preparation of one of the dishes we had - it was excellent. But we had to pour it ourselves, in spite of the obvious hints and signs we offered our server that our glasses were empty. And when it was first presented, I had a mouthful of salad and goat cheese and had to ask for a glass of water to clear my palate before tasting. The server returned with a water pitcher and picked up my half empty cocktail glass and was about to pour water into it when I stopped her. Realizing her mistake, she then proceeded to walk away with my cocktail and I had to call her back. When she finally returned with a water glass, she brought one glass - my wife had to ask for her own.

Moving on, we also were not offered any fresh pepper for our salads, and if I waited for fresh parmesan for my dish, it would have been cold by the time it arrived.

Bottom line - the decor is wonderful (the ambient noise level is loud however because of the high ceilings and tiled floors), the food has been consistently excellent, and the service is hit or miss. I think if Terra's just invested a bit more time in proper training of their wait staff, they'd have a home run. If it is a high end restaurant and a pricey bill at the end of the evening, the service can sour an experience to the point of thinking about going elsewhere next time.

But we'll give it another shot!    [21 Feb 2007 15:24:29]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Pork chop with blueberries and Baroloa wine sauce; spaguettini with hand rolled veal meatballs

     ­Mark   

A serious disappointment
We had a reservation at a neighboring restaurant, which they fouled up, so we went into the shopping mall that paved over that pleasant golf course on Route # 44 and ended up at Terra Ristorante.

If one is going to create an ambience and a menu that recreates another culture's, one ought to tell the waitstaff. The menu items were in Italian, with helpful explanations of what each one consisted of, but I had to literally point to each item so the waiter could understand.

Later, a second server arrived and we ordered our main course: I had to repeat pointing procedure.

The place has a wonderful faux-Renaissance mural, somewhat reminiscent of the unicorn tapestries in The Cloisters. However, it is extraordinarily noisy. I had to ask my wife to repeat herself all evening.

We ordered prosciutto with melon and figs for an appetizer. It appeared some time later, but without the figs. The waiter took it back, then returned with it, stating that they'd run out of figs at lunch. That is news that the waiters should have had when we ordered the dish at dinner. This was not recent news.

The waiter kept touching me on the shoulder, which I found highly disconcerting. We had to ask for water and for bread - the bread more than once.

We ordered a pizza for the main course, but after repeated reassurances it was on its way, it never appeared. Forty minutes later, we got our check and walked out.

For a total of five drinks for the two of us, plus one appetizer and two salads, the tab ran to $77.00!!

When I paid the tab, a bit agog at the price, the waiter came up to me to apologize, once again putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Mark" in a previous review stated, "it is a high end restaurant and a pricey bill at the end of the evening, the service can sour an experience to the point of thinking about going elsewhere next time." He concludes: "But we'll give it another shot!"

I commend Mark's persistence, but we won't be back.

Word of mouth can make or kill a restaurant.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
   [21 Oct 2007 11:01:04]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 

     ­Der Brockmeister   

Lunch
I ordered a take out lunch. I stopped at the Terra Ristorante, ordered take out lunch. A Mediterraneon panini. The waitress asked if I wanted soup or salad with the panini, I chose salad.

I picked up my lunch and went back to work. To my dismay they had put the salad with a hot panini sandwich. The salad had been steamed with the hot dish. I could not believe my eyes, that they did not use common sense to put the salad in a different container. The panini was a bit well done on the bread and dry. I was very dissapointed.    [30 Oct 2007 16:56:02]

Food: -   Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 

     ­pmp   pmp at acgassociates dot com

Under-Rated
I was searching for a place to take my wife for our 8 year anniversary and decided upon Terra a restaurant which I pass most weekends as my wife drags me around the shoppes in Farmington Valley. I had never been there before as I heard it was overpriced, but 8 years is no time to be cutting back on treating your wife.
Unsure of what to expect we were greeted at the door with a very welcoming hello from, who we later learned was the general manager. We were seated and shortly approached we menus and fresh warm bread. It was busy being a Saturday evening and this certainly caused some delay with our drinks, but the staff were apolagetic. We started with some calamri split between two, the batter was lite and slightly crispy a very refresing dish to start. It was followed by a halibut for my wife and a rib special for myself. My wife spinach was a little burnt but the halibut was perfection and the sauce and tomatoes supplemented the fish wonderfully. As for the ribs... heavenly, served with some linguine and peas, and presented with the bone it was cooked with, the dish melted in my mouth and left me with a revived love for meat.

We finished with a tiramisu which was beautifully presented, and the taste followed suit. My wife despite swearing she needed no dessert, took more then her fair share and we finished well and truely full.

Is it expensive? Yes, over-priced? No, the food was worth it and the staffs attitude and thoughtfullness (upon leaving three staff wished us happy anniversary) made the whole experience delightful. We will be back.    [19 Nov 2007 10:52:08]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Special Ribs

     ­Bryan Culmone   

Great Place
While Holiday shopping in Canton my friends and I decided to eat at Terra’s since we were freezing and didn’t want to walk further in the freezing weather to Panara Bread

Looking over the menu we decided to go all out and started with the Calamari Appetizer – the Marinara was “Typical Italian” the other dipping sauce was out of this world- think the server said Saffron was the tasty ingredient, you need to taste it to understand how really tasty it is

I decided on a Panini- the really fresh bread brought the sandwich up to the next level.Instead of the salad I decided to try the soup since I was cold. The Roasted Beet Soup was to die for! A++ Please don’t let the name scare you - try it you will like it.

One friend had the Risotto and scallops – besides being presented in a beautiful dish she assured me it tasted as good as it looked.

My other friend had the Pizza which was extremely good and filling… I plan on ordering my next take out Pizza from there- I didn’t know they offered that too

The staff was friendly, the décor was amazing with no detail left out- if you don’t believe me look at the hand painted ceiling and ladies check out the ladies room

For the quality of food, the portions and an enjoyable lunch the price was right. We will be going back for lunch and dinners and and of course will be calling for my take out pizza
   [19 Dec 2007 21:10:54]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Roasted Beef soup, Calamari Appetizer ,Rissoto and scallops, Pizza and the Panini

     ­Diane