There is a reason why restaurants receive a wide variety of stars. Because although many restaurants strive to provide a consistent dining experience, it is common for diner's personal experiences to vary. We all walk in with our own baggage, palate and expectations.
While this may be the first review of Ristorante Teresina on Yelp, I found plenty of mixed reviews on other websites. Many of those included complaints, primarily about the service, but also trouble getting a table without a reservation and quibbles about certain menu items.
But, here's the thing... this dinner was my favorite meal in the past 12 months.
Because context is everything in reviews, I need to explain up front that I didn't have a typical dining experience. It was a group dinner hosted by a local who is a regular at the restaurant. And rather than order individually off the menu, we were asked if we liked fish and when we responded yes, the chef turned out course after course of amazing seafood dishes. While the main menu is primarily Bolognese, the chef is from Sicily, so our meal was cooked in that style.
The restaurant is cozy with a light and bright indoor dining room and charming outdoor seating in the alley. The artwork is modern and at first I assumed this was a new restaurant, but I'm told it has been around at least 50 years with three generations working in the kitchen.
Why this meal was especially remarkable, was that there were several items I've never had better elsewhere. And for me, enjoying a dish for the first time (after not enjoying it previously), is when a restaurant truly shines. This happened with the very first dish, sardines, and repeated a few times throughout the banquet.
Our appetizers alone consisted of plates of octopus, squid, sardines and light salads. This was followed by bowls of steaming clams in a divine broth, Tagliatelle pasta with langostini and by then the wine had kicked in so I've forgotten some of the dishes. For dessert, I chose the Sicilian canolo, but absolutely had dessert envy for my friend's semi-freddo with a bitter cocoa topping. Nice white wine pairings, including a dessert wine to finish our meal.
My only hesitation about returning is because I can't imagine having a better experience than dining with a large group and working our way through the entire fish menu so I could taste everything while eating family-style. While many diners at the other tables were having meat and potato dishes, I would absolutely stick with the fish items on (and off) the menu. This was a place where I gladly put myself in our hosts' and the chef's capable hands and it was a pure delight. read more