Terra Restaurant

Terra
Category: Influences of Japanese, French & Italian
Neighborhood: St. Helena, California
Price Range: $$$

Went here in 2006 for my birthday dinner and this is in my Top 5 Greatest & Most Memorable Meals. We arrived at this historic, fieldstone building and entered into a room that was Welcoming and Homey.
Romantic...
Rustic...
White tablecloths and large floral arrangements complement rustic fieldstone walls, large arched windows and terracotta tile floors.
The backdrop of the restaurant itself was a perfect setting to showcase its true focus - the Food.

To Start I had the Kampachi Carpaccio which was a refreshing start that awakened and prepared my Tastebuds for what was to come next..

For our Entrees, my dining companion had the Broiled Sake Marinated Alaskan Black Cod & Shrimp Dumplings in Shiso Broth and I had the Lamb Loin Chops grilled to perfection with a Sunchoke Puree Side. I swear when we each took our first bites, our eyes rolled back in ecstasy for each of our respective dishes... My mouth still waters, my eyes roll back and my nips get hard at the thought of that perfectly prepared Lamb Loin (ahem..I know that's a bit crude, but God help me, it's the Truth!!!) I even had the giggles a little in the aftermath and felt compelled to shake the hands of the Owner & Executive Chef, Hiro Sone and his wife the Pastry Chef, Lissa Doumani to thank them for such a Fantastic Meal... It was that Good, People.

Chef Hiro Sone's Food is best defined as having Asian (Japanese), Classical French & Italian influences, which is something that you probably don't see too often. If you are more into his Asian/Japanese Style of Food, you should try his new Restaurant, Ame, in the City (SF, that is)...
Also quite good, but was not as good as Terra for me.

The night ended with a delicious Dessert of Strawberries in a Cabernet Reduction Sauce, which we both felt was the perfect ending to a truly spectacular and memorable Meal..
Compared to another birthday dinner I had at Michael Mina (I know, lucky me, huh?), this Meal topped it for me by a Mile...