Jonathan Gold Discusses Terroni Downtown

Jonathan Gold appreciates the Italian effort behind Downtown's grand Terroni, a restaurant both familiar and new. While pastas are mixed, Gold is keen on thin crust pizzas:

The pastas are all made in house, and cooked a few seconds short of al dente, but you are generally better off sticking with Southern Italian classics like cavatelli alla Norma with fried eggplant, or spaghetti ca' muddica, like a pasta puttanesca enriched with breadcrumbs, than you are with Northern Italian-leaning pastas like tagliatelle in a dullish Bolognese ragù or bucatini in a wildly unbalanced Amatriciana sauce.

But you are probably here for the pizza ... served as a standard Margherita with tomato, mozzarella and basil or topped with relatively imaginative combinations like the white mangiabbun with rapini and sausage; the Italia-Germana with mushrooms and ham; or the Santo Spirito with fresh marbles of mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and Sicilian anchovies.

[Photo: Elizabeth Daniels]

The Elsewhere: kevinEats at Kimukatsu, The Offalo hits Pizzeria Mozza, A Hamburger Today considers The Smoking Goat in San Diego, Darin Dines at Patina, Eat: Los Angeles goes to Simmzy's, and Gastronomy picks Jun Won Restaurant.