I love Center Square because it’s such a walkable neighborhood. There are so many local dining options, a never ending list of places to try for date nights. Not too long ago we tried out Terra [238 Washington Ave Albany, NY 12210] for the first time, just around the corner from Lark St on Washington Ave. The restaurant was intriguing, atmosphere was comfortable yet classy. The menu was so big and diverse. Many fish items, vegetarian items, different cultural items. Could they make it all work? Usually I’ll go with what a place is known for, and Terra claims to be a pescetarian international cuisine restaurant. However, on this night I really didn’t want any meat, and with all of their vegetarian options this worked out wonderfully for us. Jeff and I each picked an appetizer to split. I wanted the beauty beets, raw beets with pesto and a sweet red pepper fennel cream.
They came out truly glamorous , such vibrant colors and interesting presentation. I loved the layering of texture, the surprisingly firm raw beet, and the pulpy sauces, both exuding the strong fresh flavor of the vegetables. Jeff got the fried veggie platter which was, as you can imagine, super yummy.
Lightly battered salty goodness dipped into creamy sauce – you can’t go wrong. For our main we went with a wood fired pizza. They have a great selection, you can design your own, and they offer flatbreads as well. We decided on the Terra Bianca which had mozzarella, ricotta, tomato, fresh garlic, basil, and evoo. It was a delicate, not goopy or overwhelming, but seriously scrumptious pie with soft thick dough.
The service was a bit spotty, but the food was really good. One of the owners stopped by to see how everything was going which always gives me a good impression. Overall I would say our visit to Terra was a success, and I would be interested in checking out a fish dish next!