Culinary icon Laurent Tourondel has expanded on the success of Scusi Pizza by opening Terra Grill, a new steakhouse in Northern Liberties right next door, writes Jason Sheehan for Philadelphia Magazine.
A French native, Tourondel has built one of the nation’s leading high-and-low-end hospitality groups and established himself in Philadelphia with Scusi, serving Sicilian grandma pies and chicken parm sandwiches that quickly gained a devoted following.
On March 27, Tourondel launched Terra Grill, a concept that is a bit more ambitious than Scusi. The menu highlights include short rib steamed buns, Japanese-style lemon chicken parm sandwiches with tonkatsu sauce, lamb bolognese, roasted half-chickens with cherry peppers, as well as sweet-and-sour duck.
With a focus on wood-fired grilling, the kitchen turns out everything from red shrimp and whole branzino to burgers. The restaurant combines steakhouse classics with Italian and Mediterranean flavors, which are enhanced by adding a pronounced Asian twist.
Although early press called it “an everyday dining experience,” Terra Grill is far from the simple, straightforward concept of its sister restaurant next door.
The opening release describes it as “reflect[ing] Tourondel’s longstanding approach to hospitality: polished yet convivial, chef-driven yet accessible.”
Read more about Terra Grill in Philadelphia Magazine.
