Upon entering Tierra in Midtown Atlanta, it instantly reminded me of the cozy, exposed-brick establishments common in Boston, MA, where I lived for seven years. After fighting against a violent wind just to walk forward, with my extremities and face frozen numb (a common Boston scenario), there was never anything more comforting than a small, warm, candle-filled restaurant boasting explosively tasty foods and body-thawing wines.
While the weather in Atlanta is most often tropical compared to the raw, bitter Boston fall, winter, and sometimes spring and summer, Tierra successfully embodies the inviting embrace I fondly recall about many of my old stomping grounds up north. Shoved in the corner of a row of shops and marked by a bright yellow, semi-dingy entryway, Tierra also shares the other endearing quality of many restaurants in Boston of not looking like much from the outside.
Having made a reservation for Valentine’s Day, my boyfriend and I were promptly seated by one of the very friendly owners/chefs of this two-person led establishment, and she even took our coats. Soon after, a waitress was at our table explaining the exotic Latin and Caribbean menu. Upon spotting the pionono, plantains filled with picadillo – ground beef with olives and some other zesty bits -- I knew I had to have it. Supplemented with an order of cheese pupusa – melted cheese in corn tortillas – the appetizers both satisfied and enticed us for more. I can’t even really pinpoint the most prominent tastes in the pionono, but I can tell you that the mixture was heavenly.
It’s name meaning “earth,” Tierra’s menu boasts a nice variety of hearty seafood, meat and vegetable dishes, but the tropical fruit relish and chipotle mashed potatoes served with the grilled pork medallions called to me. Sipping on a unique, rose-colored white wine from South America, I scoped out the room – all filled with couples – as I anxiously awaited my meal. Being from Trinidad, my boyfriend was pleased to find a Brazilian version of Cola Champagne on the beverage menu, though it wasn’t quite the same as what he was used to on the islands. We reveled in the fact that even though the restaurant was fast filling up and the tables were quite close together, Tierra never got too loud or lost its great sense of intimacy.
Our entrees were just as impressive as the starters. My pork was good, but I tend to be more into side dishes than meat, so the sweet fruit relish and smoky chipotle potatoes, mixed with a little bit of the flavorful juice from the pork, were what really sent me over the edge. My valentine had ordered the chicken with peanut sauce and potato pancakes, and was quite pleased. He was especially delighted with the spicy kick of the sauce, declaring it the best peanut sauce he’d had in years.
The sweet experience was topped off with even sweeter desserts. Torn between Tierra’s signature tres leches cake and the owners’ special holiday dessert, we opted to try both. The tres leches was everything it should be – sweet, moist and milky – while the V-day dessert was simple, but delicious and cute as could be. Consisting of four delicate heart-shaped sugar cookies fused together with chocolate cream and resting on a scoop of pretty, pink raspberry ice cream, it was a true, melt-in-your-mouth treat.
Between the consistently pleasing dishes, uniquely inviting atmosphere and meticulous attention from the owner and staff, Tierra has it all. If I made a tad more money, I’d go there on a very regular basis. For now, I will surely be dreaming up momentous occasions that warrant a trip back to this special place on earth.
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