Terra Nostra, the tapas restaurant and wine bar that opened last March, is thriving and growing in its North Chattanooga location on Frazier Avenue. Opening their first restaurant has been a constant learning experience for co-owners Efren and Gema Ormaza.
"We're serving a style of food that is new to a lot of people. We didn¹t know how people would respond, but the restaurant is developing its own clientele," according to Efren Ormaza, former Executive Chef of 212 Market.
"People like the tapas style of food we serve, and they know that our wine selection is the best in town for variety and quality. We have expanded our wine selection to serve 64 wines by the glass. No one else is doing that."
Among the restaurant's changes since opening are late summer hours, lunch specials, an expanded wine list, monthly wine dinners, cooking classes taught in the restaurant and a patio with outdoor seating.
Lunch, Dinner and Late Hours
Perhaps the biggest surprise since opening the new restaurant has been the mix of lunch and dinner business. "We thought people would come primarily for lunch and not so much for dinner, but it has been just the opposite. At first, we were open only for dinner. So I think a lot of people don¹t know we also serve lunch," said Mr. Ormaza.
Dinner business is strong, and many people stop in long past the dinner hour. Some people come to eat before the Symphony or a Chattanooga Theatre Centre performance, and then come back afterwards for a glass of wine.
"At this time of year, you have daylight until very late," said Mr. Ormaza. "If people keep coming in, we stay open. I haven't closed before ten o¹clock any day this summer. Many Fridays and Saturdays, we'll seat people until 11:00 or 11:30. In fact, closing time depends on the customers. If someone knows they want to come in a little late, they can call and we'll be sure we stay open for them, as long as it's before midnight."
Terra Nostra¹s lunch menu features the same ever-changing mix of customer favorites and new dishes that appears on the daily dinner menu, but at a 25 percent discount. The discount applies to food items only, not wine. Although many restaurants serve smaller portions at lunch or offer a different menu entirely, the Ormazas prefers to keep the restaurant's focus on the Spanish-style tapas: small plates that are comparable to appetizers or mini-entrees. Tapas are also quick to prepare, meaning fast service for business people on their lunch hour. All dishes are also available for take out.
The menu, which is revised every day, is about twice the size the Ormazas anticipated before opening. Terra Nostra's menu always includes 12 dishes that have become customer favorites, including paella valenciana, shrimp diablo, asiago crusted lamb chop, smoked gouda ravioli with ratatouille, and filet mignon with wild mushroom sauce. An additional 10 dishes complete the menu, including new recipes and items that aren't available every day, such as various buffalo dishes, Norwegian smoked salmon, escargot bourguignonne, fried frog legs and pheasant hazelnut cognac sausage. Items that are new to the menu each day are shown in red.
"Everything we serve here is prepared from scratch and from fresh ingredients," said Mr. Ormaza. "The menu really depends on what I can get fresh from my suppliers. Some things are not available every day, so they are not on the menu every day."
Wine Dinners
Starting in June, Terra Nostra began hosting monthly wine dinners. Special dishes that do not appear on the regular menu are accompanied by wines chosen to complement each dish. At the first wine dinner in June, seven courses of Spanish food were accompanied by seven Spanish wines. Waiters provided elegant formal service, with dishes served simultaneously to each person at the table by a crew of waiters wearing tuxedos and white gloves.
Why the formal service? Despite having presented - wine dinners in his career, Chef Ormaza wanted to make this one special. "We wanted our first wine dinner in the new restaurant to be a very special occasion. The rest of our wine dinners will be much more casual."
July¹s wine event featured traditional French cuisine accompanied by esoteric wines. The next wine dinner will be August 12, when a representative of the Bonny Doon Wineries will come in from California to introduce some new Bonny Doon wines to Chattanooga. Six courses will be accompanied by six different Bonny Doon wines. At least two will be available in Chattanooga for the first time. The cost is $80 per person, $150 per couple, limited to 35 seats. For reservations, call 634-0238.
Cooking Classes
Starting in the fall, Terra Nostra and Chattanooga State will offer cooking classes that are held in the restaurant. Classes will be taught by Certified Executive Chef Efren Ormaza, who taught for eight years at the Culinary Institute of Catholic University in Ecuador. Baking and pastry classes will be taught by his wife and co-owner Gema Ormaza, who also taught at the Culinary Institute.
One class, meeting for 15 Monday mornings, will teach cooking basics, including different cuts of vegetables; the proper way to handle and portion fish, poultry and meat; preparation of mother sauces and soups; and basic desserts. Shorter specialty classes on Saturday mornings will focus on soups, fancy hors d¹oeuvres and breads and desserts.
Patio Seating
Outdoor seating is another addition since Terra Nostra¹s opening, with outdoor tables under umbrellas adding seating for 20. The patio is flanked by metal gateway arches that are as whimsically designed as the animals that adorn the walls inside. Diners approaching from Frazier Avenue enter through palm trees populated by monkeys above and dogs and cats below, a tip of the hat to neighboring businesses Bone Appetit and Monkey Business. The gateway from the parking lot behind Terra Nostra is made up of a tower of red ants and one tower of green frogs, topped by a full-size lion.
Just the Facts
* Located at 105 Frazier Avenue, one block from Market Street
* 634-0238
* Parking available behind the restaurant, enter from Woodland Avenue