Terroni Downtown

For most Angelinos, Terroni is a fairly new restaurant that started on Beverly Boulevard five years ago but if you’ve ever traveled to Toronto, Canada (where the establishment originated some 20 years ago) you’d likely be aware that there is a deep history and passion that began there with its original founder & owner, Restaurateur Cosimo Mammoliti.  The restaurant’s expansion into Los Angeles has felt like a natural progression knowing the history of the people involved.

Let’s start with partner Max Stefanelli, who began working for Terroni shortly after his arrival into Toronto from Bologna, Italy in 1999.  Max was an attorney in Italy but not terribly fulfilled with his career. He ultimately made the decision to venture to Canada, with the intent to study English and investigate some new possible career paths before returning to Italy. After frequenting some usual Toronto haunts and working at various restaurants, Max met Vince Mammoliti (Cosimo’s brother) and the two became fast friends.  When Max’s girlfriend (now wife) travelled to Toronto to join him, she was in need of work.  Vince hired her at Terroni. Max eventually met Cosimo and soon after began working at Terroni himself.

Stefanelli grew up in Southern Italy at his Grandparents’ home while his young parents completed their University studies.  It was a large house with a traditional Italian family all living under the same roof.  Their main form of income was a Blacksmith shop and, in addition, their land was a working farm consisting of chickens, pigs, and various other animals.  Max fondly remembers how every season was punctuated by a major event, mostly centered around food: picking tomatoes and making the sauce in the Summer, picking grapes and making wine in the Fall, December was killing the pig and making sausages. There was always a strong connection to the food that sustained his family each year.

Stumbling upon the Terroni family was a bit of “kismet” for Max. The Mammoliti’s are of the mindset that they aren’t inventing anything new, but instead base everything on tradition and the dishes they remember from childhood.  The goal always being: “we cook it this way because that’s the way we remember our Grandmother cooked it.” The restaurant’s “no substitutions” policy comes from a genuine desire to follow the traditions as they remember them…even a seemingly slight alteration can make a big difference to any dish. If someone enjoys a particular dish, they seek that same consistency and quality on each visit.

After a stint in film school and a brief dalliance with the film industry in Toronto, Max discovered that food and wine were his true passions. So, he began to shift his efforts to Terroni and after a short while, Max and Cosimo began discussing possible expansion. By this time, Terroni already had three Toronto-based locations and Max felt that repeating success in the same city wasn’t exactly the type of challenge that he truly desired. He and Cosimo discussed expansion, but this time into the United States. Max assumed New York might be a good consideration (despite never having travelled himself into the U.S.) However, around that same time, Shereen Arazm, who was a former server/manager at Terroni (Queen St./Toronto) and good friend to Cosimo began urging him to consider the possibility of opening in Los Angeles. Arazm had achieved her own success with partnerships in some of the top-rated nightclubs and restaurants nationwide. She had a special place in mind in the Fairfax district of L.A. (a space formerly occupied by The Authentic Café). Cosimo and Max flew over to check it out. The next thing you know, on just his third visit to the U.S., Max was moving his wife, Francesca, and their baby to Los Angeles to begin a 3-way partnership in Terroni’s Beverly Blvd. location – their first in the United States.

The recent Downtown addition adds a 4^th partner to the mix: Cosimo’s brother Vince Mammoliti.  Max mentions that having either Cosimo or Vince around adds a level of comfort because they all share the same passion and enthusiasm for what they do.  Max says the best thing about Terroni, for him, is the freedom and privilege to be able to do what you love – the way you want to do it.

This ethos is definitely reflected in their food. The ingredients are quality: the olive oil is made exclusively for Terroni, the tomato sauce is widely praised as the best in the world and Mammoliti has his tomatoes (from San Marzano) canned expressly for him in a small town outside of Naples.  This is one of the reasons their food stands the test of time and their clientele are repeat customers. Terroni’s wine program is one which they have invested much time and effort into & with a distinct goal not to overcharge for quality wines. Mammoliti’s intent with not marking up wines the way other restaurants do is to keep them accessible and encourage his customers to venture beyond the common labels.  Max feels they have a responsibility to serve both good food and good wine.  He insists that his Sommelier be honest and never oversell. “You build a trust and relation” this way, he says.  He wants the customer to be provided the best wine possible for the money they have to spend.

So…Max, like his partners, is happy to wake up and go to work each day.  It doesn’t feel like work when you’re doing something you truly love.  Max and Vince joke: “We never work but are always at work”. The Downtown location is an exciting challenge for the company. The hope is that it helps to further establish the Terroni brand in the U.S. with some of the best food, quality and consistency that you can find.  This particular writer is thrilled to have them in L.A. and especially the new Downtown location which is much more convenient for us East Siders!  The location is gorgeous, inside a converted bank, and it highlights a large bar for the after work crowd.  It’s a great mid point for both East and West siders in a Downtown area that is becoming increasingly known for its fine dining options.

Terroni Downtown
802 South Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA
Phone: 323-954-0300

Mon.-Thurs. 11:00-23:00 (bar 24:00)
Fri. 11:00-24:00 (bar 1:30)
Sat. 10:00-24:00 (bar 1:30)
Sun. 10:00-23:00 (bar 24:00)

Online Reservations

Photos by: Devin Sarno
(Main header photo courtesy of Terroni).