The delicacies of the north are at Terrae Trattoria Regia
To get to know the cuisine of Nuevo León, you not only need to know Nuevo León, but also Terrae Trattoria Regia, a restaurant at The Westin Monterrey Valle hotel that honors local gastronomy in every dish and every bite.
Nuevo León has begun to be noticed nationally and internationally for its cuisine. Recently, the shine of the Michelin Guide illuminated the state by awarding some restaurants, which means that today more than ever, Nuevo León’s cuisine has the spotlight.
Under this spotlight it is necessary to talk about strong exponents of Monterrey’s cuisine, and for this there is nothing better than a menu that tells the story of the Sultana del Norte through its dishes. This is Terrae Trattoria Regia, located at The Westin Monterrey Valle hotel.
On a visit to this restaurant, its executive chef, Eder Lozano, presented a compendium of his specialties that is impregnated with the Regia tradition everywhere: the cuisine of smoke.
Flavors from Monterrey
Chef Sergi Arola himself, creator of the Terrae Trattoria Regia concept, has defined them as follows: “The regio in general is a character that goes straight to the point, it is appreciated when you are with people who tell you what they think and feel”. In addition to the above, and showing off this hard-earned fame, Terrae starts strong when it comes to appetizers.
On this occasion, the chef brought us an amuse bouche in his style: a crispy toasted flour tortilla with dried meat, fresh cheese, peanuts and pumpkin seeds. Then came an authentic explosion of flavor with the Bombas de Chicharrón, which are croquettes made of chicharrón from La Ramos, a world-famous butcher’s shop, with a serrano chile and jalapeño aioli on top.
And to top it all off, a must-have for any regiomontana parrillada: queso fundido (melted cheese). Terrae has Spanish chistorra sausage, mushrooms and some sorrel leaves, ideal “pa’ taquear”.
The best of smoke cooking
With these delicacies as a prelude, we moved on to the second half, which was filled with another regal tradition: carne asada. On this occasion, Chef Lozano sent two of his strongest bets. First, the Rib-Eye Aguachile, which comes marinated in a black marinated sauce made of tortilla ash and activated charcoal. And to top it off, this dish is topped with avocado, watermelon radish, onion and cilantro.
For this delicious cut there is no better pairing than a refreshing St. Germain Spritz with a local jasmine flower on top. Next came an authentic full weight from this venue, the Chamorro de Cerdo a las Brasas, which is cooked for 6 hours and served with a bed of Brussels sprouts in a lemon vinaigrette.
And for that extra crunchy touch, the protein is sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and peanuts, a popular Nuevo Leon snack. This dish goes great with a mezcalita de jamaica. We also enjoyed the shrimp Zarandeados, another big favorite of the diners.
For dessert, the chef put on a real show for the senses. The first act was for the Carbón de Brasa: Terrae’s most popular closure, which is a chocolate compote macerated with Carta Blanca beer.
And to end our visit, came a slice of nostalgia for all those who have ever tasted the elote bread from Cercado, Nuevo Leon. The Diplomático de Elote y Palomitas Caramelizadas, which as its name says, is an elote flan with cajeta, baby corn, popcorn and strawberry as a topping.
A proposal for every occasion
After this good taste, chef Eder Lozano cordially invites us to the pairing dinners he presides over every Thursday of the month, where, together with guest sommeliers and wine and liquor tastings, he presents new menus for the attendees. These dinners are open to the public, but with limited seating.
In addition, in conjunction with The Westin Monterrey Valle, the restaurant presents Tequila and Friends Night, an event that takes place every Friday of the month on the hotel’s terrace-terrace, where a menu based on aguachiles is tasted with guest tequila brands and DJ music.
Terrae is a contemporary culinary experience based on the flavors and nuances of traditional Monterrey cuisine that aims to vindicate the pride of the state and its icons such as the Fundidora de Fierro y Acero de Monterrey S.A., revisiting what life was like for a worker at the Fundidora and what he ate at home every day.
With these memories, flavors and aromas, the mission is to take diners on a journey into the past, to discover and rediscover the identity of Nuevo León.
