Terroni brings southern Italy to Southern California, via Toronto

It’s day three or four, and the kitchen at the new Toronto import, Terroni, is slammed. The pizza cook works the dough frantically, sliding pies into the pizza oven as fast as he can. Waiters pick up plates of pasta redolent of garlic, anchovy and tomato. And center stage in the large open kitchen, chef Fabio Moro directs the whole show beneath huge letters that spell out CUCINA in red.

When my friends and I arrive, there are still a few seats at the bar furnished with comfy, retro-style orange bar stools, and a couple of free tables. Terroni takes no reservations, so it’s first come, first served. By the time we’re seated at a rustic wooden table, there’s the beginnings of a line. And after our apristomaco (“open the stomach”) courses arrive, it’s three deep at the bar and the wine is flowing.

A selection of salumi -- cured meats -- arrives on a wood board with stubby ring-shaped crackers served with wine, and with pretty much everything else in the Puglia region of southern Italy. The menu is made up of dishes from all over Italy’s south.

They’ve got two different caprese salads -- one made with cherry tomatoes and baby fior di latte (that’s fresh mozzarella made with cow’s milk), the other with mozzarella di bufala and heirloom tomatoes.

The kitchen does a fresh take on pasta, turning out homemade rigatoni in a sauce of dandelions, homemade sausage, Fontina and Parmesan cheeses or spaghetti with anchovies, black olives, cherry tomatoes, capers, breadcrumbs and parsley.

Pizza is thin-crusted, blistered from the hot oven and served uncut. The choices are tremendous -- 30 combinations of ingredients, only a few with names you may have heard before. I can say that Santo Spirito with tomato, bocconcini (small fresh mozzarella), anchovies and a scattering of cherry tomatoes and capers is a winner. A chalkboard lists the day’s secondi, or main courses -- just one or two, maybe grilled salmon or tagliata (sliced grilled steak) on arugula. The truly hungry can polish things off with a hefty panino, or Italian sandwich.

For dessert, well, let me just say: Get the tiramisu. Served in its own oval casserole, it’s deliriously creamy and enough to share. Unless you want to go for the panna cotta drizzled with aceto balsamico. Or an individual ricotta crostata, or tart.

No need to remember the hours since they’re open continuously, starting at 9 a.m. for Italian-style breakfast. You don’t really need to know the address either, since it’s on Beverly Boulevard in the old Authentic Cafe space just across from the post office -- and the Grove.

-- S. Irene Virbila

theguide@latimes.com

--

TERRONI

WHERE: 7605 Beverly Blvd. (at Curson), L.A.

WHEN: Open 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Full bar. Valet parking. No reservations.

PRICE: Antipasti, $3.95- $14.95; salads, $6.50 to $10.95; pastas,

$13.95 to $15.95; pizza, $11.95 to $14.95; panini, $10.95 to $11.95; main course specials, $25; desserts, $5.75 to $7.50.

INFO: (323) 954-0300