Terra Mia

    One thing I really don't like is when critics write bad reviews of a restaurant. So you will see my problem in writing this post about Orem's Terra Mia. I really didn't like the place. So I will start with the positive, I like the lay out of the restaurant. It had a nice feeling inside, the decorum and the art made me feel like I was in an Italian place but still maintained the modern feel. My only complaint on the layout was where I had to order, it was confusing.
     Something I have noticed about some Italian business owners (having worked for one myself.) They try to be everything for everyone. The menu was very long, they had so many options. That didn't quiet faze me seeing as I know what I like when it comes to italian food. But to other inexperienced customers, it would be very hard for them.  The other problem with having a large menu means you have to be buying lots of different ingredients. Which by default means the quality of ingredients goes down. You will see what I mean later on.
    I ordered a margarita pizza, which I had to say with an american accent because the girl behind the counter did not understand my italian pronunciation of margarita. After the pizza arrived I found it to be devoid of basil, except for one leaf in the middle. One leaf?...one leaf of basil is laughable. Anybody who knows good traditional italian pizza will tell you that basil is essential to the margarita experience. The cheese, tasted store bought and out of a bag of shredded mozzarella. That was nothing short of blasphemy for me but I think I'll cool my jets for now. I expected fresh mozzarella with an abundance or at least more basil. I will give them some points on the crust and the tomato sauce was ok. Although without the mozzarella and the basil the whole experience was lacking. The center of the pizza was soupy at best and really put me off.
     Terra Mia needs to cut back on their over head, limit their menu options, and save money so they can invest in real ingredients for their stable dish. Not to mention everything else. At the end of the meal I ordered a canoli that took its time getting to my table. The servers at Terra Mia seemed tired and disorganized. A lot of the tables had dirty dishes on them from lack of bussing. The canoli was anticlimactic, which would have been ok had my pizza been great. Since the Pizza was lacking, it really ruined my canoli experience as well.
     I would give Terra Mia a 5/10, if you want good authentic pizza, head over to Pizzeria 712 or Vinto in Salt Lake. All they need to do is focus on making a few things great, rather than a great many thing semi good.