Treva Awards

Treva Restaurant Review:

Don't know your prosciutto from your coppa picante? Treva is West Harford Center's come-as-you-are place for an Italian dining odyssey. From the moment you admit to your server the names of Italian cheeses mystify you, you'll be impressed with service that is more professional than you'll find in many places where you're obligated to don a skirt or tie. Whether you sit at the marble bar, at a table in one of two sparingly decorated dining rooms or out back on the patio (yes, Treva is much larger than it appears from the street), order an antipasta martini or a glass of red from the worldly wine list and savor an enlightening experience. Start with charcuterie and cheeses. Cacio di Tartufo, an earthy truffle cheese, is a must, and without our server's nudge, we'd have missed the Taleggio: a soft, seawater-washed cheese that beats Brie any day. Chef-owner Dorjan Puka, a self-made man who immigrated from Albania at 23, allows his northern Italian cuisine to nab the spotlight even though his backstory is fascinating. In pasta dishes like the Maltagliati, simple ingredients --- butternut squash, mushrooms, asparagus, truffle oil --- add up to a heartier, more complex meal than you'd expect. Carne entrées like seared hanger steak with fingerling potatoes are a comforting cure-all for whatever hassles your day held. And three-layer chocolate mousse, with a Cocoa Krispies base, dense mousse and chocolate fondant top-coat, will remind you life is sweet.