Michelin-starred chef Laurent Tourondel has quietly lit the grills at Terra Grill, a wood-fired steakhouse in Northern Liberties that shares a wall with his new Scusi Pizza. The restaurant soft-opened on Friday, folding steakhouse staples into a menu that also leans Italian, Mediterranean and Asian.
The opening lineup at Terra Grill features short-rib steamed buns, Japanese-style lemon chicken parm sandwiches finished with tonkatsu sauce, lamb bolognese, roasted half-chickens with cherry peppers and sweet-and-sour duck. From the open-fire line, the kitchen is also sending out red shrimp, whole branzino, burgers and classic grilled steaks, as outlined by Philadelphia.Today.
Design and chef's pitch
In a press release, the Terra Grill team describes the restaurant as “polished yet convivial, chef-driven yet accessible,” signaling Tourondel’s push to make elevated grilling feel like an everyday option. The concept focuses on open-flame cooking, shareable plates and a wine and cocktail program tailored to grilled meats and coastal seafood, according to Laurent Tourondel.
Where it sits
Terra Grill sits inside the Piazza Alta development at 1099 Germantown Ave, right in the thick of Northern Liberties and directly next to Scusi Pizza. Philadelphia Magazine reported last year that Scusi and a second Tourondel concept would share the Piazza Alta footprint, a plan now realized with both openings, as detailed by Philadelphia Magazine.
What to expect
Scusi Pizza, which opened in November and has been drawing attention for Sicilian-style pies and chicken parm sandwiches, gave Tourondel an immediate neighborhood following, and Terra Grill appears positioned as the higher-altitude companion. The restaurant’s page and related listings note the Piazza Alta address and list hours as “to be announced,” so full service and reservations are expected to roll out in the coming weeks. Check Scusi Pizza and Terra Grill for updates.
Tourondel’s arrival adds to the ongoing wave of out-of-town chefs and operators betting on Philadelphia’s growing restaurant scene, a trend that local outlets have been tracking with each new headline-making opening. For a broader look at that movement, see reporting by The Inquirer.
