Since starting Terroni Magazine, I’ve often been asked why I chose to devote my energy to creating this publication. This seems like the perfect moment to reflect and to try and answer that very question.
Terroni Magazine was meant to be a small project of just a few pages, its purpose was to fulfill our desire to give back to our loyal clientele by sharing with them things we’re passionate about. While at its inception it was more food-oriented, today Terroni Magazine has evolved into an embodiment of my ever-lasting love and passion for Italy. Through our restaurants we are able to share the wealth of traditions of Italy's food and wine scene, but there are also historical sites, geographical wonders, an artistic patrimony second to none, an unparalleled knowledge in the art of making, and an abundance of culture and entrepreneurship. All of these complement the philosophy and values behind Terroni and this is the Italy I choose to share.
It is no secret that Italy has seen some challenging times in the last few years and that it is a land of many contradictions but I feel compelled to promote the wealth of knowledge and craft that Italy houses as my contribution in highlighting the traditions that make us unique and that have always set us apart.
With only one or two issues a year, and after a break during the pandemic, I have to be very focused on what we will feature. When it comes to making those decisions I use my own litmus test which I refer to as ‘the goosebump factor’. When I feel moved upon discovering the personal stories behind people, their regions, their hard work, their skills or their natural born passion - that’s how I know I’m onto something that belongs in our pages.
I love to share this content with my community and I look forward to bringing you a small piece of my home in every issue.
Thank you for allowing me to show you Italy through my loving eyes.
Love,
Elena
Since starting Terroni Magazine, I’ve often been asked why I chose to devote my energy to creating this publication. This seems like the perfect moment to reflect and to try and answer that very question.
Terroni Magazine was meant to be a small project of just a few pages, its purpose was to fulfill our desire to give back to our loyal clientele by sharing with them things we’re passionate about. While at its inception it was more food-oriented, today Terroni Magazine has evolved into an embodiment of my ever-lasting love and passion for Italy. Through our restaurants we are able to share the wealth of traditions of Italy's food and wine scene, but there are also historical sites, geographical wonders, an artistic patrimony second to none, an unparalleled knowledge in the art of making, and an abundance of culture and entrepreneurship. All of these complement the philosophy and values behind Terroni and this is the Italy I choose to share.
It is no secret that Italy has seen some challenging times in the last few years and that it is a land of many contradictions but I feel compelled to promote the wealth of knowledge and craft that Italy houses as my contribution in highlighting the traditions that make us unique and that have always set us apart.
With only one or two issues a year, and after a break during the pandemic, I have to be very focused on what we will feature. When it comes to making those decisions I use my own litmus test which I refer to as ‘the goosebump factor’. When I feel moved upon discovering the personal stories behind people, their regions, their hard work, their skills or their natural born passion - that’s how I know I’m onto something that belongs in our pages.
I love to share this content with my community and I look forward to bringing you a small piece of my home in every issue.
Thank you for allowing me to show you Italy through my loving eyes.
Love,
Elena
In 1992, at the age of 25, Cosimo opened the first Terroni restaurant on Queen Street West with his good friend Paolo Scoppio. 30 years later Cosimo has nine unique Terroni, Sud Forno and Spaccio locations in Toronto and Los Angeles along with Stock T.C in collaboration with Cumbrae’s and Porta, Toronto’s first Italian meal delivery service. Cosimo spends every Friday he can at Spaccio East hand-making panzerotti with Chef Gio Alonzi. Their corner of the kitchen is a hive of activity where raucous laughter radiates warmth and a place where everyone is welcome to stop by and join in. There are no airs and graces with Cosimo, he is a genuinely caring person with time for everyone. His passion for food is infectious and it is clear to everyone around him that his convictions drive all that he does.
The infamous ‘no modification, no substitution’ policy stems from these convictions, from his unerring respect for everyone who has come before and has worked to keep Italian traditions alive. Cosimo is no campaigner; he’s not interested in converting people to his way of thinking. He simply wants the food to be how it has been for generations. Part of this also means giving his customers the best, even if that means making less. Italian cooking is all about simplicity and high-quality, fresh ingredients and Cosimo takes great pride in sourcing the very best for all his guests from wine to olive oil to organic San Marzano tomatoes that cost twice as much, but taste so much better. When you enter any of Cosimo’s locations you are no longer an employee or a customer, you are family.
This cornerstone of the way Cosimo does business has earned him a network of devoted customers and exceptionally loyal staff. Host on The Social and former Terroni manager Jessica Allen perhaps sums him up best when she says, “I’ll never tire seeing the childlike joy and pride that washes over Cosimo when he feeds loved ones and strangers alike. It’s contagious. His no-nonsense smarts, generosity and warmth are as epic as the restaurant empire he’s created.
