Terilli’s is a Lower Greenville institution, now marking 13 years in business – several lifetimes compared to most businesses on the trendy strip. Owner Jeannie Terilli has made the restaurant a success with her signature “Italcho” appetizers and live jazz.
“When I owned Cardinal Puff’s, nachos sold really well. I tried to think of something that would be as popular for an Italian restaurant,” she recalls. “I came up with Italian nachos – Italchos. Very Texas-Italian!”
Terilli grew up in Dallas in a large Italian-American family. Her father, Pete, came to America from northern Italy at the age of 12, and his portrait hangs as a tribute in her restaurant.
“My recipes are my dad’s recipes. I had three brothers, and my mother and father worked. It was my job to have dinner ready when everybody got home. That’s how I got into food.”
Terilli’s roasted red bell pepper dressing is a popular accompaniment to the Warm Grilled Chicken Salad, featuring grilled chicken on a bed of shell pasta with mushrooms and green onions.
“Although this recipe makes 10 cups, it keeps as well as mayonnaise if refrigerated. You can also heat it and use it as a sauce for pasta,” says Terilli, adding that the recipe can be halved if you want a smaller amount.
TERILLI’S ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER DRESSING
5 cups mayonnaise
4 cups roasted red peppers
3 T. minced garlic
2 T. minced shallots
½ cup balsamic vinegar
Juice of two lemons
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T. salt
1 T. white pepper
3 T. fresh dill
Roasted red bell peppers: Coat peppers with olive oil and place on sheet in oven or on grill until skin begins to turn black. Remove from oven or grill, cut open, remove seeds and peel off outer skin. Place all ingredients in food processor until well-blended and creamy. Refrigerate. Makes approximately 10 cups. Toss in salads or cold pasta or serve warm with seafood or chicken.
