Last week we were invited to attend Brio Tuscan Grille to try out some new additions to their menu which were added in late August.
Brio which means “lively” or “full of life” is apparent in the various dishes served to us that night.
Brio’s philosophy is “eat well to live well”, this being said Brio stands by its pledge to create it’s dishes with the freshest of ingredients in order to fully bring to you the taste of the Tuscan country villa.
We started the night with a Mango Grigio. The featured cocktail of the month of September, this drink which was topped by an orange, was indeed refreshing, a very casual drink I must say, one in which is easy to drink. The Mango Grigio awoken our senses and prepared our palettes for the amazing meals that we were to have for the course of the night.
For our appetizer, we were given the Tuscan Kale Caesar -this salad which contains tricolored lettuce, marinated kale, pancetta, tomatoes, chopped egg, croutons, Parmesan and Caesar dressing. It was a very light meal to satisfy our ever so diligent hunger.
The croutons were very soft and not typical of the teeth-shattering croutons commonly found in salads, and even the pancetta (which is essentially Italian bacon) did not overwhelm the light nature of the dish.
All the ingredients worked in perfect unison, but I must note that the variety of ingredients allowed the dish to have a different delectable taste with every bite.
For the main course, we were given the braised beef papparedelle and the pesce picatta. The papparedelle is a very hearty dish consist of rosemary pappardelle, crimini mushrooms, roasted carrots, red onions and tomato porcini sauce.
Don’t take the size of this dish for granted -this dish which is rich in its flavors will fill you in a very satisfying way.
Besides the papparedelle, the other dish which was in fact my favorite dish perhaps because I am a sucker for seafood based dishes, was the pesce picatta which consist of wild-caught cod, toasted almonds, lemons, capers, roasted garlic sauce, and angel hair pasta tossed with roasted vegetables.
A zesty dish, brought forth by the lemons and garlic which further brings out the excellent flavors of the cod.
With enough room in our stomachs for dessert, we were given Brio’s signature dessert the Totra di Ciocolata containing a vanilla bean gelato, anglaise sauce, topped with a chocolate drizzle, this dish which was simple yet amazing.
For any dessert connoisseur or sweet-tooth junkies out there, this is a must try, with its warm center and cool gelato top the combinations of its richness is similar to that of a lava cake.
However bring Brio’s culinary expertise and you have perhaps a very delectable dessert.
With locations in Winter Park (the location we attended) and Millenia, Brio is a must try for any occasion whether it be for a date night or a semi-fancy affair Brio is a must go for your needs and will not disappoint with it’s ambience, excellent staff, and even more excellent dishes.
Check Them Out!
http://www.brioitalian.com/winter_park_village.html
