Several days ago, my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary with a dinner at Brio Tuscan Grille (http://www.brioitalian.com/index.html) in Sarasota's new University Town Center Mall. It was an excellent way to celebrate.
The food was delicious, the atmosphere was pleasant, and the service was excellent. Another nice feature was that there was no corkage fee for the wine we brought with us.
Brio is a chain of 55 restaurants that has a presence in 22 states. It is part of the Bravo Brio Restaurant Group.
I think it's important to distinguish between our excellent dining experience and authentic Tuscan cuisine. I'll describe our dining experience first, and then discuss Tuscan cuisine.
When I called to make reservations, they asked if we were celebrating a special experience. I mentioned our anniversary. When we arrived at the restaurant and throughout our meal, various employees congratulated us on our experience.
Prior to going to the restaurant, I sent an email to BBRG asking if there was a corkage fee. Within minutes, I received a response that there was no corkage fee.
I decided I'd like to bring a wine because when I checked the Brio wine list, I did not see a Tuscan wine-winery combination that interested me for an anniversary celebration, so I took a 2006 Terre di Talamo Tempo Riserva. It was very nice. (I would like to have taken a Poggio Antico Brunello, but it would not have had time to open properly.)
We started our meal with a special seasonal bruschetta that had a topping of onion jam; applewood-smoked bacon; a sauce of heavy cream, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese; and a topping of parsley. It was terrific. (Six pieces for $10.95.)
For a main dish, my wife chose the grilled 8 oz. Filetto di Manzo Toscano (Filet of Tuscan Beef - $28.95). It was tender and cooked to perfection. Her side dishes (and mine) were mashed potatoes and a wonderful mix of roasted vegetables).
My main dish was the 14 oz. Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine-style Steak - $27.95.) It was also cooked just the way I requested and tasted wonderful. In Tuscany, this traditional steak is normally a 2 lb monster, and the taste is incredible, especially when the source of the beef is the huge Val di Chiana cattle.
For dessert, my wife had key lime pie ($2.99). I had a trio of desserts - creme brulée, caramel mascarpone cheesecake, and butterscotch pecan bread pudding ($9.95). The desserts were all wonderful.
We also had very flavorful espressos.
Our server, Alicia, was terrific in every respect - professional, quick to notice and take care of our every need, and interested in learning about Tuscan food. We could also see that she was watching her other tables to ensure that all was well there.
The restaurant was a bit noisy, but that could be a due to a deliberate effort to create a lively atmosphere.
While Tuscan is in the restaurant's name, the chain does not claim to focus on genuine Tuscan cuisine, but to use authentic Italian cooking methods to serve food "similar to what one would fine in an authentic restaurant in Tuscany."
In fact, when I looked through the menu, I saw very little that appeared to be authentic Tuscan cuisine. Instead, I saw many dishes that were either from other parts of Italy or were Italian-American dishes.
As an article on Tuscan cuisine in the Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/article/what-is-tuscan-cuisine) states, "Tuscan is one of the most widely abused adjectives when it comes to describing decor and food, at least Italian food."
For example, Brio's menu offers 11 types of pasta. However, the Tuscans have not been big pasta eaters. Their main traditional pastas are Pici (also called Pinci), and Pappardelle. They also enjoy, Tortelli, which are like Ravioli. (Beans have been a more important part of Tuscan cuisine, than pasta and other Italians have called the Tuscans "mangiafagioli" (bean-eaters).)
There are a number of traditional Tuscan dishes that Brio could offer that would undoubtedly be popular. They are delicious, easy to make, and not usually found at U.S. Italian restaurants. One good example is Carabaccia - a Florentine onion soup that some describe as a predecessor to French onion soup.
(I know a little bit about Tuscan cuisine, with incredible dining experiences throughout Tuscany - from major locations like Florence, Siena, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Cortina, San Gimignano, Volterra, Pienza, Greve, and Porto Santo Stefano, to small villages like San Giovanni d'Asso and at restaurants in the countryside like Badia a Passignano and il Risotoro di Lamole. At those restaurants, I have generally focused on sampling authentic and traditional Tuscan dishes. I also cook some traditional Tuscan dishes.)
The wine list is decent, including six Tuscan reds and a Tuscan white, in addition to other Italian and non-Italian wines. It could be improved by including a couple of Tuscan reds that have interesting stories and great taste - such as Ricasoli and Antinori wines. (Ricasoli is the oldest winemaker in Italy and the second oldest in the world, with a history that dates to 1141 a.d. Baron Bettino Ricasoli developed the modern formulation for Chianti wine. He was the second Prime Minister of a reunited Italy in the 19th Century.)
Antinori is another iconic winemaker, with a history dating back over six centuries. The current head of the family, Marquis Piero Antinori, has been a major leader in the major advances in Italian wine quality in the last several decades. His firm produces a super range of wines, including one of our favorite Chianti Classicos - Peppoli. (Piero and other Antinoris have visited Sarasota.)
The bottom line is that we will probably return to Brio, but I'd return much more often if they would offer a variety of dishes that are uniquely Tuscan.
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