Another Lively Meal at Brio

Brio Tuscan Grille

774 Spectrum Center Drive

Irvine, CA 92618

I love it when restaurants try to keep things fresh by changing their menus occasionally. It's a delicate balancing act to achieve, though. You often risk alienating your loyal customer base that might have loved an item taken off the menu to make way for the latest thing a restaurant is trying. I have not heard any complaints about this happening at Brio, so that must mean that guests are really enjoying the new Moderno menu that launched earlier this summer.

This new menu at Brio features 13 new entrees, some tantalizing appetizers that encourage sharing, and a new beverage program that features some stunning wine offerings and inspired cocktails and craft beer options. Yes, guests' favorites are still available here, but many more low-calorie and gluten-free options are available, and guests are encouraged to customize plates to their discriminating tastes. Of course, low cal and gluten-free don't apply to me, but I was intrigued to see all that's new at Brio, so when we were invited to try out their menu, we were all in.

Brio was founded in 1992 and has blossomed into over 100 restaurant locations. In Italian, Brio means 'full of life' and goes hand in hand with their credo, which is, "to eat well, is to live well." That's definitely something I can get behind. Opened just over two years ago, this Irvine Spectrum Center location is one of two in California. It has become a favorite with shoppers who crave Italian fare at this massive shopping complex.

We got to Brio just before 6 pm on a recent Monday evening. We were a little surprised to see this restaurant and the bar area packed with people enjoying their meals, but the prime real estate here is on their wrap-around patio, which has a great view of shoppers going to and from their cars and has comfy patio furniture. It really sets up the vacation vibe. We decided to sit inside to soak up their self-proclaimed "upscale casual" atmosphere. We quickly made our selections and waited for our meals. Here's how everything came out for us.

Every meal at Brio starts with a bread basket, and I could have gone through a good number of these if I had yet to have a good amount of food coming my way. I was partial to the sourdough loaf, which was warm with softened butter. Katie enjoyed the crisp, herbed triangles of crackers more than the loaf, so it was a win for both of us.

Usually, when we dine at Brio, we always start with their bruschetta sampler, which is a great way to try their three offerings, but on this visit, we had to give the Chef's Seasonal Bruschetta ($11.95) a try. The bruschetta was traditional this season, with diced tomatoes, a creamy burrata, a drizzle of vinegar, and a few sprigs of basil, all piled on crunchy toast points. I'm not too excited by tomatoes, but I loved the freshness here, and they went well with the very well-done burrata, like a Caprese salad on a toast point.

Talk about comfort food, look no further than this Balsamic Braised Short Rib ($22.95). This was as comforting as your mom's hug goodbye on the first day of school. This short rib had an excellent sauce served with it and was so tender that just by picking up your fork, it almost shredded apart by itself. It kept the pot roast feeling going with some sliced carrots and butter-basted wild mushrooms. This dish was finished with a cauliflower puree, which Katie could not get enough of. It had a pleasing texture, and I presumed it was healthier than regular mashed potatoes.

I've made it my goal to order more lamb when out to eat and made good on my promise by ordering these Double Cut Lamb Chops ($29.95). These lamb chops were raised in New Zealand and had tons of meat. I was worried that five lamb chops would not fill me up, but I was delighted with these nicely seasoned chops that are part of the new Tuscan Grille portion of the menu at Brio. The Grille selections also include your choice of a side item, and they all sounded great, but after some debate between the creamed spinach and the Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts, I had to go with the sprouts. They won me over by including a good amount of bacon, pecans, and Reggiano cheese. I really enjoyed this side item, which had much going on. There was a touch of sweetness from the maple glaze coating the sprouts, the smokey tinge of bacon, the crunch of the pecans, and the cheese, which brought this all together. This was even good the next day when I mixed it with a little of Katie's short rib and had it for lunch, to the envy of all my coworkers.

Of course, I was pretty full by this point, but Brio offers petite favorite desserts, which are perfect for one person who wants to finish their meal with something sweet. I went with a classic, the Creme Brulee ($3.75). This had the traditional crunchy sugar coating topping and the sweet, custard-like bottom, which was silky smooth. It was a very nice end to my meal this evening.

This was a thoroughly satisfying meal this evening at Brio. These new items are a welcome addition to their already fantastic menu. I look forward to returning and trying their pork chops or ribeye on subsequent visits. As per the trend when eating here, the service was professional yet friendly. Our server was knowledgeable about the restaurant and effortlessly fielded all our questions. Like I said before, there's always something new happening at Brio, and we can't wait to see what they come up with next.

For more information about Brio Tuscan Grille, head to their website here: http://brioitalian.com/index.html