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

A Lively Evening at Brio Tuscan Grille

Brio Tuscan Grille

774 Irvine Center Drive

Irvine, CA 92618

I feel bad that I've neglected Brio Tuscan Grille this long. They are right next door to a restaurant we've written about twice, Del Frisco's Grille. We make at least ten trips a year to the Spectrum, where Brio is located, and have yet to dine here. It always looks so busy and inviting, but we have yet to go inside this restaurant, which has been around for a year and a half. That was until we got a little nudge.

That nudge was in the form of an invite by the great folks at Brio to come in and try their latest promotional item, The Tale of Two Risottos. For a limited time, Brio is offering two seafood-inspired versions of this classic Italian comfort food dish. We could not say no to this great opportunity and quickly reached out to Brio to say that we could not wait to come in and try them out.

Before we left, I checked out the Brio website and was surprised to learn that they have many locations throughout the United States. They operate over 100 restaurants in 22 states, two of which are in California. This Irvine location is joined by another at Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga. The focus food-wise here is on Northern Italian cuisine, which they prepare with what they hope to be the freshest ingredients in a lively Italian eatery. I was excited to see what they had for us this evening.

We arrived just before 7pm and promptly sat in a comfortable side room near the bustling kitchen. They nailed the lively atmosphere here. The space has a welcoming quality and an upscale vibe, but not in a stuffy way. I was struck by the vast array of people dining here. There were tables of businessmen talking shop, a gaggle of women enjoying a lady's night out, friends celebrating someone's birthday, and me and I enjoying a quiet date night, going over each other's hectic days at work, which slowly melted away as the night went on at Brio.

The menu is impressive here. What I noticed first and foremost were the prices. They were not as outrageous as I was expecting. No menu item is over the $30 mark, and most entrees are going to set you back less than $20. I made many mental notes of what I would have here on my next visit to Brio. This trip was all about the risotto, so let's see how that worked out for us this evening.

When we sat down, they almost instantaneously sat out this bread basket filled with some crisp pieces of bread and half a loaf of sourdough. I much preferred the sourdough. It was served warm and had a great, pliable texture. It was a very nice bread, which came with plenty of butter. The crisp bread was seasoned well, but I could not stop eating the sourdough.

As first-timers to Brio, we were advised that trying the Bruschetta Quattro ($15.95) would be wise for us, and that advice proved correct. This is a sampling of their four most popular bruschettas, and it's easy to see why they are so well-liked. Katie's and my favorite was the sliced steak version, which also included Gorgonzola, arugula, charred tomato, and Parmesan. The steak was tender, and the big flavors played nicely on the well-toasted bread base. I also enjoyed the version with the applewood bacon, tomato jam, ricotta cheese, Parmesan, and basil to round it out. I don't know where it came from, but this had a good spice, which lingered a while after consuming it. Other bruschetta versions included a roasted red pepper and the chef's seasonal bruschetta, which featured shrimp and a delectable sauce. An excellent start to our time at Brio.

I cringed when Katie ordered this Kale Caesar Salad ($7.25). Kale and I have a very stormy relationship. I'm not much of a fan, and I feared the kale would ruin one of my favorite salads. I'm pleased to announce that I was wrong about this. This was one kale dish I could get down with no trouble. The marinated kale was joined with a whole cavalcade of items; pancetta, chopped egg, tomatoes, tricolore lettuce, Parmesan, and a delicious Caesar dressing. First and foremost, this was a good-sized salad; the produce was fresh, and the kale was not as bitter as others we have had. A good take on a Caesar salad. I'm still estranged from kale, but this dish has at least opened up a dialogue between us two.

Lobster Bisque ($6.95) is always a good option, and that was the case here at Brio as well. This velvety soup came with a sauteed shrimp garnish in the middle of the bowl. It was predictably rich and flavorful, and I almost found myself licking the bowl after I was done with it. I had to control myself since we had our entrees coming up next.

Our first of the two entrees was Sea Scallops and Ratatouille Risotto ($19.95). The ratatouille comprises roasted eggplant, tomatoes, red peppers, zucchini, basil, and Reggiano cheese. The risotto picked up each of these flavors and was topped with five good-sized scallops. The scallops were fork-tender and cooked well. The risotto shines here and is not just a vessel for the scallops and other items. Katie loved the heartiness of this meal, which was just what the doctor ordered on this chilly evening.

When this Cold Water Lobster Tail with Shrimp Risotto ($19.95) hit the table, I gasped. I could hardly wait to dig into the lobster, but the shrimp risotto was also worth some admiration. Along with the shrimp, this risotto contained mushrooms, asparagus, roasted red peppers, basil, and Parmesan. Big-time flavor explosion here, and then you add the sweet and tender lobster, making this dish a winner. Who could ever imagine lobster being this affordable? I ended up only finishing half of this, as I really wanted to savor this as I ate it. It was just as good the next day for lunch, and many coworkers were envious that they did not have lobster for lunch.

We did not need it but could not resist this Torta Di Cioccolata ($6.95). This kind of chocolate lave cake was like three desserts in one. You, of course, had the moist chocolate cake on the outside, and inside was an almost pudding-like texture of the warm cake, which was then topped with a generous serving of vanilla bean gelato. Katie was full by this point, so I was lucky enough to eat most of this, which I did in record time. I liked mixing the warm center with the vanilla gelato. A great way to end our meal at Brio. 

We left here full and content this evening. Brio really impressed me on our inaugural visit here. Not only was the food good, but the value was too great to ignore, especially for my lobster dish. The restaurant felt like an upgraded Macaroni Grill, and the food was also upgraded. We were dining in a fine dining restaurant at way more reasonable prices. Even though the prices were reasonable, the food was elevated at Brio. The service we experienced this evening also deserves some accolades. Our server Shelia has been at this location of Brio since they opened, and all of her knowledge, suggestions, and attention that she lavished upon us has made us even bigger fans of Brio.

If you would like to experience the Tale of Two Risotto promotion, you have to hurry. It will only be around until March 27th. From our experience at Brio, though, even if you do not make it in to have this fantastic deal, you will definitely find something on this menu to make you and your stomach happy. A special thanks to everyone who made this visit so enjoyable. Everyone we encountered on this evening was so pleasant and really made us feel welcome.

If you would like to keep up to date with all of the happenings at Brio or find your nearest location, head to their website here: http://www.brioitalian.com/index.html