New Years Day... The day of hangovers, new resolutions and brunch. Also, the day of EG's birth. So, with our friends HA and AC, we all went to Brio Tuscan Grille (Brio) for brunch. Well, we thought we were going for brunch. Our phone call for reservations said we were going for brunch. Sadly, there was no brunch. We got to Brio for our 1pm reservation (severely under-dressed I might add). This is not a hoodie and jeans kinda place. If you're going to Brio, I suggest you take a second to get your life together. Just a friendly FYI. But, I digress. We got there at 1 and were promptly seated by a friendly and smiling hostess. I appreciate when you walk in the door and are greeted by a happy person. To often we see a face that is tired or stressed. A simple smile makes a great first impression. So, we sit and are handed menus. They aren't brunch menus. C'est la vie.
Brio is a very nice space. It's bright and open. We hardly ever ponder how much space effects our dining experience, but it truly makes a giant impact. I wouldn't want to take my grandmother out for a birthday dinner at a dimly lit restaurant with lots of booths and candles just as I wouldn't want to take my girlfriend out to Chuck E.Cheese for our anniversary. Brio is a great place for a lunch meeting, a few drinks with friends, a dinner with the family, or brunch. Like I said, it's airy and bright. The decoration and colors are welcoming. It was a great setting for our birthday/recovery meal.
Our waiter was at our table soon after we sat getting drink orders and explaining the menu items. He told us that they only have brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. As it was a Tuesday, that solved the mystery of the missing brunch. He also urged us to take a look at the lunch menu pasta options as they are the same size as a regular order, but cheaper. I appreciate that he was looking out for us instead of his tip. He got our drinks and dropped of a basket of bread. The bread is delicious! Nice crust with a light and chewy inside. So very tasty that we needed a second basket.
When it was timer to order, we paid attention to the waiters advice. HA, EG and I all went with a lunch pasta that had chicken, cherry tomatoes, asparagus and Gorgonzola cheese in a cream sauce. AC went with a red sauced based meal. Wish I could remember what, but my memory is spotty at best. I also got a salad. Well, it was actually a wedge of lettuce with bacon, tomatoes and dressing. I didn't get a picture of it as I forgot before I housed it. It was good, for being so very basic. Hard to mess up salad though. The pasta dish was excellent. It was creamy with a nice bit of crunch from the asparagus. The Gorgonzola added a nice light salty taste. And the portion size was good. I felt pretty satisfied and full after I was finished. I look forward to trying some of their other dished in the future.
I was overall very impressed with Brio Tuscan Grille. It kept pleasing from the minute I walked in the door to the second I left. All of the girls agreed with me. For a nice weekend brunch or a nice meal with the family, try Brio.
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