Hello Foodie Friends,

I was recently invited back to BRIO for a tasting of some new menu items and to share with you a new promotion that they have going on in all their Palm Beach County locations now through April 15th.  I’ll get to the promotion in a minute. On this particular dine, my companion and I who have eaten at BRIO on several occasions decided to start out with a “Flirty Cosmo” which is made with absolute Mandarin, pama, pomegranate liquor, fresh lime and fizz 56. It was a delicious cocktail and one we both would recommend.

We decided to try the Burrata & Ciabatta appetizer which was beautifully plated and was a wonderful combination of creamy burrata, roasted tomatoes, EVOO and grilled ciabatta for $10.95. I enjoyed building my own bruschetta by layering the tomatoes onto the ciabatta and topping with the creamy burrata. I was in heaven!

Our server Jake was a huge fan of their Brussels sprouts, claiming these are the very ones that got him to eat brussels sprouts. With a recommendation like that, how could we not try them as well? We asked him to bring us a side of these which he graciously offered to do, although now that I’m writing this, I only see it listed as a side option to their entrees. The Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts were very tasty and I would highly recommend you try them.

For entrees, my companion had the Center-Cut Filet Mignon (Comes in 6 oz. $24.75 & 8 oz. $29.50) and comes with one side. He chose the Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes. My companion ordered his steak medium rare but it came out pretty rare, so we did ask for a bump up. I would recommend ordering this steak medium. We ordered the mushroom marsala sauce to top the steak and it was a nice compliment.

For my entree, I selected the Pasta Alla Vodka. The pasta that was used for this dish, explained to me by Elvin, the GM at the Boca BRIO location, was a sacchetti, (a little purse in Italian) filled with ricotta, spicy tomato Parmesan cream sauce (not too spicy, trust me), crispy pancetta and basil for $18.95. You can opt to add a protein to this entree and the chicken I ordered really was a wonderful compliment to this very tasty dish. I would highly recommend it!

And now on to the current promotion they are running here at the Palm Beach County locations:

Present Special “A Variety of Flavors” Lunch and Dinner Menu, Available Feb. 28–April 15

BRIO Tuscan Grille is offering an array of new dishes for the “A Variety of Flavors” promotion, taking place Tuesday, Feb. 28 through Saturday, April 15.  The lunch and dinner menus present two exciting new appetizers, three entrées (including two mouthwatering seafood dishes), and a divine dessert.

“With our ‘A Variety of Flavors’ lunch and dinner menus, our guests can enjoy unique flavors with a Tuscan twist, including mouthwatering seafood dishes, for a limited time,” said BRIO Tuscan Grille Chef & Culinary Director Alison Peters.

The menus include:

Appetizers:

• Calamari Fritto Misto: Peperoncini, aioli, Pomodoro; $10.75 at lunch, $11.75 at dinner
• Spicy Shrimp & Eggplant: Pan seared shrimp, Romano crusted eggplant, black pepper cream; $11.50 at lunch, $12.50 at dinner

Entrées:

• Peroni Beer-Battered Fish & Chips: North Atlantic cod, fries, Brussels sprout slaw; $17.95 (pictured below)
• Lobster & Black Pepper Shrimp Ravioli: Spicy black pepper cream, spinach, grape tomatoes; $19.95 (pictured above)
• Braised Beef Pappardelle: Rosemary pappardelle, crimini mushrooms, roasted carrots, red onions,  tomato porcini sauce; $21.95

Dessert:

• Butterscotch Budino: Italian for “pudding,” Marcona almonds, caramel, vanilla whipped cream; $3.95

Serving as perfect complements to these special dishes are BRIO’s exquisite wine selections. Suggested wines are the light, fruity and elegant Sketchbook Pinot Noir (Mendocino, California); and the lush and silky Benziger Family Winery Chardonnay (Sonoma, California).

Guests can now make reservations online for all BRIO restaurants by visiting www.BrioItalian.com. For a list of locations, please visit www.BrioItalian.com.

Until we eat again…

I send you delicious wishes, xo

Denise