BRIO’s Bringing It This Holiday Season
Jingle All the Way to BRIO Tuscan Grille this Holiday Season my Foodie Friends! BRIO Palm Beach County Locations Present Delicious Holiday Features, Gift Card Deals and Unlimited Cheer
The holidays are just around the corner and BRIO Tuscan Grille will be celebrating in a big way! From seasonal entrées and desserts to gift card incentives, there is something for everyone. BRIO is the perfect gathering spot for friends and family throughout the holiday season.
Oh what fun it will be to eat, drink and be merry at BRIO Tuscan Grille this holiday season! Following jubilant Tuscan tradition, BRIO locations in Palm Beach County will revel in the holiday spirit, welcoming guests to gather ‘round the table to indulge in special seasonal fare. In addition, BRIO is happy to “give the gift of BRIO” to its guests, with bonus gifts for guests who buy $100 in holiday gift cards.
BRIO Palm Beach County locations are at The Shops at Boca Center in Boca Raton, CityPlace in West Palm Beach, and The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens.
The restaurant just rolled out a few new delicious and indulgent holiday favorites, including a mouthwatering Broiled Main Lobster Tail with Creole Shrimp Pasta, a Surf & Turf of Beef Medallions with jumbo shrimp & Romano crusted eggplant served with white cheddar polenta and for dessert, a Chocolate Layer Cake with Candy Cane Gelato.
BRIO will also offer a two-course prix fixe menu for New Year’s Eve, starting at $29.95.
Seasonal Entrées & Desserts
“Indulgent cuisine is one of the most exciting parts of Tuscan holiday tradition, and we at BRIO are pleased to present these seasonal dishes infused with delicious flavors,” said BRIO Culinary Director & Chef Alison Peters.
Broiled Maine Lobster Tail & Creole Shrimp Pasta with angel hair, spicy cream sauce, capers, red peppers, green onions and basil ($25.95)
Surf & Turf — Grilled-to-order beef medallions, jumbo black pepper shrimp over Romano crusted eggplant and white cheddar polenta ($28.95)
Chocolate Layer Cake with Candy Cane Gelato — Decadent chocolate cake, milk and white chocolate mousse, fudge ganache frosting and candy cane gelato ($6.95)
The perfect accompaniments to a Tuscan-style holiday meal, BRIO’s select white and red wines include the delightful Sketchbook Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendocino, California) priced at $10.95 per glass/$40 per bottle or the truly exquisite Hess Shirtail Chardonnay priced at $9.95 per glass/$38 per bottle.
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New Year’s Eve
Guests can celebrate New Year’s Eve in style at BRIO, which will offer a two-course prix fixe menu, including one of the above entrées, along with guests’ choice of soup/salad or petite dessert, starting at $29.95. The two-course prix fixe menu will be offered 12/30/16 to 1/2/17.
Gifts for Holiday Party Guests
What is a holiday party without a takeaway gift? Now through Jan. 15, 2017, hosts and guests in parties of 10 or more will receive a $10 off bonus gift for a future visit to BRIO in January or February 2017. The promotion applies to parties hosted Sunday–Thursday.
Gift Card Bonus Offer
With all of the excitement the holidays bring, everyone needs to give themselves a gift! Through Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, BRIO guests who purchase $100 in BRIO gift cards will receive a $20 bonus gift, valid Jan. 1–March 15, 2017. This promotion is available at all BRIO restaurant locations and online at www.BrioItalian.com. And yet another plus — personalized BRIO gift cards and e-gifts are available!
During the holidays, reservations are highly recommended at BRIO for both private parties and individual guests. 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.
I tasted these new featured holiday dishes (compliments of BRIO, although all opinions are my own, as always) at the BRIO located at The Shops at Boca Center, 5050 Town Center Circle, Suite 239, Boca Raton, FL 33486.
BRIO offers lunch and dinner, as well as a special children’s menu; brunch is offered Saturday and Sunday until 3:30 p.m. The 8,800-square-foot restaurant has indoor seating for 260 guests and al fresco dining for 100 on its outdoor terrace, as well as a full-service bar that seats 40. BRIO also offers a private dining area that seats 16–48 guests. The restaurant is open Sunday 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m., Monday–Thursday 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. For more information, visit www.brioitalian.com. For reservations, call The Shops at Boca Center restaurant at (561) 392-3777.
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Santa Claus is Sharing Holiday Joy During Breakfasts with Santa,
Including Fun-Filled Activities, at Palm Beach County BRIO Locations in December!
Who/What:
Ho, ho, ho! Santa is making special visits to BRIO Tuscan Grille locations at CityPlace and The Gardens Mall to listen to Christmas wishes and spread holiday cheer. Guests will enjoy a delicious plated breakfast and holiday activities including face painting, holiday crafts, cookie decorating, ornament making, and Christmas carolers. Santa Claus will be visiting tables collecting wish lists, and will also take photos with guests (be sure to bring cameras!)
BRIO’s breakfast will be plentiful with delicious items for both adults and children. Choices on the adult menu include:
- Eggs, Home Fries & Bacon: Scrambled eggs, bacon, brunch potatoes and brioche toast. Turkey sausage on request.
- Berries & Cream French Toast: Honey, cinnamon, sweet cream cheese stuffed French toast, fresh berry compote, and Applewood bacon
- Sicilian Omelette: Cherrywood smoked ham, bacon, Fontanini sausage, caramelized onions, tomato compote, Mozzarella, Provolone and Parmesan cheeses. Served with brunch potatoes.
- Ham & Biscuit Benedict: Two poached cage free eggs, Cherrywood smoked ham, housemade biscuit and hollandaise. Served with brunch potatoes.
Children’s selections include Kids’ French Toast served with maple syrup and fresh fruit; and Kids’ Scrambled Eggs served with bacon and fresh fruit.
All meals include choice of coffee, tea, soft drink, milk or juice, muffins and yogurt parfait.
Reservations are required for the Breakfast with Santa events.
When/Where:
Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016
9–11 a.m.
BRIO at CityPlace
550 South Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(561) 835-1511
Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016
9–11 a.m.
BRIO at The Gardens Mall
3101 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
(561) 622-0491
Cost:
$11.95 per adult; $5.95 per child
How:
Reservations are required. Call your local BRIO or visit www.brioitalian.com to reserve for this special Santa event!
Until we eat again…
I send you delicious wishes, xo
Denise
Fall in Love (Again) with Italian Classics at BRAVO! at a Price You Will Love!
Hello Foodie Friends,
Tis I, your favorite foodie ((wink wink)), out and about Savoring Our City once again making and sharing new discoveries in Boca and beyond. Today’s post is about my most recent visit to BRAVO! Cucina Italiana at Harbourside Place in Jupiter, FL. (For a look at my previous visit there back on November 2014 where I sampled their brunch, click here.)
With everything “new” for the New Year, BRAVO! Cucina Italiana is inviting guests all across the nation to re-discover and fall in love with Italian cuisine all over again with the release of some of their time-honored and classic – Italian comfort foods. Now through February 27, as part of its special Classic Italian Combinations menu, BRAVO! is featuring traditional favorites such as Baked Chicken Parmesan, Shrimp Scampi and Grilled Chicken Picatta, each served with a side vegetable and starch with a choice of soup or salad as a starter for just $10.99, available for either lunch or dinner.
I was invited back to experience this two course menu which I graciously accepted and decided to bring along my friend Sharon, who just so happened to be my companion on my first visit to BRAVO!
Our server Yasmine had a lovely smile and was warm and personable throughout our visit. To start us off, she brought us each a Flirtini, which we both thought was delicious.
Team Leader/Manager Darryl came over to our table to introduce himself and after discussing several options, we decided to take Darryl’s suggestion to try the Crispy Shrimp Napoli appetizer. Note: the appetizer is not included in the $10.99 two course meal, but trust me, you will want to get this! Even if you’re dining alone, get it and eat half and take the rest home. You don’t want to miss out on this. It’s that good! What makes this appetizer so good, you ask? Well, the shrimp are marinated in buttermilk for one and then dipped in a rice flour batter which make them very light and airy. They are topped with a charred tomato & lemon butter sauce. #PerfectionOnAPlate #TasteBudsDoingTheHappyDance.
The Chicken Parmesan was the first of the entrees to come out. It was breaded and baked and served atop herb spaghettini and housemade Pomodoro sauce. The portion was ample and the chicken was perfectly seasoned and cooked, and the sauce well balanced.
The next dish to come out was the Shrimp Scampi with linguine, garlic, lemon butter, pesto breadcrumbs, garlic crostinis and diced tomato. Loved this dish, it was delish! Again, a very generous portion, I think they put like 12 shrimp in there. The garlic and lemon butter worked so harmoniously together and really elevated this timeless classic dish.
The Grilled Chicken Picatta comes with seasonal vegetables (we had the sugar snap peas, carrots and broccoli), mashed potatoes and a lemon butter caper sauce. I really enjoyed this dish too. I think I must be addicted to Chef Jon’s lemon butter sauce. And speaking of Chef Jon, here I am posing with him after he made us very happy with his deliciously prepared meals.
Here we have Darryl presenting to us a beautiful display of desserts. While they all looked so yummy, our bellies were pretty stuffed by this time, but despite that, we forged on and decided to give the Bravo! Cheesecake a try. It was a NY style cheesecake with a shortbread cookie crust that had been bruleed.
As the afternoon progressed and we were well into dining bliss, GM Jimmy stopped by to say hi and visit with us for a bit.
Me with our wonderful server Yasmine.
Everyone at BRAVO! Cucina Italiana at Harbourside Place in Jupiter was once again, very friendly and attentive. The food was excellent and the value, in my opinion, cannot be beat!
This Two-Course Classic Italian Combinations promotion, featuring generous portions, served at lunch & dinner seven days a week, will end on Feb. 27th, so hurry in and take advantage of this terrific value while you can! Be on the look out also for a special two course Prix Fixe menu for Valentine’s Day coming out soon. Check their website for details.
Tweet It: Indulge in your favorite #Italian classics at @Bravo_Italian for only $10.99! #mybravo
BRAVO! Cucina Italiana at Harbourside Place is located at 149 Soundings Avenue
Jupiter , FL 33477 (561) 747-4445
They are open Sun -Thu 11am -10pm; Fri -Sat 11am -11pm; Brunch Weekends from 11 am until 3pm
DaVinci’s is D’vine, Part II
Hello Foodie Friends,
Back in December, my friend Shaina and I reviewed DaVinci’s shortly after they opened. (Click here to read that review.) Well, today I am pleased to share with you my latest review after being invited back to try some brand new items to commemorate their newly revamped menu executed by new Executive Chef, Ardany Rivas. Chef Rivas may be DaVinci’s new Executive Chef, but he is no stranger to the Carvelli Family. He has been working in the family owned restaurants since he joined them in 2005 working in Naples, FL and Wisconsin Dells, WI before coming to Boca to head up the kitchen.
“Ardany has worked with our family for more than ten years now, providing insight and inspiration for this location, as well as our other venues, so it made sense to move him into this role,” said Luigi Carvelli, who launched the restaurant with his family in September 2014. “Ardany shares the Carvelli family’s passion for delivering authentic Italian dishes that are prepared with the best, freshest, ingredients possible. We are thrilled to have him managing the DaVinci’s of Boca kitchen full-time.”
Shortly after we sat down, GM Francesco came to our table and asked us about our wine preferences. Luckily we were able to agree on a bottle of Rosso di Montalcino, a wonderful baby Barolo.
First thing to arrive on our table was their yummy warm bread basket and trio of dipping sauces that I fell in love with the first time around. (The Mascarpone with lemon zest & thyme is my personal favorite). Thank goodness this is one thing that they did not change when they created a new menu, I am pleased to announce.
Francesco informed us that Chef would be preparing a special tasting menu for us highlighting some of the new menu additions. Shaina and I especially love when Chefs do this for us. When Shaina and I dine together, we are kind of like a “Surf and Turf” duo; Shaina only eats seafood and I prefer meat, lol. Fortunately, we both really enjoy vegetarian type dishes. Speaking of which, our first course was a Vegetable Terrine appetizer which consisted of layers of eggplant, roasted red peppers, zucchini, portobello mushroom, goat cheese, arugula and topped with a balsamic glaze drizzle. I really liked this dish. It was a cold dish which didn’t surprise me as much as it seemed to have surprised Shaina. But I do agree with her assessment that it could have just as easily been served and enjoyed warm as well. To read Shaina’s review, click here.
The next dish to arrive was the charred octopus. For those of you who follow my posts, you know that Shaina and I are both huge fans of octopus. Last year when we were first introduced to DaVinci’s we tried their Polipo Grigliato al Salmoriglio, aka Octopus. It was a chilled version and although it was quite tasty, both Shaina and I agreed hands down that this new version was much more to our liking. It was served atop arugula with a lemon dressing, potato confit, drizzled with a pepperoncini aioli and served with a side of the most fantastic squid ink/white bean puree.
The Kale & Beet Salad was next. This colorful salad was visually very appealing and consisted of golden and red beets, pecans, pistachio-crusted goat cheese, kale tossed with a basil citrette dressing, topped with pickled onions and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. The salad was well composed and we both enjoyed it very much.
The next dish that came out was the homemade spinach gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce garnished with strawberries. At first I was like, strawberries? But after trying it, I can definitely see that the sweetness from the fresh berries cuts some of the richness of the Gorgonzola and it works… very well, in fact. This was definitely one of my favorites of the night and I’d have to say that these gnocchi were my absolute favorite that I have ever been served (sorry mom).
When it came time to ordering our entrees, I selected the Veal Porcini, one of the new menu items, while Shaina ordered the seafood special of the night, Shrimp-stuffed Branzino. Both dishes were accompanied by scalloped potatoes in a lemon sauce, asparagus and baby carrots. The veal was cooked with a porcini Marsala wine and cream sauce. I enjoyed this dish, although it was just a tad over salted for my preference. Shaina loved her Branzino, which was presented in quite a unique manner in that it was filleted and stuffed rather than served whole. Pretty, isn’t it?!?
We skipped on dessert this time, since A) we were pretty stuffed and B) there weren’t any new desserts on the revamped menu. We had tried the Salted Caramel Tiramisu and the Lemon Meringue Mascarpone the last time and they were both delicious. Anything that has the words “Salted Caramel” is a must have in my book. So I encourage you all to make your way over to DaVinci’s and try some of these delicious items I’ve described for you here or anything else that catches your eye on the menu. I promise you one thing, you won’t be disappointed. Exceptional food, service and ambiance.
DaVinci’s offers Happy Hour 7 days a week from 11am – 6pm at the bar and patio only, as well as a late night Happy Hour from 9pm – close. They also have live entertainment and an indoor private dining room which can accommodate groups up to 40 guests and an outside patio/lounge area which can accommodate much larger groups. They are located at 6000 Glades Rd. (next to Nordstrom at the Town Center Mall). 561-362-8466. For more info, visit their website.