Brio Tuscan Grille Brims with Tantalizing Delights
Although I don’t typically get excited over chain restaurants, I may have found a reason to change my tune. A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to try Brio Tuscan Grille, which recently opened a location in San Antonio. Once we arrived, my party was seated while I was offered a tour of the restaurant and the kitchen. The outside area looks like a sun drenched patio at an Italian hotel. Flowing white sheer curtains and oversized chairs and couches with tables for dining and misters to keep you cool. After viewing the outside area, I was shown the kitchen, which is one of the cleanest kitchens I’ve seen. The chef and crew were nice and I sampled what was taken out to my table.
As I rejoined my party, there was a martini waiting for me. We went to eat on Thursday which happens to be Brio Tuscan Grille’s Martini Thursday. $5 gets you one of their signature drinks. I was offered a Lemontini with Sobieski Cytron Vodka, Citronge Liqueur and sweet and sour. It was finished with a lemon round on the side of the glass and a sugared rim. Great martini and not overly strong.
We started our meal with the Bruschetta Quattro. It’s two each of Roasted red pepper and mozzarella, shrimp and chorizo, sliced steak and my favorite, caprese with tomato, basil and mozzarella. They are served on a thin, long cedar plank. Prior to ordering, you are presented with a basket of thin and crispy breads. They’re almost cracker like.
Here is the best part! How would you like to eat at a fine Italian grill for less than $3? Well at Brio, it’s possible. Monday - Friday they have Happy Hour from 3 - 7. For $2.95, you can sample about 10 different items. Mostly appetizers, but the size and flavor of these make it a meal. Aside from the Bruschetta, we tried the Chorizo Fonduta. It’s a hot cheese dip with onions, leeks and garlic all creamed together in a Ponto Noir cheese sauce, served with toasted ciabatta bread. Other delectable delights were the Pepper Formaggio dip. It’s a chilled cheese dip with a mix of four cheeses, smoked Gouda, Asiago, feta and Swiss. Our favorite, however, was the Brio Burger. I know this is an Italian restaurant, but this was one of the best burgers any of us had ever tasted. In fact, the three of us almost fought over the last piece since the burger was cut in fourths. We ordered one to go.
Now mind you, this was a two-day event. There was no way the three of us could eat so much food. Day two consisted of dinner. My dinner was the Tuscan Grilled Pork Chop. Tender, juicy, flavorful and cooked to perfection. Not too pink; just the way I like it. It’s served with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled seasonal vegetables. One of the people in my party had the roasted lamb chops. It is a full rack with a red wine veal sauce, with mash and veggies on the side. The third person, a seafood lover, relished the Brio Crab and Shrimp cakes. Lump crab and gulf shrimp with roasted vegetables and a creamy horseradish sauce. We also had a small sample of the Shrimp Verduta. This is angel hair pasta tossed with sun dried tomatoes, shrimp, feta, garlic and spinach. There was not a miss on the menu!
Dessert! WOW, where do I start? We were not even asked what we wanted. Our host just brought out the “Chef’s Favorite” - a carousel of five small glasses each filled with Mocha Pana Cotta, Milk Chocolate Caramel cake, Tiramisu, Cheesecake and Carrot cake. Talk about an end to a great evening. So join me at Brio Tuscan Grill at La Cantera. I will most likely be there on Thursday. Gotta get that Martini and Brio Burger! Buon Appetito!
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