Brio Tuscan Grille

Contributor

Citysearch

The Scene
Gold and maroon vests on the bentwood chairs echo the wood floor's inlay, and 3-D friezes on the wall allude to the Tuscan theme. A long expo line (open kitchen) runs down one side of the room; you can watch flames lick the inside of the brick oven as cooks nearby flip their sautes.

The Food

Pricey upscale Italian, with brick-oven flatbread pizzas and wood-grilled or roasted meats and vegetables. Order the antipasto sampler for two?outstanding fried calamari and pepperoncini with both marinara and garlic mayonnaise for dipping, baked mushroom ravioli, and an average bruschetta (garlic/herb toast) with peppers and shrimp. For a crackery take on pizza, try one of the flatbreads, such as pollo al forno,with rosemary, tomatoes, feta and grilled chicken. Vanilla bean is the best of the homemade gelati. High demand can slow the kitchen a bit, but when our dessert arrived late with a small mistake, the server immediately took it off our bill.