Devour Houston: Brio Tuscan Grille

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Brio Tuscan Grille

For a chain restaurant, Brio Tuscan Grille is upscale. You can expect the same in the atmosphere and menu options. Walking into Brio, you feel a special sense of serene-ness. The establishment has colors that bring a happy quality, yet a peaceful atmosphere.

We started with the Beef Carpaccio ($10.95) (carpaccio is a dish of raw meat or fish). It was served with field greens, mustard aioli and parmigiano-reggiano. The dish was supposed to come with capers, but they must have forgotten ours. The carpaccio was delicious and did not need the capers, but I bet they would have been an excellent flavor combination. The mustard aioli was fantabulous. The mustard was not overbearing. It paired beautifully with the light beef and fresh, lightly dressed greens. Additionally, the cheesy toast was delicious. Magnificent!

Beef Carpaccio

The soup of the day was Italian Wedding Soup ($4.95). I paired it with the Brio Chopped Salad ($4.95). The soup was just okay. Heavy on the chicken broth, light on the meatballs, carrots and rice. I would have preferred more seasoning as well. The salad was fresh, light, and crisp.

Italian Wedding Soup and Brio Chopped Salad

Our table also ordered the Grilled Shrimp with Orzo, grilled asparagus, zucchini, tomatoes, and lemon vinaigrette ($12.95). The orzo was creamy and yummy!. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and had a perfect amount of heat to it. The vegetables were seasoned well and crisp. Very enjoyable dish.

Grilled Shrimp with Orzo

We ended on a sweet note, ordering the Tiramisu. It was light, not heavy. Good coffee flavor. Moist ladyfingers. Yummy creamy vanilla sauce. An excellent ending.