Restaurant Review: Brio

I love food. I love the social aspect of food, I love the flavors, I love the conversations that insue when eating, I enjoy everything about the experience. I also enjoy trying new places and have decided that when I do find something I like, i'll write a review about it. This weekend I went to Brio. I happened to go to the one in Southlake but there are a few others in the metroplex. This was my 2nd dining experience here and I got something totally different than last time.

I instantly liked Brio because of it's location. I enjoy Southlake Town Square. I like the idea of strolling to your restaurant. I like the open seating area that is maksed with large white sheets tied together when it's warm outside. This allows the breeze to blow through and you do feel like you're in a different place. I like the regular part of the restaurant as well. When you walk in, there is a large bar with several seats and tables available. The decor of the restaurant is something like I would expect out of a restaurant in Tuscany. Kind of a rusted, old world decor.

I started my dinner with a glass of Kiona Riesling from the bar. I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of people at the bar as we all anxiously waited for our table. We started off the meal with some fried calamari. It came with 2 dipping sauces. One was a creamy alfredo and the other was the traditional marinara. The outside of the calamari was a bit more fried than I prefer, it had a heavier feel but it was very delicious. I decided to order the Bistecca salad with my dinner which was a large wedge of lettuce topped with gargonzola cheese, pieces of bacon, and a creamy parmesean dressing. I ordered Chicken "under the brick" for dinner which consisted of a grilled chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and grilled vegetables. I was attempting to go for a lighter fare but something that I would also enjoy. It was good. Brandon had the gargonzola lamb chops and said they were incredible.

I was way too full for dessert but their chocolate molten cakes looked magnificent. I'm sure it tasted even better.

Overall it was a great dining experience. They have a lot of different types of cuisine to choose from and I look forward to going back and trying something more "italian" than what I ordered. For this restaurant, although the food was good, I prefer the atmosphere and can see myself going back to feel as if I've been whisked away to another place for just a moment!