As many of you know, we love Brio Tuscan Grill, the delightful Italian restaurant that now has locations in 19 states from Connecticut to Florida to Texas, Utah, Arizona and Nevada.
Well Brio has a sister restaurant called Bravo which can also be found in many locations.
Bravo presents itself as upscale affordable dining at its best and advertises "great tasting Italian food and inviting atmosphere under a fun, family-friendly Roman ruin decor."
Bravo focuses its Italian menu on a broad choice of fresh, made-to-order, authentic Italian food for lunch or dinner as well as creative, seasonal specials.
Like Brio, Bravo features an open kitchen.
And like Brio, it's lively and inviting.
So, what's the difference between the two dining attractions?
Well, Bravo is just a bit more informal and its prices are just a bit lower than its Tuscan relative. For example, Bravo's menu offers pizza ($9.99 - $11.99) while Brio's does not. Brio offers a variety of flatbreads while Bravo does not.
Brio offers many steak dishes, topping out at $27.95 while Bravo seems to offer more chicken, veal and pasta dishes topping out at $20.99.
Think of Brio as Tuscany and Bravo as Rome. Bravo is closer to family-style traditional Italian while Brio is closer to nouveau Italian.
We checked out the relatively new Brio at the Willow Grove Park Mall in suburban Philadelphia and we were delighted with the experience.
To begin with, we found a wonderfully friendly, unrushed atmosphere. One of the managers, Jason greeted us at our table and after we exchanged some pleasantries he recommended that we start with the calamari. Well, this lightly-battered treat was tender and not the least bit greasy. And it was served not just with the traditional marinara sauce but also with a creamy horseradish sauce that is a Brio exclusive. We loved the horseradish sauce and marveled at the calamari's golden glow and crispness. We gobbled up the whole plentiful plate.
We then moved on to our entries, both shown above, exactly as served: the rosemary grilled shrimp ($18.99) and the veal parmesan ($18.99). We received five jumbo shrimp (no skimping here!) marinated in rosemary and garlic and served atop a warm orzo and grain sauté with spinach, artichokes, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and Feta with a lemon caper vinaigrette. This medley harmonized beautifully. The shrimp were succulent and zesty and the orzo was extraordinary.
And the veal parmesan? They call this Strauss veal and it's thinly pounded, breaded and sautéed to a golden brown then topped with Pomodoro sauce and fresh Mozzarella. This was served with herb linguine. I'm always a bit hesitant to order veal because I'm never quite sure what I'm gonna get. But this is no veal patty. This is the real deal and it's so tender you can practically cut it with the side of your fork. And it wasn't overwhelmed (as it often is) by the sauce or the cheese. We're talking two large pieces of veal (enough for me to finish off the next day) and a nice side of pasta. Frankly, I naturally assumed that the pasta would also be served in a red sauce (OK, I'm a traditionalist) and I wasn't sure I'd like the herb linguine. But I quickly adapted and enjoyed it.
Finally, we ended the meal with the tempting warm berry cake featuring ripe, sweet berries baked into a warm butter cake and topped with vanilla bean gelato ($5.99). The cake was moist and the berries were juicy in a delightful syrupy concoction. We only wished it came with a larger dip of gelato.
A word about the bread: It's not as crisp and crunchy as the bread at Brio. And with an open kitchen close by the place can get a bit noisy when the chef barks orders to his staff.
But these are minor concerns, indeed.
With soft lighting, white linen tablecloths, spacious booths, cozy tables and an enormously friendly and helpful staff, Bravo is clearly a winner.
BTW: Check out the Willow Grove Bravo's $2.95 bar bites (weekdays) and $5.00 martinis (Wednesdays only) at the bar. Also, don't miss the three different Willow Grove lunch specials, each $7.95.
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