Baltimore: Brio Tuscan Grille

Saturday, 12 May 2012 02:22

Baltimore: Brio Tuscan Grille

Rate this item

(1 vote)

Brio Mixed Grille left) and Roasted Lamb Chops (right) Multi Cultural Cooking Network

They may have 15 years in the business, but Brio Tuscan Grille is the new kid on the block in Baltimore. Their new Inner Harbor venture is just two months in and business is good—in fact, it's very good. On my Wednesday evening visit the restaurant lived up to its name which means "lively" or "full of life." Brio was bustling and packed from the outside flowing in. Maybe it was because Wednesday is Martini night or maybe because there was a "Mom's Night Out!" pre-Mother's day event in progress, or maybe because Wednesday night is as good a night as any to have some good old-fashioned authentic Italian food. Whatever the reason—business was very good.

roasted_red_pepper_bruschetta One of the outstanding plusses for dining at Brio is the $5 parking rate. If you park in the building's parking garage, dine at Brio and then have your garage ticket get validated, you can get away with one of the cheapest rates in downtown. Now that's a plus, no matter how you look at it. Brio's General Manager Martin Atkinson stressed that you don't have to come in and have a full course meal to get that rate. So you can come for dessert and then head over to the O's game. My first visit to Brio did not disappoint. The property, which is located on the corner of Pratt and Calvert Streets, is simply regal, open, and light. The interior has a grandness that results from the arched colonnades and imposing wrought iron chandeliers, among other inspiring features. But enough about the decor, let's talk about the food.

My dining companion and I started our experience with the Bruschetta Quattro. This is a sampling of four of the restaurants bruschetta offerings. Make sure one of the four you order is the Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta. Ah! (Can I say "Ah!" in an article? I don't see why not.) Ah! The roasted red pepper is so sweet and the additional flavors of the fresh mozzarella, basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano are sweet harmony.

calamari-brio Next we had the Calamari Fritto Misto, which was standardly good. The flavoring of the pepperoncini brought in a noticeable sweet and spicy flavor, however, the breading was a little heavier than I would prefer. Another appetizer that is one of the favorites at Brio is Beef Carpaccio. Not found many places in Maryland, if you have a hankering for carpaccio, Brio's is cooked to order. Carpaccio in its authentic state is thinly sliced raw meat, but as you will note on the menu: ". . . consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness especially in certain medical conditions." Under that advisory, if you want to order it rare, go for it! Nonetheless, the cooked to order beef carpaccio is one of the more popular offerings and is served with field greens, capers, mustard aioli, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. (Read more at Examiner.com)

Sample of Desserts at Brio Tuscan Grille: Creme Brulee, Tiramisu Dolcino

P1030325 P1030328

brio-tiramisu

Read 1050 times Like this? Tweet it to your followers!

Published in Baltimore

Social sharing

Monica Johnson

As a former award-winning radio host with almost 10 years in the radio business, Monica Johnson still has a voice in the community. Her love for interviewing, producing, editing, and writing has given way to the fulfillment of her passion as as a freelance writer and editor. Johnson is currently the Baltimore Evangelical Examiner for Examiner.com as well as an editor and writer for her ministry's publication, The True Vine. Now writing for the Multi Cultural Cooking Network and its associated blog, Johnson is excited about all of the unimagined possibilities of food MCCN is bringing to light, making kitchen tables around the world a lot more interesting.

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it