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One of the many classy dining options in the Greene of east Dayton, Brio Tuscan Grill is an upscale Italian food joint, specializing in all kinds of favorites from the best of Mediterranean Cuisine. When you walk in, you’ll be expecting quality food from a top-notch chain. That’s a high bar, and they’ve risen to the challenge. The food here is truly fantastic, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find the quality food and incredible environment are a well-oiled machine of good service and pleasant experiences. It’s a fantastic place to experience.
When you think of Italian food, the first dish that comes to mind is, of course, pasta. Brio has all the pasta you can imagine, and then some. The seafood dishes are also fantastic; I suggest getting seafood in your pasta wherever possible; they’re packed with flavor and the sauce complements them extremely well. Even the simple favorites, the side dishes, are fantastic.
- Pasta Fra Diavolo embodies all of the excellent qualities of the pasta dishes here. It’s a penne with a tomato cream sauce, which has kind of a warm heat to it. It’s a simple dish, topped with either chicken or shrimp and it’s delightful; the kind of pasta dish you can really savor.
- Artichoke Crusted Beef Medallions were cooked absolutely perfectly. The beef had a juicy and blackened exterior and inside was an extremely tender meat, rare, and fantastic. It’s some of the best steak I’ve tried, and it takes a seriously deft hand to pull that off.
- Lobster bisque is also done with a masterful chef; the soup has sort of a simple and savory taste, with just bits of the salty lobster meat to even it out. Fantastic.
- The garlic mashed potatoes are soft and fluffy and packed with the pungent seasoning, while even the grilled vegetables are cooked until they’re soft and beautiful. It’s picture perfect, and it’s the work of a master chef.
- Triple chocolate cake: Chocolate mousse, chocolate cake and dark chocolate frosting encrusted with chocolate chips. Every kind of chocolate you can handle. Best when shared.
The environment is great, it’s sort of a Tuscan feel to the decor, but it’s also a wide open interior concept that makes everything feel very spacious. Considering how crowded the place can be especially on weekends, it really feels less stressful to have such an open concept. The service is fantastic, the servers are great and very efficient at getting food out quickly and not interrupting too much, and there seem to be a manager or two invisibly maintaining a smooth operation. The end result is great.
Brio is a delicious and promising chain. You’ll find it in the nicest parts of town for a good reason: It’s the nicest kind of experience.
Recommendations
- This is an upscale dining location, and I would certainly suggest you dress up for a finer dining experience.
- There are substantial menus for catering and larger parties, and I suggest you consider it.
- Steak is the best item on the menu. Beyond than, you’ll want to try the seafood.
Another Food Critic 