Brio may be a chain, but it’s the kind of chain I can get behind. After all, steaks are a central component of the menu at the place. Of course, with an Tuscan theme it’s possible to get some light pasta or something else crazy, but I am a man who doesn’t generally turn down the opportunity for a steak.
But I couldn’t just start with that. After all, I was at a table with others and we began with a few appetizers. But as much as I liked the the bruschetta, spinach-artichoke dip and flatbread, it was merely filler on my way to steak.
I usually like to go with a ribeye, but Brio’s was said to be espresso rubbed. I ain’t got time for coffee because I hate the stuff, so instead I went with the New York Strip. Through my waiter’s thickly-accented and nearly indecipherable suggestion, I had mine crusted with gorgonzola and ordered medium-rare. It arrived with a random spring of rosemary, but otherwise just as I had intended. As far as New York Strips go, this steak delivered. The gorgonzola was a bit of a distraction from the beefy flavor, but I can never complain about cheese and this doesn’t seem like the right time to do so because it was still delicious. The steak had been cooked to a perfect medium-rare, but at times was somewhat dry. I can chalk this up to the steak not being as fatty as the ribeyes that I am used to, but alas I couldn’t help but desire a bit more in the juiciness department.
I should also mention that the steak came with a choice of sides. I went with the Fingerling Potatoes Brio, which were topped with a delicious cream sauce and cooked until the outsides were crisp and the insides were nice and tender. There was nothing not good about these.
As far as the chains go, though, Brio was pretty tasty. I can’t speak for how true it is to its alleged Tuscan roots, but they sure knew how to cook a steak pretty well.
