Amidst the hustle and bustle that is Chestnut Hill Square (the new shopping Mecca on Route 9 that features such roadtrip-worthy destinations as Wegmans, Soul Cycle, etc.) is the Boston-area edition of an Italian eatery chain that makes everyone feel at home- That is, if you lived in an Florentine piazza with a gleaming open kitchen and glistening full bar!
Brio Tuscan Grill combines open, airy, conversation catching spaces with private curtained nooks and meeting areas that make it great for a family gathering, business meeting or secret rendezvous. No matter how bit your party (or your appetite), Brio has penty to satsify- from bar plates with weekly accompanying drink specials to family-sized servngs of all your Nonni’s favorites.
At the long marble bar, rustic lamps mingle with a pair of contemporary flat screens and a steel juice squeezer stands ready to mix with the international scene of wines, cordials, and apertifs that filter the light from the large picture windows. Off to one side is a cozy waiting parlor with great views of the street and the scene that presents itself daily for lunch, dinner, and drinks at Brio. On the other, a dining and lounging patio bring the outside in and vice versa. Throughout the space, columns support vaulted arches that bring the eye up to the exposed-beam roof with its brick accents that echo the bulbous wood-burning oven in the rear kitchen and also the dusted rustic sourdough that precedes each meal alongisde nutty lavash.
For the main course, there are a selection of course options that range from primi to zuppa to bruschetta to panini to (pardon their French) entrees. From a rich and flavorful roasted garlic, artichoke and spinach dip to crab and shrimp fonduta, the appaetizers are hearty and satisfying and serve well to excite the taste buds and open up the digestive tract. The Brio chopped salad is bursting with crsp veggies and topped with fresh feta. The entrée-sized grilled salmon salad includes crispy shoestring potatoes and the Tuscan harvest salad is topped with grilled chicken, apples and other mouthwatering treats. The bruschetta quattro offers four flavors that are perfect for sharing or just for being indecisive, but any flatbread choice – from the roasted red pepper to the sausage, pepperoni and ricotta to the sliced steak – is a good one! Brio’s burger comes with smoked bacon, pinot noir onions and roasted tomato mayo and is sided by Tuscan fries. For the less-carnivorous, the roasted vegetable panini comes with everything from arugula to eggplant to peppers and is served with an orzo and grain salad that adds to the nutritious flavor. Speaking of grains, Brio has an entire menu of pastas that includes spicy fettucini rustica, chicken and sausage pomodoros, pasta with pesto, vodka sauce, fra diavolo or their signature rigatoni with grilled chicken, seared mushrooms and roasted red pepper sauce.
Weekends at Brio enjoy the added benefits of a brunch menu until 3 PM that includes staples such as bacon and eggs and Italianate options like the Sicilian omelette with smoked ham, sausage, mozarella and provolone. Not to be outdone, weekdays offer a few hours of Bar Brioso, at which plates and purs are both $4-6 and specials (and fun) abound!
Though it is an Italian restaurant, there are plenty of gluten-free options amidst the pastas at Brio. There is also a “lighter side” menu on which no item is more than 500 calories. If you want calories, however, Brio delivers with tiramisu, Ghiradelli chocolate mousse cake, a trio that features crème brulee, butterscotch pudding and marscapone cheese cake, and seasonal selections of Dolchitos that invite tasting and sharing.
To wash it all down, Brio offers an international array of wines, as well as beers and a set of “singature” cocktails that includes a Peach Palmer (i.e., peach iced tea with homemade lemondae) as well as peach-based sangria and bellini (both of which accent the peachy tones of the mottled paint and fixtures) and a cucumber basil gimlet that makes for a refreshing twist on an old standby.
While Brio is technically a “white tabelcloth” restaurant, the cloths are most likely to get a little marinara and/or vino spilled on them as guests reach for seconds or just reach out to toast and celebrate family and friends, closing big deals or other special occasions.
So whether you long for your palazzo or just wish you had one, Brio is a wonderful spot to take a time out from a hectic day of shopping, working, or playing elsewhere and to gather with family, friends and associates for some home-styled abbundanza.
Brio
200 Boylston St
Chestnut Hill, MA
(617) 795-7150
www.brioitalian.com