Dining Review -- Stephen Santacroce

Brio Tuscany Grille in Corona del Mar occupies a location that has

historically had difficulty supporting a successful restaurant.

Visibility is not a problem as the restaurant fronts busy East Coast

Highway, but access is tricky and there is little street parking.

New owner Enzo Scognamiglio is hoping that a combination of

sophisticated decor and quality Italian cuisine is the winning ticket.

And he just might be right.

Brio is an attractive restaurant both inside and out. Large glass

windows front the street and provide passersby with a view to a bar and

dining area usually crowded with well-heeled patrons animatedly enjoying

a cocktail or glass of wine. It’s hard not to want to saunter in and join

the party.

Inside, Brio is all modern chic. Recessed lighting in the ceiling

creates a warm ambience, while pin spots punctuate the dining area,

adding accents to the white linen covering the tables and to the hardwood

furnishings. Mirrors run along one wall of the dining room, creating

depth, and a plush brocade sofa runs along the same wall fronted by

tables for two or more.

Other restaurants in this location, such as Tiramisu, which Brio

replaced, hid the bar downstairs. Scognamiglio has wisely moved it to the

main level, creating a more cosmopolitan feel. Behind the bar, John

Snyder, almost a celebrity in Corona del Mar, mixes cold martinis

expertly for his loyal customers. The downstairs room has been converted

to a wine cellar and chef’s table, perfect for a small private party or

business event.

The layout, while visually appealing, does have its drawbacks. Stone

tile floors, low ceilings and plenty of glass aren’t exactly absorbent

when it comes to sound, and the din on a busy evening is only a few

decibels below low roar. Not the best choice for a quiet, romantic

evening, but if you like an exciting atmosphere it’s usually not a

problem.

I’ve dined at Brio several times since it opened a few weeks ago.

Normally I give a new place a month or so to work out the kinks, and I’ve

been surprised at the level of service at Brio. Sure there are glitches

here and there, but they’re mostly minor, and considering the crowds on

the weekends, the staff is surprisingly attentive and the kitchen

responsive without being rushed.

Brio bills itself as a Tuscan grille, with a menu that highlights

steaks grilled over an open-flame mesquite fire and other specialties

borrowed from regional Italian cuisine.

Chef Nino Cherico has an eye for presentation, and dishes such as the

portabello mushroom appetizer ($8.95) are as visually appealing as they

are flavorful. Large mushroom caps are layered with steamed spinach,

sliced Roma tomato and crumbly Gorgonzola (the wonderful Italian blue

cheese), and finished with a drizzle of red wine reduction.

Two different types of carpaccio are offered, one featuring thin

slices of pink-hued raw beef ($9.95) garnished with a mound of crispy

green arugula, shavings of sharp Parmigiano, lemon juice and a hint of

truffle-scented olive oil. The other replaces the beef with paper-thin

strips of smoked salmon ($9.95) laced with a pungent roasted garlic pesto

dressing.

After a few bites of any dish at Brio, it’s obvious that Cherico has

the Italian chef’s sense of balance when it comes to sauces and

dressings. Salads such as the Caesar ($6.95) have only enough dressing to

bring out the flavor of the crisp romaine and croutons, without drowning

the dish or overpowering the palate with garlic. The same can be said for

a pear salad ($8.25) that marries caramelized Bosc pears with arugula,

walnuts and blue cheese, all tossed with a refreshing lemon vinaigrette.

The same restraint is used on the restaurant’s pasta dishes, which in

my opinion upstage the rest of the menu. Penne donatella ($14.95) starts

off simple enough. Penne pasta is tossed with thin slices of grilled

chicken, mushrooms and sun dried tomato, tossed in a tomato sauce

thickened with a touch of cream. A dollop of summer-green pesto finishes

the plate. What I like here is that the dish doesn’t swim in the sauce,

and there is just the right amount of chicken to garnish the pasta

without becoming the main ingredient.

Gnocchi ($14.95), offered as a special recently, also made a lasting

impression. Gnocchi are difficult to prepare in a restaurant setting, too

often ending like heavy lead pellets. Here the soft potato dumplings

were light and airy, dressed simply with a saute of chopped tomatoes,

olive oil and fresh herbs, enhanced with thin strips of tender filet

mignon. If these were added to the permanent menu, I’d probably be at

Brio seven days a week.

Tuscan cuisine is known for its grilled meats, and Cherico offers a

selection of prime aged steaks cooked on the mesquite grill, including a

mouth-watering bistecca fiorentina ($32.95), a bone-in porterhouse

grilled with a touch of rosemary and olive oil, almost big enough for

two.

The filet mignon, offered in both eight-ounce and 12-ounce portions

($21.95 and $23.95), is a good quality cut served with a tangy wine and

balsamic reduction. If you’re here with friends and want a steak, it’s

not a bad choice, but there are plenty of good steakhouses in town if

that’s what you’re really after.

I always judge a good Italian restaurant by the veal dishes, and I

wasn’t disappointed with the veal scaloppine with porcini mushrooms

($24.95). The thinly sliced veal was fork tender, and the rich brown

sauce had the earthy fragrant appeal of Italy’s most prized mushroom. I

only wish the chef had used the same judicious touch with the sauce on

this dish as he does on his pastas.

Brio’s wine list offers a decent cross-section of better-known

California and Italian wines. You won’t find anything too offbeat on the

list, at least not until they have some time to build up their cellar. If

you want to bring a bottle from home, the corkage will set you back $15.

The restaurant also has a good selection of ports, liquors and grappa

to enjoy with an after-dinner espresso. My waiter on a recent visit,

Matt, gets points for telling me that the port I ordered (I misunderstood

the year) was $44 per glass before pouring it and bringing it to the

table.

Finish a meal at Brio with the zuccatto brio ($6.50), a sponge cake

dome filled with chocolate and vanilla custard, glazed with a warm

chocolate sauce. Or try the wonderful cinnamon gelato ($7.50), creamy

Italian ice cream served in a crisp filo dough “bowl” surrounded by warm

berries.

Enzo Scognamiglio seems to have gotten it right with Brio. The

attentive staff, good food, sophisticated atmosphere and lively crowds

make an appealing combination. Some won’t like the noise on busy nights,

but weeknights are quieter, and many will find the bustling atmosphere

energizing.

* STEPHEN SANTACROCE’S restaurant reviews appear every other Thursday.

Send him your comments at sdsanta@oc-dining.com.

FYI

* What: Brio Tuscany Grille

* Where: 2325 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar

* When: 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and

Saturday. Brio will open for lunch in mid-February

* How much: Moderately expensive

* Phone: (949) 673-8444