Brio Ristorante

After a few days of detoxing with steamed vegetables and salads, we were ready to venture again into the world of restaurant dining. Chrissie has wanted to try Brio in Mt. Kisco for some time and we took last night's spring break ending double date to finally go.

The worst part of the evening was being seated next to a table with children. I normally would ask to be reseated, but I liked the location of our table and I felt confident the family would not last very long. They wound up staying a few minutes longer than I had judged and they were a little louder than I had predicted, but they were soon gone and everything else about dinner requires no complaining. Interestingly, another family with children was seated in the same table. The difference was these children were even better mannered than your friends representing A Man Has to Eat.

We decided to, in the fashion of Mediterranean dining, order a number of appetizers for the table. The dishes were somewhere in between the tapas Chrissie and I have experienced in Spain and Spanish restaurants and the American appetizer. In general, I was very pleased with the portion, presentation, and flavor of the appetizers. Chrissie and Brian both had a glass of the house chardonnay and they liked it very much. I had my traditional Tanqueray martini. The waiter immediately noticed a short pour and, with no prodding, rectified it by topping off my drink.

The table shared Turkish cigars (lamb and cheese pastry rolls), duck carpaccio, mussels, and a scallop ceviche. The cigars and the carpaccio both came with a nice size salad and the ceviche was served on a bed of very edible greens. I enjoyed the availability of vegetables that were acting as a component and not simply a garnish. The mussels were fresh, flavorful, and plentiful. The ceviche was made with beautiful bay scallops (or rounds cut from larger sea scallops- it was hard to tell because it was my first time having scallops prepared in this method) that radiated an almost incandescent glow. The duck carpaccio was universally enjoyed and the Turkish cigars, with their texture and flavor, bordered on the sublime. My only critique of the first round is that the cigar appetizer should have been just slightly larger to justify its cost.

They also have a meze table that offers what appear to be more traditional tapas. After going to Pour, I think Brio, expensive as it is, is a better choice for a wine and tapas happy hour. Pour just did not offer enough wine at a realistic price point for teachers beginning their weekend.

Now comes the time to start talking about price. There were plenty of wines under forty dollars that I would order from a well organized wine list. The appetizers and salads were within range of Westchester dining. The diners were where the prices started to reflect the new push to the forty dollar entree. The less expensive meat/fish plates averaged around thirty dollars. I fear this is a harbinger of a real increase in prices that has so far been afraid to cross certain thresholds. To put my fears in perspective, I remember going out on a date with Chrissie ten years ago and paying $120 for a cocktail, two bottles of wine, appetizers, dinner, coffee, an after dinner drink and a split dessert. Ten years have passed, gas is almost four dollars a gallon, and cucumbers cost almost as much as asparagus. I need to realize that times have changed. I sound like my grandmother who complains that a loaf of bread no longer costs a dime. Digression over- the main courses were great.

We ordered an inexpensive bottle of pinot noir to pair with everyone's main courses and it was a hit.

On the second day of a their revised menu (thank god winter is over according to the restaurant menu calendar), the kitchen put out a fine showing. Chrissie ordered the lamb, Brian had the scallops, Cara had the special of the day, a spicy couscous with assorted meat, and I had the branzino.

Brian's dish had more than a half dozen nicely seared scallops served over an opulent lobster risotto. Cara's couscous consisted of lamb, chicken, and merguez sausage. Chrissie's lamb was very nicely cooked and flavorful. My branzino was delicious, but could have been a larger portion. I'm used to ordering branzino as a whole fish and I wished I'd had more to enjoy. To make up for a short portion, the fish had a wonderful crispy skin.

We skipped coffee and dessert to hit Ben and Jerry's on the drive home so I can't comment on the concluding portion of their menu.

High points-

• The service is very good (especially considering how young the waitstaff appeared)
• There is a nice variety in style, region, and cost on the wine list
• The menu is both eclectic and focussed
• We were allowed to leisurely order and eat in a full restaurant
• The flavors are intense and/or interesting
  

Low points-

• Pricey. Be prepared to pay over thirty for any entree.
• Although this only applies to my dish, I thought the ratio of meat to grain was off. Everyone else at our table had a very generous serving of protein to go with an equally generous serving of grain. Chrissie actually took home enough to have a filling lunch.
  

Will we go back? We certainly will go back. Especially as a place to take other people, Brio has an impressive menu that does not seem too large for the kitchen to deal with. Only the price of main courses keeps Brio from becoming a rotational regular for just Chrissie and me. I suppose the time looms that we will be used to seeing these prices on dishes that are not specials, but until then, I will continue to find thirty dollars a price point that causes a slight cringe in the wallet.

That said, I would be very happy to try Brio for drinks and meze dining.

Update (6/7/2008) - I received an email from Daniel Rubino, the executive chef at Brio, explaining that his newest menu has added a few more economical dishes and lowered the prices of some of the existing dishes. His stated philosophy is to encourage more repeat dining by keeping his price points competitive. We at A Man Has to Eat applaud decisions that benefit diners. Feel free to comment below if you've eaten off the updated menu at Brio.

Brio Spring 2008 Menu

Brio is located at:
353 North Bedford Road
Mount Kisco, New York 10549