Brio Italian Grille - Newport
With 34 locations across the country, including this outpost in Newport, Kentucky, Brio Italian Grille is a Tuscan-inspired restaurant specializing in made-to-order pastas, wood-fired flatbreads, steaks and chops, and fresh seafood entrees.
The restaurant exudes a cheery atmosphere, complete with light hardwood accents and white tablecloths. Bringing that together is a chef-driven menu and various dishes made in an authentic Italian wood-burning oven.
Popular starters at Brio Italian Grille include a shrimp and eggplant appetizer, which consists of pan-seared shrimp and crispy eggplant in black pepper cream sauce; spinach and artichoke dip; and lobster ravioli. There are also three flatbreads, ideal for sharing, ranging from classic Margherita to another made with sausage, pepperoni and ricotta.
One great feature at Brio Italian Grille is the menu section highlighting "guests' favorite" dishes. The signature pasta Brio (rigatoni, grilled chicken, mushrooms, spinach, red peppers and roasted red pepper cream sauce), chicken Milanese (crispy Romano chicken, fresh mozzarella, herb pasta, house marinara), and grilled salmon fresca (with asparagus, sweet potatoes, spinach, red peppers, pesto vinaigrette, feta, tomatoes, balsamic glaze) are a few choice selections.
For steak lovers, there are lamb chops, a center cut filet mignon, and New York strip.