So today, I went to Brio Tuscan Grille in Somerset Collection with Linna. I was on the escalator while I was taking this picture. This is the inner enterance on the South section of the mall. You have to proceed all the way in to meet the other end, the outer enterence, in order to be seated. I was a little confused at first but the servers passing by kindly explained. 
I thought the interior was cute. The color scheme was pretty nice, the frames interesting, and the stripy chairs. I wonder how it would look when it is darker.
The bread was warm, almost hot when first served. Again, I liked it because it was not heavily salted nor spiced. I like basic bread with nice texture, so it would go well with soup. In that sense, this bread was very nice, and so was the butter.
Originally aiming for an appetizer, I ended up ordering Lobster Bisque($5.95). Unlike the one I had at Capital Grill before, it did not have a chunk of lobster but latter bits of shrimp, which really didn't matter for a non-lobster lover like me. With the slight fishness of a lobster, this creamy soup was pretty nice. I only wish they would serve this also in a cup size rather than this bowl size. Taking SAT subject test this morning, waking up 5 in the morning to study, I skipped breakfast. Therefore I was hungry enough to devour this and then have the main dish, but I would prefer the smaller one. Eating too much of it decreases the satisfaction.
Linna ordered Petite Chicken "Under the Brick"($10.95), petite being the lunch portion(they also have the regular for $13.95). It came with mushroom marsala sauce, roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes. Geez, my opinion towards chicken breast is changing from yuckyhardtochewnoflavor to softgrillyblendswithsaucewell. Though overall the dish was nice, I did not find the sauce very impressive, and I would surely like more mushrooms. And the sauce was pretty good, just not spectacular. To my taste, the Chicken Tosca with lemon wine sauce I had at Salvatore Scallopini was better, but it evens out because I like the roasted vegetables......
I ordered Tournedo Di Manzo($13.95), a 4 oz. filet with romano crusted tomato and mashed potatoes. I guess the dinner portion has two, making it 8 oz. I ordered it medium rare and it came just the way I wanted. I liked the Hollandaise sauce as well, which I never tried with steak before. It was a little bit salty for my taste, but I could stand it because the meat was very good. The romano crusted tomato, which is under the filet, was something I wasn't even aware about when I was ordering, but gave me some pleasure as well. The only thing I did not understand was why they would give such a huge portion of mashed potatoes... which I could barely finish half. Anyway, I was happy with what I ordered.
So? The bill was $31.40 + Tip for two. This was the last-weekend-in-dorm meal for this year with my roommate. I would definitely visit this place again, next time probably pasta or Pollo Nicola. And some appetizers! They have some dinner only menus I would love to try, so maybe dinner once I get the chance. I really like their menu. Lots of interesting stuff to try. It was a satisfactory lunch, not just because of the meal but also pleasant service. Ah, the only problem is that I am a student and I do not always have money to spend here! Maybe with the money I do not spend on coffee anymore, perhaps? Anyway, my yesterdays' and today's meals are possible due to my end-of-the-year savings(?), which is quickly running out!
