Brio Tuscan Grille is putting as much flavor as possible into as few calories as possible.
The Italian eatery is focusing its Restaurant Week menu around its “Lighter Side of Tuscany” options.
These menu items give customers the opportunity to taste a variety of flavor-filled dishes without consuming too many calories. All the Lighter Side of Tuscany dishes have no more than 550 calories.
“The big thing with our lighter dishes was we wanted a reduced calorie option but still give enough food that you’re full afterward,” said Sean Melton, Brio’s executive chef. “We tried to get a little bit of everything.”
Brio’s lighter side dishes include appetizers and entrees.
One of the Restaurant Week salads is a Caprese Classico, which includes sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and basil greens with a balsamic glaze.
Melton said the tomatoes come from a local grower, who sells the fruit directly to the restaurant.
Melton said the salad is the perfect option for the hot summer months because of its light texture and flavor.
The same can be said for the restaurant’s Grilled Salmon Fresca, one of the restaurant’s entrees. The dish consists of a grilled salmon sitting on a bed of spinach. The dish is served with grilled asparagus, sweet potatoes, roasted peppers, diced tomatoes and a pesto vinaigrette and balsamic glaze — made inhouse.
“It’s still a light dish, but it has solid flavor,” Melton said.
Brio’s Pasto Pesto also offers a lot of flavor. The dish includes angel hair pasta with grilled chicken, caramelized onions, basil tomatoes, roistered peppers, feta and spinach. The dish is tossed in a bowl over vegetable stock.
Brio’s light menu also offers a chicken dish, tilapia and a filet. Melton hopes customers will give one of the light dishes a try during Restaurant Week.
“It gives people a good selection of our dishes,” he said.
Brio’s Tuscan Grille is located at the Garden State Park shopping center on Haddonfield Road.
