BRAVO! Cucina Italiana

An upscale and family-friendly Italian hotspot, Bravo boasts service both prompt enough to get you in and out during a tight lunch break window as well as relaxing enough to visit for a gourmet weekend voyage.

If it’s my first time, what should I order? With handmade pasta prepared every day, you’ll want to do yourself a favor —and a favor to those around you with wandering forks—by ordering a pasta dish. Those with classic tastebuds should go for Linguini Carbonara, while those looking to quench a saltwater craving should spring for the Spicy Scallop Marinara—bay scallops, caramelized onions, fresh basil, spinach, and artichokes with pesto breadcrumbs over fresh capellini.

What’s there that I can’t get anywhere else?  Lobster Bisque may not be revolutionary, but when it’s done right, it’s incredible—and here, it’s heavenly. This rich soup is made fresh daily, so it’s thick, it’s impossibly smooth, and it’s easy to see why people flock in during their lunch breaks to snag a cup.

What does the chef eat? Executive Chef Erin Panzek admits she probably shouldn’t indulge in her favorite lunch dish on the daily, but she would if she could—the Pulled Pork Sandwich. It’s a crusty ciabatta roll piled high with braised and pulled pork, thinly shaved Brussels sprout slaw, and a maple mustard aioli.

Did someone say brunch? Carb up after some weekend power-shopping with the Ham and Biscuit Benedict—it’s just like the original, but with fresh housemade biscuits instead of English muffins and thick slices of Cherrywood smoked ham instead of Canadian bacon.