Elite Tasting: BRIO Tuscan Grille

Another fabulous Elite event hosted by Katie B., and in my own hood? I was all about it, and the staff at Brio did not disappoint.
The buffet was beautifully crafted, and the free flowing Sangria was the perfect balance to compliment the array of delicious food. My favorites were definitely the lightly fried raviolis and the Crab and Shrimp Fonduta, which were served with richly seasoned Parmesan Crisps. Everything I tried, I adored, and then devoured!
The restaurant was gracious enough to gift each of us with a $ 10 gift card to use upon return, like I needed another reason to come back!
Thank you for a real treat Brio and Unilocal

On the way out here was a pleasant adventure but one of the coldest nights in my opinion in a long while. So getting a parking spot close enough was essential. Getting here a little late landed us a seat out in the patio. The wait staff was amazing to make sure there is a heat lamp close to our table when there is one closer that was not lit. It didn’t have a propane tank, no wonder I couldn’t light it.
Checking in with Katie, she pointed us to the drinks and food table. Great wine sangria from the bar. The food was great, thin crust pizza, pizza chips, mini caprese bites, fried raviolis (that’s a great idea) and to top it all off, a gift card to come back to try an entrée of my choice. Without repeating what everyone else may have already said, ok, I am going to say what everyone else just said, great event, great choice, great job Katie and superb job for the wait staff and kitchen for a wonderful time and taste.
Now off to the BIG Bass Pro Shop to see Santa, watch out little girl, I’m next.

love love love.
When you’re out in Rancho, Victoria Gardens is definitely your best bet in terms of shopping and dining. What a perfect place to have a date :)
Everything in Brio was delicious! The servers were so sweet and appetizer and drinks kept flowing. My favorite was the shrimp cocktail and the flat bread with the seafood dip. The list of appetizers is quite extensive and I would imagine the main menu to be as well.
In terms of décor, it has a nice bar area for people to grab a drink while waiting to be seated and the seating area looks very nice as well.
I believe this is a new location so it will probably only get better from here!
Thank you Katie!

Great event as usual… I’m loving his Brio place since it’s near my beloved Ontario. After the first event I’ve gone back and tasted more items off the menu. So, this was a holiday treat to go sample their white sangria and try some new appetizers. The staff was top notch again and the sangrias were oh so good.
Katie B made my Sunday night… thank you!

It’s always a great pleasure seeing Miss Katie B.
I was one of the earlier birds at the event. And when I arrived, nothing was set up yet! Which is fine.
The setting was casual yet intimate the way the venue seem. I really enjoyed the ambiance. And as Elites we had a lot of reserved tables.
The tastings included: baked ravioli, flat bread with dipping, shrimp and sangria (that’s all I got) and were vegetarian options. My favorite was probably the ravioli because it was spinach and cheese, but perfectly breaded and toasted to taste! The sangria was very sweet, had a raspberry inside, but either there was not enough alcohol or I had a very high tolerance.
Overall, it was more of a relaxed event than anything and of course, who could not forget the awesome goodies: Unilocal Life cut-​off gloves, chapstick and shot glasses. Yes, best things evar!
Staff was super kind and sweet. Very attentive to clean out any dirty places or replenishing beverages. 5-​Stars for that!
Thanks again, Katie B! (:

Another fun Elite event in the IE hosted by Katie B. When I arrived I expected little bites, but I swear the servers came out with all possible appetizers on their menu that actually made us quite full. We tried fried ravioli, shrimp cocktail, shrimp bruschetta, steak bruschetta, prosciutto bruschetta, carpaccio skewers, and some kind of shrimp dip. Everything was tasty. My favorite was the fried ravioli with marinara sauce. The shrimp dip was delicious! I highly recommend that. I think that it may also have some scallops, but I’m not completely certain. The bruschettas were yum. The steak bruschetta comes with a little bit of arugula and bleu cheese. I thought that was a creative and cute small bite. The sangrias really were free flowing! I couldn’t drink them, but they surely did smell delicious!
Service was exceptional. All servers were attentive, quick, and really nice. I may not have enjoyed their pastas when I came in for their tasting prior to opening, but I’d come back for their happy hours!

What better place to attend my first Elite event than in my own hood! My wife and I entered the BRIO Tuscan Grille and were both amazed at how they’d transformed the former Borders bookstore into this beautiful restaurant. We loved the bar area, which was reserved for our fellow Unilocalers. We were enthusiastically greeted by the awesome Katie B., put on our badges, and were handed glasses of white sangria before we even sat down.
Since we were a bit late, the place was busy and we had to find seats outside. The heat lamp nearby decided to fail and it was a bit chilly, but we survived. After befriending Melissa G. and her fiancé, we chatted and noshed. They went inside for another round of goodies and informed us that some tables had opened up, so we continued the festivities inside to escape the cold.
My favorite nibbles of the night were the flatbread pizzas (margherita was good and the sausage and pepperoni was excellent), the crab and shrimp fonduta (delicious and my wife’s favorite), and the calamari (light and crispy, with an interesting combination of pepperoncini).
The service was excellent during the event and each staff member was enthusiastic and helpful. We chatted with a few of the servers and learned that the pork chops and the lobster bisque were highly recommended.
I’ll end this review with kudos to Katie B. for hosting this terrific Elite event. I’m really looking forward to my next Elite experience. Also, a shout-​out to Terin C. for posting the Unilocal 100 Challenge. This is my 100^th review this year and I couldn’t have asked for a better event to review. I’m ready to write another 100!

GREAT Elite event, no surprise! Kudos to Katie B and the staff at Brio for hosting us!
Mama S and I came to this event to check out this new Brio location in Rancho. I’ve been a HUGE and loyal fan of the Brio location in Town Square in Las Vegas for many years, and I’m so excited that I now no longer have to drive 4 hours to eat at this fine establishment!
The food was handing down AMAZING! Each dish was diligently crafted, well presented, and absolutely delicious. For my Unilocal friends who were unable to make it to this event, feel free to drool over the photos I took. Don’t hate! The staff provided outstanding service, it was organized, quick, and very precise. As soon as a platter was finished, it was immediately replaced with another platter of fresh food. The execution was precise and almost military-​like. Kudos to the restaurant manager and staff!
So happy to be a part of this event! Katie B’s events are always impressive!

Wow, what a beautiful restaurant… I have to say this was an extraordinary event which reflected Unilocal perfectly. First lets talk about the restaurant… it’s spacious with tall ceilings as well as a bar which they adorably put a Christmas tree in the center of. The bar will take you outside where they have ample seating and heat lamps. The place has a distinctly Italian feel to it. very subtle and classy. I’d say this is a great date place.
The service here is impeccable. the servers were quick to clear plates and to anticipate our needs. Everything here tasted amazing especially the Ravioli Caprese. Their sangria is also delicious. There’s actually not a thing on the menu that I wouldn’t recommend. Lines for food moved fast and it never felt too crowded.
This place is a true gem and a welcome addition to Victoria Gardens. Thanks Katie B for another great event!

Attended this event last night… so happy it was in our local neighborhood. We enjoyed the shrimp & crab fondue it was the BOMB and so was the White Sangria. The presentation was plentiful and eye catching.
Thomas Jefferson and I also ordered the Lobster Bisque which was OUTSTANDING by the way on our own. We will return for that for sure!
Décor was reminiscent of Cheesecake Factory although with lovely hardwood floors, swag material throughout the dining room area and open kitchen concept. Located where Borders once stood I would say I am looking forward to perhaps trying out there $ 5.00 Martini night.
Respectfully Reviewed

As always, another great Unilocal Elite event! Thank you Katie B!
Rancho Cucamonga is right on my way home from work, and I’m so glad I decided to come to this event. Hanging out with fellow Unilocalers is a great post-​work treat, and I’m so thankful for this elite tasting at Brio Tuscan Grille. I even brought a friend who is an aspiring Unilocaler, hoping this event would inspire her to strive towards Unilocal eliteness, and I think it definitely did! Yay!
The staff at BRIO Tuscan Grille were truly impressive. They were so friendly and so polite, just walking around with endless platters of flat bread and sangria. They alternated bringing around different items, and shuffled the appetizers that were available at the front table as well. Sangria flowed like milk and honey out of the promise-​land. At the end of the night, I had to actually politely decline food and alcohol because I was stuffed. Say whhhattt???
Awesome event. Great food. Great people. Proud to be a Unilocaler.

The food was apparently so amazing that you had to be there right when it came out because we demolished it!!! So simply amazing is the only way I know how to describe it.
The service was spectacular as well, even knowing it was a Unilocal event, all the waiters/​waitresses and servers were just so friendly and always checking to see how everything is and if you needed anything.
Also wanted to give a shout out to my awesome community manager who so graciously gave her table for me and my plus to sit. Thanks again Katie!
I definitely wish there was one closer to LA area, I would definitely be coming around again!

I’m Asian and it’s free… why has it been over two years since my last elite event?!?
As always arrive early for dibs on the good food and parking… and the oh so sweet Unilocal swag. (Not trying to be sarcastic, its freeeeee so I cant complain) Parking wasnt that bad and the restaurant even had their waitstaff carrying appetizer trays around to serve the guests.
Sadly I arrived late… so no sweet swag. I guess there goes my awesome Unilocal fingerless mittens. Insert frown face.

What an awesome Unilocal elite tasting event! There is plenty of parking so that shouldn’t be an issue. Now to the good stuff, the food and service of BRIO Tuscan Grille!
We came about 15 mins before so we got dibs on good seating right by the bar and where food was coming out! We also got a chance to get some cool Unilocal gloves and shot glasses! Our bartender served us some glasses of their signature sangria, and it was so goood, I couldn’t stop drinking. First came the crab, shrimp cocktail, and pita with artichoke dip! I really love the crab! Another awesome thing was that we had waiters walking around our area distributing all the good food! I really liked the calamari and flatbreads also! Everything I ate was sooo good, I’m definitely going to come back and use my $ 10 off gift card that I got during the Unilocal event! Thank you Katie B. for organizing it and allowing my girlfriend and I to enjoy such a delicious meal at BRIO and wonderful sangrias!

Beautiful restaurant, top-​notch service, good food and sangria calls for a FABULOUS night out in Rancho Cucamonga =) Although it was quite a drive out here, it was all worth it in the end to try out a new restaurant.
Samples of various bruschetta (roasted red pepper, sliced steak, prosciutto & asparagus), flatbread (margherita, sausage/​pepperoni/​ricotta), parmesan crisps with spinach & artichoke dip and crab & shrimp fonduta, calamari, fried ravioli — who doesn’t love anything fried. come on!!!, huge shrimps with cocktail sauce, tomato & mozzarella caprese, and the best for last, all you can drink sangria going around the entire night.
My top 3 picks for the night:
tomato & mozzarella caprese — balsamic glaze and portioning was right on point
crab & shrimp fonduta — cheese wasn’t overpowering and fresh chunks of crab!
white sangria with rasberry — i’m usually not crazy about sangria, but it was light and refreshing, also went along well with our food.
Service was outstanding! Servers came around offering many different types of food and would ask if we wanted a second piece or if we were doing okay. The outside patio is a cute place to hangout and catch up with a friend like I did yesterday! Great event. Thank you Katie B!

Elite Tasting? More like full on Elite gluttony!!! WOW! I have been a long time fan of BRIO, having visited the Las Vegas (Town Square) Location many, many times. SO happy to have a BRIO much closer to home!
The evening began with giant platters of jumbo shrimp, fried ravioli, spinach & artichoke dip, bottomless white sangria, and went on from there. Passed trays of flatbread, bruschetta, chicken artichoke triangles, and caprese skewers… and did I mention bottomless sangria. The food was plentiful. The servers were awesome! It was a really fantastic evening.
As always, it was great to see the most awesome CM Katie B! Nice to hang with Jim and Audrey W! Thanks Unilocal and Brio for the fabulous event!

Great Unilocal event. We got here pretty early, a little past 5 and there were already a lot of Unilocalers there. We had the side of the restaurant as well as the outside. There were heat lamps, thank goodness because there weren’t any indoor seating left. There was a good sampler selection that included shrimp cocktail and flat bread pizza.
Per the confirmation email, it is advised that we get there early to ensure that we would have a better sample selection. We did just that and we sure were able to try everything. Friendly waiters and waitresses were carrying food around and sangria was free flowing. All this made for a very pleasant event.

Once again @YelpLA and self-​professed «rough kidder» Katie B put on a great event! The folks @BrioItalian would not stop with the food and sangria. Seriously. I actually had to pay several waiters to stop leaving sangria and bringing food around.
From various flatbread pizzas to dips and several kinds of bruschetta the offerings were very generous and went well beyond a tasting.
I’ve been to a couple events at Brio and they always satisfy with service, quality and quantity of food.

Came here with my husband (my plus 1) for this awesome Elite event. I have to say that this is probably one of the better Elite events I went to this year (that involved food) because some of the other ones I went to this year that involved food involved long line waiting and lack of food or spare food for me and my plus one (my husband has always been my plus one).
Anyways, we got to the event right around 5 pm and had our share of some delicious food that included large cocktail shrimp, different types of bruschetta, chicken and artichoke salad served on top of cheese crackers, cheese crackers with 2 types of dip (spinach & cheese and I believe the 2^nd one was a crab dip), caprese salad on toothpicks, flatbread pizza, fried ravoli & of course unlimited white sangria. We were lucky to get 2 seats inside at the bar (event was pretty much at the bar and outside with the heat lamps).
Servers were very attentive and friendly. We always had someone checking in on us and always smiling and in a happy mood. Used dishes were taken away, water glasses refilled regularly (even without having to ask) and new sangria glasses poured. Basically top notch service.
Overall, an excellent event and glad to have gone to one of the last elite events of the year. Thank you Katie B. for organizing this event and all the fantastic ones you have done for this entire year! Also big thank you to Brio for the amazing food and allowing for Unilocal to come an invade your bar area.

Don’t forget where you came from. Stay hood. Lol… spoken to me by shawn j. :)
Good times hanging out with Angela m (j) and her husband. And every time Katie B. came to check on us we would be seated somewhere else. We kept moving in search of the best patio chairs and heat lamp placement lol.
Can’t complain. I got in super last minute for this event. Unlimited white sangria. A buffet with ravioli filled with cheese and beef. Two type of dips (seafood and spinach). Caprese. The trays were never empty. Also wait staff with trays of flatbread pizza was circulated.
Wait staff was awesome. Kept asking if we wanted food or more drinks (why yes!).
Overall solid event.