One of our favorite Italian restaurants, Bravo! Cucina Italiana, is celebrating its 25th birthday, and we were invited up to our closest Bravo! location, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to celebrate. 

Pin for later:

We started our dining experience from their birthday menu with a grilled Portobello mushroom, seasoned with garlic, and plated with spinach, tomatoes, and a creamy horseradish sauce. It was a nice vegetarian appetizer. Another appetizer that is always welcome here is the bread – parmesan herbed breadsticks, served with a small plate of seasoned olive oil. It’s hard to stop with those. 

Then came our entrées, which pleased everyone. Ed had the mixed grill, which included perfectly cooked beef medallions, marinated chicken breast, and grilled haricot verts (delectable!) – adapted for him with no cheese, since he’s allergic. 

Lillie and I each got the pasta sampler, which included three of the founder’s favorites (we know why – they are all luscious): lasagna Bolognese, cheese ravioli al forno, and chicken or shrimp fra diavolo. Now let me tell you, I am a zero-flames eater, and asked for my shrimp diavolo to be very lightly seasoned (thank you – it was still a bit spicy, so be forewarned if you're anything like me). 

The affable manager, Manny, also wanted us to try a couple other dishes to share with you, dear wandering educators. We absolutely loved the thick, juicy pork chop, grilled to flavorful perfection and served with delicious mashed potatoes and haricot verts (if we were forced to pick a favorite dish from the times we’ve dined here, it would be this). 

We also sampled the grilled salmon, which was paired with roasted peppers, grilled asparagus, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pesto vinaigrette, spinach, and a balsamic glaze (it usually comes with feta, as well, which would be a perfect match). 

Manny also suggested wine pairings for the entrées, including Sonoma County's Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, and Mendocino County's Parducci Small Lot Merlot, 2014. These particular wines greatly accentuated the flavors of the meal. 

We continued the 25th birthday celebration with cake, of course! The funfetti birthday cake was layered with a chocolate cookie cream and served with vanilla gelato. Lillie noted it was one of the best slices of cake we’ve had – I concur. My freshly made coffee was a welcome addition to dessert. 

What makes dining out a truly enjoyable experience is the service. Our wait staff, Catherine, was outstanding. She was attentive, funny, quite alert to food allergies, and warm. She treated us as friends, and made us welcome at this neighborhood bistro. 

I think that Bravo! should add Catherine’s Special Refreshing Water (aptly named by me) to the menu: ice water with blueberries, mint, and cucumber. It was lovely.

We’ll be back – see you there?

Details:
Birthday celebrations during Aug. 8–Sept. 5, 2017: Guests can enjoy in-restaurant scratch-offs, specially-priced promotions, and the option to round up their bill to the next desired increment to donate to Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry® campaign. The restaurant will also be offering a Facebook contest from Aug. 8 through Sept. 3 where everyone will be a winner of a variety of prizes. On Sundays through Thursdays, BRAVO will also offer $49 Family Bundles serving four to five. 

http://www.bravoitalian.com
https://twitter.com/bravo_italian
And follow along on social media, by searching #mybravo and #CelebrateBravo