Brioso Fresh Pasta, August 17, 2011
I decided to write this mini review after experiencing a most enjoyable dinner experience in an even more unlikely place -- a college town. I am no professional restaurant critic, but rather, a professional who rather enjoys being critical. Tonight I have something nice to say.
In an environment where "Italian" is usually insultingly synonymous with pizza, or oversized plates of cheap spaghetti, and way too much salad, it was quite remarkable to come across Brioso Fresh Pasta on College Ave. in Clemson, SC
Before entering the very welcoming combination of size and bright decor created by the owners, I had never encountered Brioso either in person or electronically. The Brioso website I visited after dinner was surprisingly accurate. It promites a "dining experience" called "Brioso Fresh.” As promised, my meal tasted as advertised, boasting "best and freshest ingredients," prepared "individually" to "preserv[e] the freshness, color, and flavors that define" Brioso's dishes. Having sampled the best Italian in this country [in Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago], as well as in Europe, it was unlikely that I would "feel as if we were in the Italian countryside." Nonetheless, Brioso delivered on all other counts, including the promise of "authentic Italian fare at very affordable prices."
Quite impressive was the style of service and presentation, which Brioso describes as a "new level of service and taste" called “a 'Fresh Casual' experience." The result is something much more interesting to the pallette and less intrusive on the waistline than anything one might find at an Olive Garden or Macaroni Grille. Brioso does not purport to imitate the precocious, ornate “festa Italiane” one might find in the cities, and I was happy for that. I am sure the Senna family in Philadelphia would not let me into La Famiglia in Philadelphia dressed in shorts and sporting a visor stamped with a Tiger Paw. It was wonderfully comfortable to enjoy a credible experience in Italian cuisine without encountering professional waiters in tuxedos or amateur waiters in bad tuxedo knock-offs.
Everyone at Brioso was friendly and attentive to detail. I enjoyed just enough of everything, from the size of the beverages to the bread basket. The olive oil served with the bread had a unique tang which was surprising. My pasta was ravioli stuffed with spinach, which was prepared appropriately, a little al dente. The sauce Siciliana was delightful, with small cuts of eggplant and ricotta which balanced nicely against the very light marinara gravy. What was greatest? An unfair question. Brioso offered good food at a good price, lovingly created by good people. I did not expect a culinary experience I would not soon forget, coupled with a delightful hostess, co-owner Karan Stratford.
The first line of the Clemson Alma Mater speaks, "Where the Blue Ridge yawns its greatness. . . . " Delightfully, Brioso is true to that tradition tucked in an unassuming place in the bosom of the Piedmont.
As I departed, I told my hostess that she should erect a sign, stating "too good for a college town." She just smiled. I hope all who visit my alma mater will give this very deserving restaurant a try.
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