Bravo Cucina Italiana Celebrating Its 25th Anniversary In Style

The Brio Bravo Restaurant Group owns and operates more than 100 restaurants in 33 states, including Bravo Cucina Italiana, Brio Tuscan Grille, Bon Vie Bistro, and Brio Coastal Bar and Kitchen. The company can trace its origins to the first Bravo Cucina Italiana, which opened in Columbus, Ohio, 25 years ago, and to celebrate the anniversary Bravo has rolled out several new menu items and brought back one classic appetizer.

At all of Bravo's 49 locations throughout the country, guests will notice four new items on the menu: a pasta sampler trio (lasagna bolognese, cheese ravioli, and chicken or shrimp fra diavolo); mixed grill (chicken breast with lemon caper butter, mashed potatoes and haricots verts, and two beef medallions over a romano-crusted tomato with house-made hollandaise); cookies and cream confetti cake (vanilla confetti cake layered with cookie cream and topped with vanilla gelato); and an herb-marinated grilled portobello mushroom with garlic, spinach, diced tomatoes, and horseradish cream. If the portobello mushroom seems a bit anachronistic, that's because it is: It was the most popular appetizer on the original Bravo menu, from 1992.

"The grilled portobello mushroom was one of my original creations from our very first menu," founding chef Philip Yandolino said in a release. "I'm excited for it to make its grand return during this celebration — I'm sure guests will love it as much today as they did two decades ago."

Bravo has also partnered with No Kid Hungry as part of its Dine Out initiative; until September 5, diners will have the option to round up their bill to help feed children in need.