Bravo Cucina Italiana

Location: 9436 Waterfront Dr, West Chester, OH 45069

Date Visited: Thursday, February 7, 2008


Bravo's has been a favorite of ours in the past years. We always felt we received great service and good quality food enjoyed in a clean, modern atmosphere. This visit, however, failed to measure up to our past experiences.

After an afternoon at the Streets of West Chester (primping at Aveda's spa/salon for me and an afternoon of reading & research at Barnes & Noble for my husband), we decided a late lunch at Bravo Cucina Italiana sounded perfect. We were starved, and it was late for lunch -- almost 3pm, which would likely explain why the restaurant was so sparsely filled.

Given the light crowd our server, Linda, was attentive and had the complementary bread basket & oil at our table quickly along with our drinks (water with lemon). The bread was our first disappointment -- stale & cold. It was obvious the cut bread from the lunch crowd had not been replaced with warm, fresh bread. The Focaccia, which is usually a fairly soft bread, was so hard I knocked the piece on the table, and it made a hard wood-on-wood knock. I mentioned this to our server, and she quickly replaced the wooden bread with warm, fresh bread.

As our lunch entrees we opted for the lunch specials of Mezza Lasagna and Mezza Ravioli with an Insalata Della Casa and the Insalata Mista salads. Our salads were good, but as usual for Bravo, they were far too cold. I strongly believe a salad should be served slightly chilled -- not frigid from the fridge. The flavor and freshness, however, were great, and the salads paired wonderfully with the fresh bread.

My husband's entree, the Mezza Lasagna, was quite good. He said it was a flavorful lasagna, more flavorful than most, and was not a heavy, starchy dish (like many lasagnas can be). My entree, the Mezza Ravioli, was a bit of a disappointment. The sauce was bland, with almost a "tin can" taste. The pasta was average in texture & flavor. I ended up eating only half the small portion, and took home the remainder only to have it sit in my fridge and end up in the garbage 3 days later. Clearly, I wasn't impressed with the dish.

We ended our meal with a shared portion of Tiramisu, a favorite of ours. Bravo's version was not what I remembered it to be; It was good, but not great. Like the salads, the dessert was served far too cold. It was creamy and had a great texture, but the flavor was not remarkable. Tiramisu, if made well, has a rich, full flavor; an intense dairy taste with a lingering coffee essence. This Tiramisu was a bit bland, almost watery. I was disappointed.

We will likely return to Bravo, because we are simply hoping our unfortunate experience was a one-time occurrence. After all, with the intricacies involved in the restaurant business, even the most seasoned, fabulous eatery can have a bad day.

Bravo has many things going for it: The atmosphere is modern bistro with an old world feel -- the chiseled columns and open kitchen with wood-burning ovens add to the special feel; The staff is always knowledgeable and helpful; The wine list is ample; The restaurant is always clean, which is always a big plus. The food, though, is the main reason anyone visits a restaurant, and today Bravo has a strike against them in our book. So, they will hopefully get it right next time.

~~ Lori


Ratings:
Overall: 7.5 (scale of 0-10 with 5 as average)
Today: 3
Portion size: Entree -- small (lunch portion), Salads -- average, Dessert -- large
Atmosphere: Upscale
Family-friendly: Yes
Prices: Moderate
Cleanliness: Good
Good place for a 1st date?: Definitely
Similar Places: Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden