What can you say about a mini-chain restaurant with an Italian interior from World Market?
Come to find out: Quite a lot. Â For year we've gone to Bravo when we've wanted to squeeze in a very quick dinner before the movies@ Davis Street. The service is quick and efficient, the food was okay Â
But the last two times (throughout the last 6 months) I've been surprised and really happy at the quality. Â The roma flatbread was delicious - just the right of sauce and cheese. The Italian wedding soup - deeply flavorful with rich dumplings. Last night three of us split a salad with very fresh mozzarella and crisp pancetta, and two delicious offerings of pastra: braised short rib-filled tortellini in a brown butter sauce and sausage-filled tortellini in full-bodied tomato / basil. Â
I'll add more stars if Bravo keeps making "pre-movie" dinner so good.
I really like Bravo! Â It really has some of the best weekday specials offering small bites for only $2.95 (that are actually large!) and $5 drink specials from 3pm to 7pm! Â What is not to love about that?
Their menu is huge with a ton of options.  Since I like to dine healthy I was really excited for all the options that were health conscious!  They even have a full gluten free menu that has made some of my friends very  happy!  My boyfriend loves both their pasta and pizza too!  They have really nice portion sizes as well!
It's nice to have a large restaurant in Evanston so even on a Friday/Saturday night their wait doesn't seem to get above 30 mins or so. Â
Our servers all the times we have been were great! Â My only complaint is both times we had to wait a really long time for our food. Â This most recent time the manager even noticed and apologized which was a nice gesture. Â One other minor complaint - I feel bad picking but its one of the reasons they didn't get a full 5 stars. Â I have always loved the chopped salad from Bravo (And Brio - their sister restaurant that has a very similar menu, including the chopped salad!). Â But this most recent time it was full of white-ish yellow-ish icky iceberg. Â They didn't even chop it extra to try and hide how bad the lettuce was. Â I just think when serving so many great salad options, they should pay attention to the huge part of it - the lettuce! Â I'm pretty much turned off of my fave salad at this point. Â
Bravo - I'll be back time and time again! Â You are a great option in Evanston!
My true rating is 3.5 but of course that's not possible. We came here for a quick bite before a movie. Service was good and the food was okay. We shared the chicken Parmesan, 2 salads, and 2 ice teas it was around $30. The chicken parm was satisfying, the pasta was good. The head chef was looking at every plate before they went to customers. All in all it was a good experience. Ill be back.
Review Source:I had chicken parmesean with a salad. both were tasty. the service was fine, and the bread before the meal was great. i don't have any complaints but i wasn't wowed. something i noticed that i liked was that a chef was inspecting the food before going to the table and giving pointers. nice.
Review Source:I can't say I've tried the food, but the dessert are great! I've had the apple carmel thing and the Creme brulee and the espresso. All very good and reasonably priced. Â Two dessert and three shots of espresso for under $20. Â Location is a plus. I'm not sure I'd try the food here because there aren't many vegetarian options, but for a dessert I'd go there any time!
Review Source:Pros: Gluten Free Menu (thanks!!), good food, nice atmosphere
Cons: Â Semi-slow service at the bar
The service wasn't awful, but I definately felt like it was slow. Â I also asked for a dirty gin martini, and it was NOT dirty. Hahahaha, not a huge deal, but I was a little disappointed, as I was sitting at the bar and it wasn't even that busy.
This is a pretty good place. Â I wouldn't go out of my way to go back, but I wouldn't avoid it either. If you were to go, I'd recommend going during happy hour so you can get the cheap bar bites. Â Then it's worth it.
Great Italian restaurant RIGHT NEXT to the movie theatre! The food is good- a little pricey for college students but you have to splurge once in a while!
First off, the bread was great! It was infused with rosemary I believe which made it fragrant and delicious.
I had the pasta arribiata with chicken (spicy). As a big fan of spicy food, I am usually disappointed with Italian places that will say "spicy" but it never turns out to actually be spicy. However our waiter made sure that my meal was actually spicy and it was delicious.
The best part of it was the dessert! We had the sampler dessert platter. They also allowed us to substitute one of the samples. "Crack cake" as they call it was absolutely delicious, as was the tiramisu and chocolate torte.
Overall, very good place with excellent service.
Would do no stars if I could.
Hands down the worst meal we've had this year in a restaurant.
Unfriendly place, vile server with a HUGE attitude (she seemed liked she actually hated us) , miserable, boring food, salad that came right out of the fridge, etc. Â The outside lights were so bright (what are they afraid of?) it was like sitting on the runway at O'Hare.
The servers constantly gathered together in little cliques leaving the few, sad diners to fend for themselves, occasionally casting nasty glares in our direction.
LOL - even with the huge place almost totally empty the unfriendly hostess tried to pawn off the worst table in the joint to us.
Yikes!
I'm giving them, three stars, and that's only because the server was good and the French Martini I ask the bar to make was spot on. First off, the bread you get to munch on was just okay, tasted like it was taken out of the freezer and baked, not fresh. I ordered the Chicken Milanese but since I'm not a fan of red sauce I asked to have the sauce switched to the creamy pesto that's advertised on another dish. The chicken from the outside look tasty and golden but I found the inside a little too pink for my taste, I didn't eat it. The creamy pesto sauce I swear tasted just like the Knorr brand packet that I make at home. Like I said, the waiter was nice, he agreed with me that the chicken was still pink and comped it though he did say the sauce was homemade (not buying that one).
Review Source:What can I say? No need to embellish. Everything here prepared and served with great detail and exceptionally good. Parking can be a hassle and should be available for handicapped in front as I had lunch with my 89 yo cousin and had to drop her off and park  1.5 blocks away in rain. But the food and service are exceptional.
Review Source:As a college student, servers in restaurants generally treat us like we're terrible human beings. Â At Bravo! (and yes, the exclamation point is obligatory) I was treated to amazing service. Â The servers were attentive but not too overbearing, and they didn't auto-grat because they recognized that the majority of 19-year-olds at educational institutions know how to add tip to a bill. Â
The food is delicious. Â You can get traditional, heavy Italian food or more inventive dishes. Â Ask for more of the bread because though it may not look like much, it's very tasty. Â The desserts are good, too. Â Overall, Bravo! is a consistent, yummy restaurant. Â
The student discount is fantastic, too.
This place is close to work, so it's convenient...on the plus side - I like the idea of the 3 daily specials (definitely reasonable)....the food is tasty in general, although a bit overpriced. Â I go here in waves, depending upon my experience(s).
On the negative side, I've been coming here off and on for a while & the service is hit-or-miss....I don't need a server to be my best pal, but I'd settle for friendly...to be fair, some of the staff are very good & extremely nice/friendly, but a couple of the folks act as if you just killed their pet...it ruins the dining experience...unfortunately the hostess seems to consistently have a lot more attitude than friendly going on too....not a deal breaker, but when the food doesn't necessarily outclass many of the other local spots, the other characteristics go a long way on earning my repeat business.
i can't believe i never came here for dinner as an undergrad. to be honest, i expected this place to SUCK. why? because... it's evanston. and evanston has had a SLEW of failed restaurants unless you're joy yees where college students will pay the least amount of money for the most amount of food. but a good, pretty, nice restaurant? ehhh not so much.
so we went. my aunt, my baby cousins, my friend, brother and myself. we had bread promptly come out. my baby cousins were given some pizza dough and we allllll were SOOOO confused. BUT our waiter explained that the kids can take the dough and make a shape and then they bake it for you! it was SUCH a good idea and they loved it. seriously. genius.
the kids ordered from the kids menu which was PLENTY. she had the noodles and he had the cheese pizza that was HUGE. we all loved out dishes. i had the special chicken dish which was a little sweet, but my fault there. my brother and my friend shared a huge chopped salad and the pork chops. they both ate every bite.
we also had calamari in the beginning and it was nicely cooked with not too much breading and really good sauces to go along with it. it was really good :)
yes. i would come back. and feel good about it :) and our waiter was fantastic :)
Northwestern graduation was last weekend, and I wanted to plan a large group dinner for my housemates and our families. We were super indecisive and had trouble picking a place, but we were luckily able to snag a reservation for 15 literally the day before (because this place is huge).
I wasn't too hungry, so I just split an order of lobster ravioli with my bf, and it was tasty but not amazing. The group of us also split a dessert sampler, which featured chocolate chip bread pudding, warm berry cake, and chocolate cake with vanilla gelato. Once again, not amazing but solid.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. I've been here before once for a friend's birthday and thought that it was very meh, but this time around was different. Service was good, the ambiance was relatively classy, everyone appeared to like their food, and the parents all approved of our restaurant selection.
I really appreciate Bravo for being one of the only places to have their patio open during this bizarro March weather. I rarely ever sit outside (heat and bugs are gross, and AC is so wonderful), but this weather I am totally fine with. I wandered all over downtown Evanston in search for a bar, that served food, with a patio. It should have been easy, but it wasn't. So, I settled on a restaurant, that served cocktails, with a patio.
Some of the best people/dog watching in this part of town. Plus, the crispy shrimp napoli is just so damn good.
4 stars.
Coulda been 5, but the management here leaves a lot to be desired. Â James "somebody" is the manager and he really has left a horrible taste in my mouth. Â
So, I'm glad they have tasty food that I can pop in to remedy that!
After 3pm each weekday, they have an amazing happy hour at the bar. Â There is a nice selection of appetizers available for only $2.95! Â These are not sample-sized, they are full-sized. Â
My favorites are the shrimp and the mushroom bruschetta. Â Yummy, yummy, yum!
They also have lunch features everyday for $6.95. Â My colleague loves the BLT pizza on Thursdays.
I'm a big fan of their Pepperoni pizza - it has banana peppers on it which I thought was kinda weird, but they totally make the pizza.
The tiramisu is pretty good, but over priced for the portion. Â I always eat too much of the compimentary bread and flavored dipping sauce, so I hardly ever have room for dessert, anyway.
On a nice day, it's great to sit outside and people watch while you enjoy your lunch.
Be sure to grab a chocolate mint on your way out of th door - you are gonna need it!
Went here with a large group for lunch. The service had a few rough moments but overall they did very well considering the other large crowd in the back and all the patrons at tables.
To my surprise, the food was really good. I wouldn't choose this place over other options downtown but since it wasn't my pick I ended up here. I might come back. Everyone I talked to enjoyed their food. Some of the salads are absolutely gargantuan.
The decor is hilarious -- fake broken beams and wallpaper that looks like exposed brick.
I have been here several times, almost always before or after a movie at the Century theaters. It's just too damn convenient, especially when it's cold outside.
Bravo! is just okay, and doesn't deserve that exclamation point after their name. Â They just don't. Â The food is passable, the service almost non-existent to poor.
And last time I was there, I ordered a cappuccino. Â Now, one of the nice things about a Cappuccino is that it's kind of a dessert coffee that you can linger over, as it's a fairly large cup.
Surprise, Bravo! in it's infinite wisdom has now downsized the Cappuccino to a cup that smaller than their standard coffee cup.
Meh. Â I've had better.
Let me set the tone for this restaurant: they charged us $20 for the birthday deserts for two members of our group. Wow.
On the one hand, they took our reservations and held our table through dinner rush- huge plus.
On the other hand, the server we had for our group was rather impatient and unwilling to really accomodate us. Â
As an example, 4 of the 11 people's food were going to be "delayed". Â She didn't say how long, just "not now". Â In a normal restaurant in this price range, you'd at least get a salad or something comp'ed right away so everyone else could start eating. Instead, she laughed when my friend asked for one salad for him and his girlfriend to share, as if he had asked for the unspeakable. Â Service throughout the rest of the night, she was not exactly the hallmark of service either.
The food itself? Extremely "meh". Â I had the pesto rigatone. Â It was fine, but the sauce was too runny and the mozzarella was just a gigantic clump in the middle of the dish. Â The bread was definitely the best part of the meal- a delicious focacia, but there was never enough on the table.
So all in all, if you want Italian food in Evanston, get on a train and go somewhere else. Bravo is not worth the time or money.
This is what I call "Olive Garden style" Italian - Â it is a chain. Â Don't expect rustic homemade pastas, the menu is pretty generic. Â The food is nowhere near as good as what you will find at an authentic Italian bistro, but it is far tastier than other lunch options in Evanston. Â
The service has always been good, even when we have large (10 people plus) groups. Â You can be in and out in an hour no problem.
One of the few Italian restaurants in Evanston. Â Reminds me a lot of Macaroni Grill. Â Solid dishes, expect about $15 for an entree and GREAT bread. Â On Wednesday, they offer $5 martinis and $2.95 bar bites from 5-7 at the bar. Â Pretty good deal if you ask me! Â I'd recommend the Chicken Scallopini which is two chicken breast, with mushrooms, feta, provolone and linguini pasta on the side in a white herb sauce. Â SOO good and if you restrain yourself, it's enough to take home for lunch the next day.
Enjoy!
This is one of those rare times I wish I hadn't peeked at Yelp before heading to a new place, because had I not known ahead of time, I probably wouldn't have guessed that this was a chain.
Beautiful decor, warm colors and lots of Roman columns. Â The hostess was beyond friendly and even though we were late for our reservation, we were seated immediately.
Our waiter was the only person serving us (no bussers with pitchers of water or food-runners), and he was great. Â Helpful, friendly, and expedient. Â The food is pricier than other Italian chains I won't mention (AaaaaCHOOOOOlivegarden! Â Excuse me.) Â But it's higher quality, and certainly more authentic and interesting.
We were served warm herbed breadsticks with dipping oil, loved by even my rosemary-hating mother and my everything-hating brother. Â I had a martini with Bacardi Razz, limoncello, muddled raspberries and Prosecco that was really tops. Â Salads don't come with entrees, but we all ordered one and the BRAVO! Chopped Salad was like the best Greek salad I've ever had with crunchy veg, tangy dressing and creamy crumbles of feta. Â YUM.
Boyfriend got the braised beef gnocchi, with melt-in-your-mouth gnocchi that were crisp on the outside and beautifully tender inside. Â I ordered the chicken fra diavolo campanelle, and it was FANTASTIC. Â No wimpy flavors here: Â lots of heat, creamy tomato sauce and grilled chicken tossed with well-cooked pasta. Â Enough for leftovers, easily.
For dessert, Dad got the coffee gelato which was creamy enough to be frozen custard, and we had two orders of the gooey chocolate cake a la mode. Â The cake was perfect. Â Not crumbly, but dense, not chewy, but sticky, almost indescribable in its texture and served with fudge and a sprinkle of cocoa. Â Jesus H. Macy this thing was good.
I'd go back, for sure. Â But again, expect to pay a bit more than you'd think.
The main thing that Bravo! has going for it is the location right next to the movie theater. While it's a chain it isn't as well known as Chili's or Buffalo Wild Wings which are on the same block. I don't generally like chains but this one isn't too bad. It's kind of like the Olive Garden taken up a notch and not as generic.
I'm a sucker for lobster bisque. It's heaven in a bowl. It will also harden your arteries in no time at all so I try not to have it too frequently. I decided to try the bisque here and it was pretty basic. Not bad, but nothing that blew me away. I was a bit annoyed the there is only one size soup order. It's 8 ounces. You can't get a cup or soup if you just want a little or a bowl to make it a meal, you just get the one size. Maybe they only have the one size bowl... if this is the case buy some new dishes and start offering options.
After deciding that the bisque wasn't enough to clog my arteries for the night, I got a flatbread with creamed spinach, cheese, bacon and chicken for dinner. This was tasty, but really how bad can something be with cheese and bacon on it? Again, I wasn't blown away, but it was still good.
The staff was nice and helpful and the food was good. I wouldn't make a special trip to eat here but next time I'm at the movies I'd stop here if I were hungry. A solid 3 stars.
I should stop letting the husband pick restaurants. He chose this and I decided to just go along with it, sort of knowing what I was in for. It is a chain and reminded me of Olive Garden, but was waaay overpriced for what it was.
What it was, was disgusting. My stomach hurt after eating here, and my daughter spent all night vomiting up the food (she was fine before and did not have a stomach bug or fever-dr determined it was food poisoning).
I am not opposed to chains--I'd go to Chili's down the block any day--but this place was just gross.
You could do worse than eating at Bravo. Â But you could do better, too.
When I came in, we were seated quickly. Â The place doesn't look huge from the outside, but it is quite enormous, which probably helps in seating times.
Service was mostly good, although our server seemed rushed and uncertain how to handle it when we didn't want to select our wine until we'd decided what we wanted to eat which turned into annoying repeat visits as we sorted through dishes.
We ate some ravioli for starter, which were over-sauced, with thick pasta and ingredients that, while not bland, didn't really have distinct flavors. Â I couldn't tell you what the ingredients were, because I couldn't differentiate them.
Then I had the Veal Marsala, which had mushrooms that looked canned. Â The flavor was okay, but didn't really excite me.
My dining companion had Filet Mignon Toscano with gorgonzola. Â The potatoes with it were a little dry, and the vegetables were, frankly, unidentifiable. Â The steak was hard to judge (my dining companion only eats things well-done, which I think destroys a good steak, but that's not Bravo's fault). Â But the blue cheese seemed a little dry, which shouldn't have had anything to do with how they cooked the steak.
Finally, the wine I had was ok, although it was sort of an unusual pinot noir.
I might eat here again, but I didn't personally find it worth making any special trip for.
In planning a 'nice' birthday luncheon for my son, the Grandparents wanted a private room at a restaurant since they were inviting some of their friends. While doing that, I was really lucky to work with Heather who was very accommodating and helpful.
We were able to set up the menu previously and their group lunches start off as cheap as $11/person! For us, we did a little upgrade and all lunch packages include a drink (coffee, tea, or pop), their yummy bread and dipping sauce. We also ordered two of their salads - chopped and house salad. For entrees, we had their pasta Bravo with grilled chicken, pasta Mediterranean, and the grilled salmon. Everyone enjoyed the delicious spread and the service was great. Â They allowed us to bring in our own cake and didn't charge us anything extra if we cut and plated it ourselves.
If you're looking for a private room with great service, delicious food, and a warm atmosphere - I highly recommend Bravo. The location is key - close to public transportation, parking structure across the street, and easy to find. They definitely offer a good deal for what you pay and the customer service is excellent.
Now, I NEVER eat at Italian restaurants. I am a pretty mean Italian cook and when I crave something, I make it. However I make mine a bit healthier.
When I took my staff there for lunch and our afternoon movie (yes, i take my staff to movies) We went there to eat lunch because we could park once and be done with it.
I was very surprised at how basic it was. Most people assume Italian food is overly seasoned but it's very simple fare. While I have only had one meal there, I can only rave about what I did have. A very simple dish with olive oil, pine nuts, spinach with Barilla whole wheat pasta. The fact that they had whole wheat pasta made me very happy!!
Service was divine and impeccable. The only thing I didn't like was my salad was SOOO cold. I like my salad room tempature and it was just a bit too cold for me. But the dressing was good and not overly heavy.
It's a great place to go before a movie. Coffee was good and I am sure I will be going often for our afternoon movies and lunch once a month.
Ok, I'm as likely to take a visiting friend here as I am to take a visiting friend to Cheesecake Factory at home. Â I.e. not very likely.
That being said, I'm trying to think of what occasion would be appropriate for such a place ... well, it's reasonably priced, large plates of basic italian fare. Â Their weekly specials are solid and around $12-$15. Â Their wine list is generically inoffensive, and judging by the size of the place, you can almost always get a table. Â Yes, given my family's disfunction when it comes to eating out, this place is perfect for mom and dad. Â In fact, we bumbled in my second night in Evanston, and they loved it. Well, there you go.
Student budget compatible.
Yes, it's a chain. I know. I don't love chains either. But it is pretty centrally located near the movie theater, shops and train.
I've only had appies and drinks here. They have specials for both every night. $2.95 for small plates week nights during happy hour. Thursday offers $10.00 bottles of wine.
It's in the same building as the movie theatre so it's a nice place to grab a bite before/after the movie.
Bravo has 2 good things going for it: decent drink prices and friendly service.
Unfortunately, the bad things outweigh the good. Â Food is just okay. Â The menu is chock-full of Italian standbys and some originals, but nothing that makes this place any better than your local Olive Garden. Â For apps, calamari is decent, but skip the spinach dip, which has a sour taste and quickly congeals. Â
I liked the shrimp with orzo, but was less than gourmet as indicated by price and quantity. Â I also got to try the bolognese which was good--the pasta was fresh, but I didn't get the feeling that it was homemade.
Give it a try, since its close to the movie theater. Â Or skip it and head to Chili's close by, or take a bit of a walk to Tapas Barcelona.
I give 4 stars for their French martinis and to the bartender on Wednesday night! He's really nice and makes the martinis quite strong. It's also a good place to meet a friend at the bar- you can always find a seat.
The food, however, is lacking something. I don't know what it is, but the few times I've eaten here it's been A-OK. I like their Salmon salad, but the size of the salmon is peanuts!
I think I'll just stick to martini night on Wednesday.
I don't think it needs the exclamation mark on it's signage. Â While I am a firm believer in pieces of commercial real estate "improving" (Oh, look! Â A J. Crew just went in where that sketchy old Hot Topic used to be!) I'm not sure if Bravo is the biggest improvement in the world over the Wolfgang Puck Grill that used to occupy this spot in Evanston attached to the movie theater complex. Â For now, I will call it a draw. Â My partner and I were here recently to see a film (on a sidenote, see Slumdog Millionaire!), and the freezing weather outside basically dictated that we go here for dinner since it is the only place available to eat where you don't have to travel outside again and risk hypothermia if you are already in the theater complex. Â
Overall the décor and menu options are good.  The whole place is warm with soft lighting and dark wood...and appears to be the Saturday night hangout for the 60+ crowd.  No wonder my parents enjoyed this place when they went.  The appetizers were especially well priced and delicious.  We tried the lobster bisque and the house salad- two options that might have the potential for disaster but were somewhat unique and savory.  The main course was not as appealing, as the pesto pasta which didn't taste much like pesto (or look like it....weird), had one piece of calamari floating around in it, and the gigantic lasagna looked and tasted like it came out of some banquet buffet dinner.  Despite the lack of enthusiasm, the place basically says "I know you need a place to eat before a movie, I'm not pretending I'm something else."  For this, I'll return...knowing what I am getting into.
I went here with my father because he was just craving italian food in the worst way and we were at the Border's across the street. Â My first impression was that it looked a little like a Z Gallerie exploded all over an Olive Garden. Â
Now, I was pretty sick so my taste buds were dimmed. Â I will say this - they made a really good Hot Toddy which was great since my sinuses needed it in the worst way. Â My food was OK. Â
Since I was sick and not feeling particularly adventurous, I got the spaghetti and meatballs. Â They get points for the sauce being light and fresh and the meatballs being a great texture. Â On the other hand, they lose points for them both being bland. Â And, so you don't blame it on my cold, my father had the same dish and the same complaints.
I was also missing dome traditional Italian fare here. Â I would have slapped a small child for a plate of gnocchi but no such luck. Â My dad was made grouchy(ier) because he could not get a cannoli for dessert. Â
I also think that the portions were pretty small for the price.
Overall, this is a conveniently located and safe option. Â There was really nothing special about it, though.
Ditto the upscale Olive Garden comment. Â
The reviews so far are pretty accurate, it seems to me. Â Very friendly staff here. Â The food is decent, wont kill you or make you gag, but there is no reason whatsoever to go to this place unless it is convenient for the movies next door, or for some other reason. Â They brought out some comp fried ravioli - which was nice, but the fried ravioli was all fry and no oli. Â Very heavy on the batter, fried too much, like eating a mozzarella stick from TGIF. Â
I have to say though - I had a scallop entree, and it was really good. Â Very well cooked, nicely seasoned, served on a bed of fried rissotto. Â Again, too much fry, not enough otto. Â Unclear as to why they do this. Â
I started with a decent Ceaser salad, but it seemed like they backed a dumptruck full of parmessan cheese and dumped it on the lettuce. Â I did request anchovies, which they gave me, so thats a wash. Â Like I said, nice folks working here. Â
Inadequate wine list - not terrible, but they needed a few more choices. Â
Overall, you will not leave this place feeling ripped off - the prices are reasonable, more or less, and the food is decent. Â But dont say - "Lets go to Bravo!" Â You can say, "Lets go to the movies . . . we might be pressed for time, so lets grab dinner at that Italian place next door . . . its decent."
I've never been inside this place before, even when it was the Wolfgang, and would have never imagined it to look the way it did -- the decor reminded me of a Las Vegas joint in all its beauty, splendor, and capaciousness. Â
That said, maybe my boyfriend and I tried the two worst dishes on the menu, but what we tasted will probably never have us feening for more.
My boyfriend's scallops were overcooked to the point of being somewhat on par with Joy Yee's dishes. Â The rest of his dish was okay - a mixture of gnocci, sweet potatoes, spinach, etc. but it was awfully heavy. Â I had the petso tortelloni that was also okay for just the first couple of bites. Â Towards the end of our meal we swapped plates because neither of us could continue eating our own.
Perhaps there are better things on the menu, but we'll leave those for others to try.
I visited Bravo Cucina Italiana late on a Thursday night, hoping they would still be serving, which they were. Â The restaurant was not busy and we could have sat anywhere, but as there was a baseball game on TV we opted to sit at the bar. Â That is what cost this rating one star. Â The wait staff were obviously getting ready to clear out and go home, and our corner of the bar became a gathering place for staff who had already "gone off the clock" (evidenced by their street clothing) mingling with staff who were still, ostensibly, working. Â It became disruptive. Â While our service did not suffer, I was surprised that the manager did not either notice or care that his staff were all socializing not 3 feet away from a couple of paying customers.
Aside from that, the food was delicious. Â I had one piece of focaccia bread with their special olive oil mixture, then I pushed the bread basket away, telling my sweetie not to touch the bread. Â "Not good?" he asked. Â "Omg" I answered, "Amazing". Â I had to force myself not to devour the entire basket before my pasta dish arrived. Â And I must confess, I did take another piece in lieu of dessert.
The pasta dish, which was what first attracted me to the place when I read it on the menu posted outside, was very very good. Â Whole wheat spaghetti tossed with olive oil, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, and feta. Â Delicious. Â If I have it again, however, I will either ask them to spice it up just a hair, or I'll simply ask for some red pepper flakes to sprinkle on. Â I could have handled a little more zest. Â
It was late (and we felt like we were interrupting the staff festa going on at the end of the bar) so we did not linger. Â I will, however, be back.
Went to the Glenview location a few months ago for lunch (great!) and am now SO happy that this one opened in Evanston. Â We decided for once NOT to be uber-piggies so we did not get appetizers or desserts, BUT here is what we had and loved:
The soup del giorno which was a super thick and creamy portobello mushroom soup. Â If you, like moi, love artery clogging soups, this is right up your Eyetalian alley!
My beautiful redhaired Scottish lass had the Insalata Mista salad - Assorted field greens, bacon, tomato, Gorgonzola and balsamic vinaigrette. Â My mom ordered the Insalata Dela Casa salad - Chopped greens, cucumber, tomato, (minus the bacon), crispy pasta and creamy Parmesan dressing which was SO moist and fresh.
For main courses, the Lass had Chicken Scalopini Sautéed chicken with roasted portobello mushrooms and Provolone topped with lemon caper butter sauce, Feta and diced tomatoes and served with herb linguine.  YUM!  My mom - "just give me a good red sauce with lots of meat" LOVED her Spaghettini Bolognese Pasta tossed in their signature Bolognese meat sauce - she also ordered 2 large tasty meatballs that put her over the top.  Unless you are a ravenous carnivore, I would skip the meatballs as there is a LOT of meat in the meat sauce itself. Â
As I am not a red-sauce head, preferring more Northern Italian fare, I had one of their House Specialties: Â Lobster & Shrimp Ravioli - Maine lobster ravioli with fresh Gulf shrimp, green onions, tomatoes, sherry tomato cream sauce. Â Scrumptious!
The service was great - we were very well attended to, I must say. Â Our waiter was a little TOO friendly - hanging out at our table too long at times, but he was a sweet guy nonetheless. Â We opted to do the $7 Valet Parking or you can get lucky and get a meter OR you can park down the block in the movie theatre parking lot which is inexpensive.
We will definitely be back!
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