CHIReview
Briciola
We’ve got a love - not so much love relationship going with Briciola, and it comes down to a few factors. Love - ambience, patio, service, old Italian man owns/runs the joint, BYOB, sometimes the food. Not So Much Love - sometimes the food. You’ll notice that the number of factors heavily sways in the positive direction, but that only goes so far when quality food isn't a guarantee.
Let’s start with the positive. Briciola is Perfect For life in general. It’s simple, traditional Italian food that’s served in a relaxing and enjoyable space. In the winter, you’ll be comfortable cozying up indoors with a plate of pasta and bottle(s) of wine you brought along. In the summer, you’d be crazy not to linger over the same pasta and wine on Briciola’s patio. Between the strung white lights, cobblestone ground, plants, and statues on the patio, it’s one of the most quaint places to have an outdoor summer meal. It's safe to say we like the patio as much as Lil TerRio likes to Oooooooh Kill 'Em.
The food, however, has proven to be hit or miss. Sometimes it’s great, sometimes it’s decent, and on occasion it's been bad. Our advice is stick to appetizers and pastas, while generally avoiding the meats. We’ve been to Briciola a number of times, and nothing has ever been bad to the point it holds us back from going again. But you have to have the right expectations going in, which is half the battle for any meal. Briciola will never be the best Italian food you ever eat, but it can be good, and you can’t ignore the other positive factors mentioned above. The patio and BYOB policy alone are worth continuously giving it a chance.