I'll be honest. I went to Brio on March 21 because it was ""National Ravioli Day"". Brio was honoring this day by offering ravioli meals at half price. Brio is located next door to McCormick and Schimicks, which is next door to P.F. Changs. The area gets crowded by noon. There would be plenty of free parking if much of the lot wasn't taken by valet parking. To avoid the hassle, I arrived when they opened at 11:00AM. I am so glad I did. We were about to be seated indoors, when as an afterthought I suggested we sit on the Patio. All 3 restaurants are located next to a large pond that has a central fountain. The restaurants share a long arcing patio that is well above the water. My wife and I had the Brio section all to ourselves.
It was a perfect Spring day. Across from the pond, was a row of 16 Cherry trees in full blossom. Honking Geese on the pond, reminded me of a time long past. My young son and I used to feed bread to waterfowl as we waited for my wife to finish night classes. Now here I was almost 2 decades later eating lunch with that accomplished, hard working woman. We spoke of events past; and plans for the next week. The splashing of the fountain added to the tranquil setting; almost completely covering the sound of traffic on a nearby road.
How do you describe ambiance? What makes a restaurant romantic? I'm not sure I can say. All I know is for a time, thoughts of economic recession, military conflict, and disaster in Japan faded. I was enjoying a special day with my wife.
You might say God deserves the credit for the beautiful day. You might say the credit goes to the landscape architect that designed the setting. All 3 restaurants equally benefit from that setting. Would I have been as happy eating at P.F. Changs? Maybe. But, Brio was certainly no weak link in the the chain of events that made me feel like the luckiest man in Atlanta. In August that Patio will be sweltering. Inside it may be noisy and crowded. I'll still eat there because of the fond memory of a perfect lunch.
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