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BRAVO!

BRAVO! Italian Restaurant & Bar

4500 Interstate 55 North, Highland Village Shopping Center, (601)982-8111

BravoBuzz.com

JFP Description

Getting wine in Mississippi is a real pain in the neck compared to most places�chalk it up to being the last state to give up on prohibition. But you would never know it from the list at Bravo!. Their Cabernets, for instance, take up an entire page, and range in price from $20 to $300. There are incredible bargains for a frugal fellow like myself, but there are also astounding treasures for those with more scratch on hand. I know Jesus doesn�t want us to rob banks, but that 1989 vintage Krug Champagne is really calling out to me, Lord! Until then, it�s Castle Rock Pinot Noir for $25. � Brian Johnson (2007 Best Of Jackson)

Bravo! has an excellent selection of vegetarian options. And the cocktails are Jackson favorites. Try the Re-virginator, a cocktail in honor of Jill Conner Brown, the Sweet Potato Queen.

Food style: Classic regional Italian & upscale Mediterranean cuisine

Atmosphere: open, inviting, intimate, lively, exposed kitchen with wood-fired oven at the center of the restaurant.

Hours of operation: Open 11:00 a.m. � 10 p.m. Tuesday � Sunday (9 p.m. on Sundays) Dining room available for private events on Mondays.

Reservations: Not accepted, nor required.

Cost: Moderate

It is hard to believe that BRAVO! served its first meal over thirteen years ago!  April 7th, 1994 is the day that the dream of Murrah High school friends Dan Blumenthal and Jeff Good came to fruition.  Five Restaurant of the Year Awards and eleven Wine Spectator awards later they�re still at it - doing what they do best.

BRAVO! remains true to Dan & Jeff�s original vision:  A place where traditional Italian cuisine meets the flavors and cooking techniques of the new world, presented in a comfortable, casual atmosphere.  Chef Dan Blumenthal, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, prescribes to a philosophy of food simplicity and authenticity.  The BRAVO! kitchen makes food the old fashioned way� from scratch.  They use great ingredients, classical cooking techniques, and the chef and his team strive for balance in every dish:  balance in taste, size, presentation and cost. 

Food is a very sensual and personal thing� we all eat, and we all are critics.  With such a focus on authenticity, the BRAVO! guest is transported to Europe for just a few moments when they take that first bite of focaccia bread, polenta with rosemary-infused mushrooms, or grilled veal chop.  When asked, the owners and staff at BRAVO! will tell you that their food stands out because of the level of honesty and authenticity that go into in the preparation and presentation of each and every dish.

The meaning of the word �BRAVO!� is an outward and visible affirmation of a job well done.  When creating their restaurant, Dan and Jeff set the bar high and have worked hard to create a legacy of excellence, as evidenced by the long string of awards the restaurant has received.

BRAVO! is widely considered the number one restaurant for wine in central Mississippi.  Our sommelier (a French term for wine steward/wine expert) maintains an award winning list of some 400 labels.  Monthly wine tastings are offered where BRAVO! guests are able to learn and taste.  Wine tastings range from the basic �Wine 101� where guests learn the difference between varietals (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc.) all the way to blind tastings where guests use their sense of sight, smell and taste to guess not only what kind of wine they are sampling, but where it is from, and what style it embodies.  BRAVO! wine tastings are always fun, never stuffy, and always well done.  A list of upcoming events can be accessed on the BRAVO! website � www.bravobuzz.com.

The newest offering to the BRAVO! menu is the addition of a weekend brunch.  BRAVO! Brunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday afternoon.  The brunch menu is offered in addition to the standard lunch menu; so there is plenty of selection for everyone!  Brunch items include crabmeat omelets, Italian omelets, shrimp and polenta, paneed crab cakes, breakfast pizza, veal piccata and more!

Take out has always been popular at BRAVO!, and a few years ago, the process was been made even easier with the addition of a dedicated take out window.  Guests pull their cars up to the BRAVO! curb, jump out, and grab their order quickly and efficiently.  BRAVO! To-Go is available whenever BRAVO! is open and a full menu is available on the BRAVO! website � www.bravobuzz.com.

One of the more unique features of BRAVO! is the open kitchen seating.  BRAVO! offers ten bar stool seats at an open kitchen counter.  This counter is most popular with children and with individuals dining alone, because it offers a front row seat to the cooking action!  The centerpiece of the open kitchen is the imported two-ton Italian brick oven which cooks all the BRAVO! gourmet pizzas, lasagna and more!  Guests at the open kitchen get to watch all the pizzas being made, desserts being plated, salads being created, and all the entrees decorated before going out to the tables. 

The BRAVO! bar offers a comprehensive martini and specialty cocktail menu.  Perhaps Jackson�s broadest offering of hand-tailored drinks, the BRAVO! specialty cocktail menu includes a number of non-alcoholic concoctions for those wishing to experience a premium drink without any alcohol.  This is just another example of BRAVO!�s cutting edge thinking when it comes to product offerings and experiences.

BRAVO! offers a full compliment of catering services for corporate events, private receptions and non-profit organization fundraisers.  Aven Whittington and Cathy Cotton are the BRAVO! Catering Coordinators and can be reached at 601.362.2900, ext. 5.

FAQs:

� Owners: Chef Dan Blumenthal and Jeff Good
� Phone number: 601.982.8111
� Web site: www.bravobuzz.com
� E-mail: jeffg@bravobuzz.com or danb@bravobuzz.com
� Price Range Average: Lunch $8 - $12 Dinner $12 - $26
� Food style: Classic regional Italian & upscale Mediterranean cuisine
� Atmosphere: open, inviting, intimate, lively, exposed kitchen with wood-fired oven at the center of the restaurant.
� Hours of operation: Open 11:00 a.m. � 10 p.m. Tuesday � Sunday (9 p.m. on Sundays) Dining room available for private events on Mondays.
� Reservations: Not accepted, nor required.
� Awards/Honors: Jackson Convention & Visitor�s Bureau Restaurant of the Year 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002.  Wine Spectator Magazine Award of Excellence 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.  Jackson Free Press Best of Jackson Award: Best Wine List 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.  Mississippi Restaurateur of the Year (Jeff Good): 1998.  Novia Spirit of Diversity Award 2000.  MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce Business Super Achiever Award 1999. 
� Banquet Room: No, however the restaurant is available for private events on Mondays
� Take out:  BRAVO! features a dedicated take-out window 20 steps from the parking lot.
� Weekend BRUNCH: BRAVO! features an extraordinary weekend Brunch offering from 11:00 a.m. � 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. 
� Smoking: BRAVO! is a non-smoking restaurant.  Smoking is allowed outside and in the cocktail lounge only.  Cigars, pipes and aromatic cigarettes are strictly forbidden.
� Kid�s Menu: Yes, including child-sized wood-fired cheese pizzas!
� Wine/Mixed Drinks/Beer: BRAVO! has one of the best stocked premium bars in the city.  BRAVO! is the winner of an unprecedented 11 Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence.
� Credit Cards Accepted: American Express, MasterCard, VISA, Discover
� Management Team: Chef Dan Blumenthal, Owner/Executive Chef; Chef Louis LaRose, Chef; Austin Ford, Sous Chef; Jeff Good, Owner/Managing Partner; Val Hospes, Service Manager; Kelly Boutwell, Assistant Service Manager & Sommelier.
� Catering: BRAVO! offers full service catering in tandem with its sister restaurants, Broad Street Baking Company & Cafe and Sal & Mookie�s New York Pizza & Ice Cream Joint.  Call Aven or Cathy at 601.362.2900, ext. 5 for information.
� House Specialties: Bruschetta, Polenta, Wood-fired Pizzas, Crab-Crusted Fish, Caramelized Banana Cr�me Brulee