THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Bravo Ristorante Italiano

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Bravo Ristorante Italiano Restaurant Review:

Ristorante Piatta and Bravo Ristorante Italiano are like two Italian sisters who have somehow found themselves living next door to one another in suburban Sacramento. Piatta is the more obviously attractive of the two. Glowing amid the glitz of the Pavilions shopping center, Piatta is the leggy blonde flirting at the bar, the queen of the see-and-be-seen set, all flash and cash with just enough of that Italian accent left to keep the locals beguiled. But Bravo is another story altogether. Tucked away in a lonely parking lot behind the dry cleaner next door, it is easy to miss in Piatti’s shadow. But inside that ugly duckling exterior, Bravo smolders. Quiet and brooding, Bravo is more Sophia Loren than super model, and when she whispers to you in Italian, you know that you’ve fallen in love. The romance begins over cocktails in the bar, a small, warm and inviting place drenched in a smoky red, and pervaded by the tones of Italian music and the soft murmer of conversation. And unlike the close-quarters and noisy roar of Piatta, Bravo’s dining room is wonderfully quiet, a clubby, high-ceilinged room that is at once both cheery and manly. Flowers and desserts grace a table in the center of the room, and the fresh bread at each table is the perfect accompaniment to a long, slow glass of Sangiovese. Unfortunately, the meals aren’t quite as nice as the ambiance. While the towering melanzana al forno is a spectacular appetizer, the entrées we have tried have been a mixed bag. Among the better choices: the risotto of the day, and just about anything that comes with Bravo’s silky polenta.