Bertucci's Reinvents Menu and Experience with Array of New Dishes Direct from the Brick Oven

BOSTON, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Northborough, MA-based Bertucci's Corporation announced today that they will officially launch their new menu in their restaurants on October 14, 2010.  The new menu celebrates Bertucci's brick oven roots and introduces an entire new line of brick oven baked specialties featuring innovative new Artisan Pizzas, new baked Pastas and main dishes as well as a new line of homemade appetizers and baked desserts. There are 17 new brick oven specialties including several main dishes at $9.99. With this menu, Bertucci's combines creative new recipes with the artistry of brick oven cooking, harkening back to the Bertucci's beginnings in 1981.  The new menu will be featured in Bertucci's 93 locations.

"Bertucci's Brick Oven is a wonderful place to cook and is very authentic Italian.  It really is an art to cook with the brick oven.  It makes pizza crust irresistibly light and crisp.  It creates an intense heat that locks in freshness and enhances the flavors of fresh vegetables, pasta and seafood.  It just makes everything better and it's how Bertucci's began," said Chef Stefano Cordova, Vice President and Executive Chef for Bertucci's Italian Restaurants. "The restaurant built its original menu around innovative, signature pizza and brick oven creations.  In this new menu, we have expanded our specialty items with unique, creative recipes that can only be prepared in our brick oven by our specially trained Brick Oven Chefs.  

"The brick oven helps create a warm, inviting experience in our restaurants today and it's what established Bertucci's almost 30 years ago.  It is truly the centerpiece of every Bertucci's restaurant.  Our pizza and pasta and all our dishes are outstanding from the brick oven.  And the artistry of the brick oven is part of the experience at Bertucci's, as our open kitchens allow our guests to watch the chefs apply their craft.  The preparation of the food from the brick oven is all part of the authentic Italian experience at Bertucci's" said David Lloyd, Bertucci's CEO.

The new menu design features crisp, enlarged, "magazine-like" photography showcasing the brick oven and the new menu items as well as several classic Bertucci's favorites.  The menu style and format is unique to Bertucci's and is a significant departure from the current menu.  It includes some interesting facts about the restaurant's proprietary cooking practices and unique history.  For example: Bertucci's dough is made from scratch each day in every restaurant and the vegetables are roasted several times throughout the day in the brick oven.  The menu also describes some of the special skills required to become a Brick Oven Chef.  Interestingly, the pizza section includes circa dates for when Bertucci's classic, signature pizzas were originally added to the menu.

Bertucci's New Brick Oven Menu Items:

Artisan Brick Oven Pizzas – Bertucci's built the brand around innovative pizza combinations that have become classics.  With our new line of Artisan Pizzas, Chef Stefano has created unique combinations of fresh ingredients and new, original ways to design pizza.  Soon to be new classics.

• Sofia: White pizza with mozzarella cheese, roasted artichoke spread, sausage and fresh thyme topped with shaved cheese.
• Stella: Roasted Portobello mushrooms, roasted eggplant, fire-roasted peppers, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.
• Scallop di Mare: Scallop pizza with roasted garlic, mozzarella cheese, fire-roasted peppers and lemon pepper cream sauce.
• Italia Davide: Roasted zucchini and fresh mozzarella with roasted tomato sauce
• Pizza Verde: Fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and arugula topped with a drizzle of balsamic nectar.

Baked Tortas – Bertucci's famous dough filled with fresh vegetables and chicken or seafood

• Tuscan Vegetable with Chicken or Shrimp: Grilled chicken breast atop Bertucci's famous dough filled with our roasted eggplant, zucchini, peppers, garlic, artichokes, caramelized onions, roasted tomato sauce and goat cheese. Baked to perfection in the brick oven.
• Seafood Torta: Bertucci's famous dough filled with tender scallops, shrimp, roasted tomato sauce, tomatoes, shaved cheese and oregano. Topped with fresh thyme and then backed to perfection in the brick oven.

New Brick Oven Entrees – Baked pasta dishes and healthy seafood baked to perfection in the Brick Oven

• Baked Penne Stefano: Barilla Multigrain Plus penne tossed in a spicy Bolognese sauce with crumbled chicken sausage, onions, garlic and fresh herbs. Topped with provolone and backed in the brick oven.
• Seafood di Mare: Baby cod, shrimp, scallops and muscles with plum tomatoes and a baked crostini. Served with a side Insalata or a cup of soup.
• Baked Merluzzo (Cod): Baby cod with flavored oil, breadcrumbs, diced tomatoes and fresh herbs baked in the brick oven. Served with a side Insalata or a cup of soup.

New Appetizers - Made from scratch roasted sauces and spreads served with fresh baked homemade flatbread

• Roasted Artichoke Fonduta: Artichoke spread blended with mozzarella, Asiago and Romano cheeses then oven-baked to perfection. Served with crispy homemade flatbread brushed with flavored oil and grated Romano cheese.
• Roasted Tomato Sauce with Goat Cheese: Savory roasted tomato sauce topped with goat cheese and baked in the brick oven. Served with crispy homemade flatbread brushed with flavored oil and grated Romano.

New Deserts: - Bertucci's own warm, homemade classic tart baked golden brown in the brick-oven

• Apple Cranberry and Chocolate Hazelnut Crostata: Warm homemade tart filled with apples, cranberries and honey or with organic chocolate hazelnut spread. Baked to a golden brown in the brick oven and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Hand-made to order from scratch.

About Chef Stefano Cordova

Born in Rome, Chef Stefano has been with Bertucci's since 2004. The Chef aficionado, who honed his culinary skills at the finest restaurants in Italy and New York, has elevated the Italian dining experience at Bertucci's. As Executive Chef, he has introduced authentic Italian recipes from different Italian regions, created special seasonal entrées and trained Bertucci's employees about authentic Italian culture and cuisine. Chef Stefano travels to Italy several times a year to continue his education on the history of Italian cooking, as well as the latest trends and ingredients.  He is also directly involved in overseeing quality assurance of food products and internal and external communications. During the course of his career, Chef Stefano has developed balanced and nutritional food programs for Boston Public Schools and Rockefeller University in New York. Chef Stefano has won numerous awards including the Top Italian Chef in the USA and the Top Italian Chef outside Italy by the Italian Chef Federation.

About Bertucci's:

Since 1981, Bertucci's Italian Restaurant® has served customers with genuineness and warmth. With its distinctive, flavorful Italian food and signature brick oven pizza, Bertucci's serves as a favorite Italian restaurant for many. Today, Bertucci's operates over 90 locations in 10 states and the District of Columbia. In every single restaurant, Bertucci's maintains the same rigorous, high-quality standards and principles the company was founded on. Honesty and passion are still at the heart of every Bertucci's meal. Bertucci's continues to develop innovative recipes and use fresh ingredients to craft distinctively delicious Italian meals using simple, time-honored Italian recipes. For more information visit www.bertuccis.com and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bertuccis-Italian-Restaurant/89018083259?ref=ts

SOURCE Bertucci's