Bertucci's Reinvents Menu And Experience With Array Of New Dishes Direct From The Brick Oven

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...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." 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 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 the 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 famo