Revisiting Siena Tavern with Fabio Viviani

Over the last five plus years of compiling Chicago's ultimate brunch guide, Brandy has often been asked about her favorite brunch spots of all time.  While she has a stock of answers ready to go at all times, the constant questioning occasionally causes her to pause and think over all the various restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops she's visited over the years.  "Its funny that some of those favorite simply don't exist any more or have become entirely new restaurants," Brandy often ponders, "But there are a handful that always immediately come to mind when I'm asked about my top picks, and if the memory of those meals can trump all the other clutter in my brain, they must really have been something special."

One of those places that makes Brandy's short list of all time favorites is most certainly Siena Tavern.  After visiting the location shortly after they began serving brunch, Brandy was incredibly impressed by the work of executive chef Fabio Viviani, who packed every plate full of bold, fresh flavors and well thought out presentations.  So when the opportunity came to not only return to the site of one of Brandy's most treasured brunch memories, but to meet Fabio in person as he guided her through a succession of new dishes and cocktails, Brandy could hardly turn the oppurtunity down.

The morning began, as every morning should, with a few cocktails.  First up was the Summer Spritz, a fruity concoction made with melon flavored vodka, aperol, citrus juices, and finished with prosecco, which Brandy found fresh and perfectly revitalizing.  After those cocktails had been consumed, the mimosa and bloody mary kits made an appearance.  Brandy especially liked the array of fresh fruit juices and purees available to mix into one's mimosa to make it a one of a kind breakfast beverage experience.

The first course was a taste of the Smoked Salmon Board.  As a play on a traditional lox plate, this one threw out the bagels and came in  instead with a "crispy dough" that resembled a cream puff shell as well as chive cream cheese, a little tomato, cucumber, capers, and red onion.  Never a huge fan of lox, Brandy was surprised by just how much she enjoyed the little bite, which was very tender and practically melted away on the tongue.  She especially enjoyed the buttery flavor of the crispy dough, which complimented the sharp veggies quite nicely.

Next up was the House Made Granola with fresh berries, Greek yogurt, and honey.  For such a simple dish, Brandy found that she really enjoyed each spoonful, delighting in the not-too-crunchy granola bits, which had just been barely touched with sweetness, combined with the silky smooth yogurt and the slightly tart berries.  "It's rather ingenious to make a sweet dish that is actually quite healthy for you," Brandy mused, "Helps to trick that nasty little sugar craving in the back of one's mind that insists on ordering lots of sugary things at the end of every meal."

The main course was the Italian themed house Benedict, made with a pesto hollandaise sauce, some crispy mortadella, and a base of toasted brioche.  Brandy really loved how different this benedict was to the traditional ones she sees about town, but she also appreciated that it didn't stray too far away from the basic formula of bread + ham + poached eggs + hollandaise.  "I always say that its not a brunch without at least one eggs benedict on the menu, and when you've got one this special, it certainly bodes well for everything else on offer."

Then came the sweets, represented by a plate of Tiramisu French Toast.  The buttery brioche had been soaked in espresso and then topped with a marsala whipped cream, fresh berries, and roasted white chocolate.  Brandy simply could not get enough of the little morsels of white chocolate on the plate, scooping up every tiny toasty bit.  The French toast had a lovely eggy texture to it and the fresh berries really helped to balance out the richer flavors.

Lastly, a sampling of house made sorbets came to the table in strawberry, mango peach, and grape.  Each one was simply made with just fresh fruit and water, making for bright and clean flavors that did the job of cleansing the palate nicely.  The only thing sweeter than the sorbets, in fact, was when Chef Viviani brought in his tiny sous chef in training, otherwise known as his son, Gage.


"I am glad that my memory isn't failing me after all and that Siena Tavern still deserves a place in my brunch Hall of Fame," Brandy commented as she leaned back in her chair, "Perhaps I should be revisiting my favorite spots a little more often.  After all, I wouldn't want to give anyone out dated information when I'm asked for brunching advice!"

The writers of this blog were invited to dine at the restaurant free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Siena Tavern or Bountiful Brunching Beauty

The Slow and Savory Review

One of the things Brandy likes best about brunch is that, given the right circumstances, it can be just as good whether it's had at a cheap greasy spoon or at the finest and most expensive hotel.  "I've paid $5 for brilliant plates and upwards of $25 for some absolute dreck," Brandy will explain, "Price is not necessarily an indication of  how good your meal will be.  In my experience, often times it's just an indication of the chef's ego."

Brandy decided to prove this point to her dear friend Bailey Blue by taking her along to Siena Tavern in River North for brunch.  Siena Tavern is one of several current ventures in Chicago headed by Top Chef alum Fabio Viviani, this one focusing on rustic Italian fare with a twist of urban Chicago sass.  Opened in the spring of 2013, Siena Tavern has been steadily growing a huge fan base with lighter plates like wood fired flatbread pizzas and home made gelato along side more elaborate entrees and house made pastas, making this place not only perfect for a fancy meal, but also more casual night out.  "They've got everything there for all different budgets," Brandy told Bailey, "So let's put my theory about price versus value to the test."

The inside of Siena Tavern was bright and inviting with its warm woods and gold tones, making the place feel luxurious, but comfortable.  The dining area was open and airy with plenty of space to move around.  At the east side of the restaurant was a gorgeous, sparkling bar area, while against the south wall a couple of chefs prepared fresh plates in full view of the diners, their backs to a beautiful wood fire oven.

Brandy and Bailey started right off with a couple of drinks.  Bailey opted for her usual Bloody Mary, which came nicely dressed with plenty of top quality meats, cheeses, and pickled veggies on a skewer.  Bailey thought the Bloody was just spicy enough without being too overwhelming and that it had a nice freshness to go along with a thinner consistency and some nice peppery bite.  "The Bloody Mary is a pretty crazy thing when you think about it," Bailey mused, "Take out the alcohol and it would practically be a health drink!"  Brandy went for one of the signature cocktails, labeled simply the No. 10 (all the signature cocktails at Siena Tavern had numbers instead of names), which was a bit of a play on an Old Fashioned with a touch of apricot.  Brandy liked that the drink was strong, but not too abrasive, and had a nice little bit of sweetness to it.

They decided to started off their meal with an intriguing dish labeled Egg in a Jar.  "I'm pretty used to what a brunch menu looks like at this point," Brandy said, "Benedict, pancakes, French Toast, burger, skillet, etc.  But this... I just have no frame of reference for this.  I simply must experience it."  What came to the table was a large glass mason jar on it's side, containing a host of fresh, beautiful looking components.  The server, with a sly smile on his face, placed a plate on the table and with the deft skill of a magician, slid the contents of the jar onto the plate in a breath taking arrangement.  There were roasted spears of asparagus, several chunks of tempura crab, two perfectly poached eggs, some arugula, a roasted lemon, and a side of hollandaise sauce in a silver gravy boat.  Indeed, the presentation was so beautiful and original that Brandy sat starring at it, stunned, until Bailey reached across the table and squeezed the roasted lemon over the lot.  "What?" she asked, spearing some crab with her fork, "I'm starving."  Everything was fresh and succulent with a great mix of textures from the crunchy crab to the velvety eggs, all complimented by the peppery greens and bright citrus of the hollandaise.

Next, they sampled the Biscuits and Gravy.  This was no average biscuits and gravy, but rather two perfect rounds of smoked brioche bread pudding slathered in a prosciutto and mushroom gravy with a little bit of truffle oil.  Once again, the plating of the dish simply dazzled Brandy.  "It's extremely hard to make biscuits and gravy look pretty," Brandy remarked, "But look at this thing!  It's a bloody masterpiece!"  The dense rounds of bread pudding had an almost cheesy flavor with a slight hint of aromatic sweetness, working surprisingly well with the savory gravy, which was loaded with chunks of tender, melt in your mouth pork sausage.

Next up was the Lobster Hash, a play on a Benedict with a bed of sauteed veggies and potatoes topped with two perfectly poached eggs, a rich truffle hollandaise and chunks of succulent lobster.  "This might be the most decedent Benedict I've ever seen," Brandy said in awe.  The lobster was heavenly; tender, light, and with a texture like butter, it simply had to touch the tongue before it started to disintegrate into a mouthful of buttery goodness.  The veggies in the hash had a great texture to them, and the potatoes perfumed the palate with a soft smokiness.  The truffle hollandaise was just as rich and indulgent as one might hope, proving to be the ultimate gilding on this beautiful little lily of a dish.

Lastly for dessert, Brandy and Bailey shared the Monkey Bread, which came doused in caramel sauce and topped with candied hazelnuts and a generous helping of whipped cream.  Upon the first bite, both ladies leaned back in their chairs as their chewing slowed, allowing them to savor the delicious bite of food for as long as possible.  The caramel flavor was present, but not obnoxiously sweet, and the hazelnuts provided a nice little crunch to go along with the chewy sticky bun like bread.  "This might be one of those rare cases," Brandy said after a moment, "Where I think the pure sight of this dish will speak for itself."

Brandy and Bailey could not have been more pleased with their brunch at Siena Tavern.  From the impeccable service to the warm and friendly atmosphere, this was a restaurant that understood not only the importance of the best ingredients, but how to present them in the most beautiful, unpretentious, and appetizing way possible.  "Are some of the prices a little higher than your average brunch?  Perhaps," Brandy said, "But in the case of something like a lobster hash with truffle hollandaise, you are certainly getting what you pay for.  No more, no less, and as long as the price matches the value of the dish, I don't mind a larger bill.  But I would venture to say that, all things considered, I'd happily pay almost anything to experience that meal again."  Bailey, who was struggling to shove the last bite of Monkey Bread into her mouth, simply nodded in agreement.

The writers of this blog were invited to dine at this restaurant at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review