Siena Tavern
Biscuits and Gravy – Smoked Brioche Bread Pudding Biscuit, Prosciutto Sausage Gravy
Lobster Hash – Poached Eggs, Truffle Hollandaise
Gnocchi – Truffle Cream, Fried Sage, Crispy Pancetta
Coccoli – Crispy Dough, Stracchino Cheese, Prosciutto di Parma, Truffle Honey
Truffle Mushroom Pizza – Roasted Wild Mushrooms, Garlic Cream, Mozzarella, White Truffle Oil
Monkeybread – Hazelnut Cream, Caramel, Candied Hazelnuts
Bombolini – Whisky Caramel, Chocolate Hazelnut, Raspberry Chianti, Pumpkin Cream
Stuffed French Toast – Apple Cheesecake Stuffed Brioche, Vanilla Cream, Saba, Candied Grapes
Finally gathering my mother and aunt before we all went back to our respective lives it was at splashy downtown Siena Tavern that we would enjoy a final family brunch and although much of the press has been good none of it would have led me to believe it would be one of the more memorable meals we would enjoy together this year. A surprisingly large space with banquets, bars, tables, lounges, and private rooms awash in wood and bathed in light from floor to ceiling windows it was mere moments after entering that we found ourselves seated on plush leather and with exquisite service throughout the only difficulty was avoiding ordering too much…unless of course you share my opinion that there can never be “too much of a good thing.” Featuring a menu of brunch and lunch with subcategories savory, sweet, small, and large the meal started out well with the airy and crisp coccoli before moving to innovative brunch standards including slightly overcooked (and overpriced) Lobster Benedict over ratatouille alongside smoky, rich “biscuits and gravy” featuring buttery bread pudding in place of fluffy catsheads and as good as these were, the best was yet to come. Ostensibly an Italian restaurant but with pastas and secondi somewhat limited at brunch it was with elation that the restaurant’s oft cited gnocchi arrived as good as the rumors with potato clouds so light they’d have floated away without the hefty yet balanced sauce and not to be outdone the aromatic pizza would also prove admirable with a golden crust featuring robust crunch and a lightly yeasty crumb beneath a hefty layer earthy mushrooms and just enough truffle oil to enhance but not overwhelm. Certainly not leaving without dessert it can only be said that Siena Tavern saved the best for last and although the dessert-menu staple Monkeybread was excellent it was the DIY Bombolini and Saba and Custard soaked cheesecake parfait feigning as French Toast that stole the show; the later almost indescribably complex and a ‘must order’ for fans of sweet and savory alike.
