Siena
Located in the heart of Federal Hill in Providence Rhode Island, Siena is one of our favorite places to eat on the South Coast. If you’ve never been to Federal Hill ( or “The Hill” as the locals call it) please add this to your must do list! The Hill is NYC’s version of Little Italy. Atwells Avenue is a mix of urban businesses, shops, outstanding Italian restaurants, fabulous deli’s and specialty stores featuring everything Italian. With more than 20 restaurants within a quarter of a mile there are plenty of choices and Sienna is a top choice!
Siena boasts a cozy, elegant atmosphere that is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the stomach. The warm color palette, low lighting and soft music playing set the mood for a great dining experience.
We were greeted by the waitress and as she was about to say Welcome to Siena have you dined with us before, she stopped and said ” I remember you, I have served you before”….. yes, yes you have….. LOL! I think we have become regulars 🙂
As you would come to expect from following this blog we started with the Calamari ($11). Served with banana peppers and marinara ( I always opt for fresh lemon in place of marinara) Sienna delivers with fresh, light and crispy rings of pleasure.
Jess went with her favorite Penne alla Vodka (15$) . The penne is tossed with a spicy (mildly hot) pink vodka sauce tossed with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. She also added grilled chicken for an extra $3 up charge. I can’t speak for how it tastes considering my lactose intolerance but her first bite is usually a verbal “YUMMMMMM” so that says it all for me.
As most Italian restaurants, most of Siena’s offerings have cheese or onion so it is difficult for me to order off of the menu. Siena is always accommodating and because everything is made to order they will make just about anything you can think of as long as the ingredients are on the existing menu. I can say that the Pollo al Rosmarino is fantastic and something off the menu that I enjoy . On this day I chose to have them make me grilled chicken with a white wine, garlic and butter sauce over fettucini. ($14) It never disappoints and there is always more than enough to eat.
For dessert we always choose the Scripelle con Gelato ($8). Heavenly, miniature fried doughboys dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with vanilla bean gelato ( lactose pills? yes please!) and warm Nutella spread. The doughboys are light, airy and served piping hot; such a nice marriage between them and the gelato. Truth be told we used to share an order and now we each get our own…. SHARING NOT ENCOURAGED! LOL!
Siena really is one of many great restaurants on the Hill and for the quality you won’t break the bank or need to drive to NYC or Boston. During the summer The Hill offers live music on the weekends and it’s a great place to people watch and listen to some fantastic musicians. We encourage you to add this fabulous place to your Spring or Summer to do list! See you on the Hill and Happy Spooning!
Sara and Jess