Make it Better’s review of Siena Tavern
By Julie Chernoff
If you’re a Top Chef fan, I’m about to preach to the choir.
But I stopped watching it the season Fabio Viviani didn’t win. And it wasn’t just because he was gorgeous, charming, and had an Italian accent I still hear in my dreams. Well… maybe a little bit! But also because his food looked so soulful and approachable that I wanted to jam myself into the TV, shove Tom Colicchio out of the way, and eat it all myself…
Read more here! http://makeitbetter.net/dining/restaurant-reviews/5114-top-chef-alum-opens-siena-tavern
Caviar and Cookies features Siena Tavern
Everyone’s talking about it- as they should be. Whether you’re in the mood for an after work cocktail, a quick bite or planning a group outing- this 10,000 square foot restaurant can do it all. Upon entering, a conversational tone from a good looking crowd greets you. To the right is the main dining and to the left sits an always crowded bar. Read more at: http://caviarandcookies.com/restaurants/siena-tavern
She Knows Interview
It’s no surprise Chef Fabio Viviani is an amazing cook. He’s been on Top Chef, runs his own restaurants and shares recipes through his cookbooks and weekly email newsletter. And if that’s not enough, he has the sexiest Italian accent! We chatted with Viviani about what he’s been up to lately and got some inside info on his favorite (and least favorite) foods and restaurants. Read more at: http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/986351/top-chef-alum-fabio-viviani-talks-new-ventures
Momma Cuisine
One of the funnest parts of being the host of the Great Everyday Meals cooking show series, a talkshow and a food travel show is the opportunity to talk to beloved celebrity chefs and sharing that experience with you all.
On this episode of Great Everyday Meals from the International Home & Housewares Show, I “bumped into” one of American’s favorite Top Chef contestants and Top Chef All Star, Fabio Viviani after weeks of emailing back and forth. Finally meeting in person, we decided to turn the cameras on for a quick chat about his cookware line with Bialetti, his new restaurant, Siena Tavern and cookbook. Fabio is even more charming, more handsome and more funny in person. Read more at: http://mommacuisine.com/2013/03/15/great-everyday-meals-interview-with-fabio-viviani-at-the-housewares-show-2013/
Zagat features Siena Tavern
Dining in River North presents a sea of options, almost too many between steakhouses, sports bars and ethnic restaurants. How can one choose? The idea behind Siena Tavern is that diners don’t need to choose, but can tailor the dining experience to their needs – from a more intimate meal in the wine room to bites at the bar or lounging with a cocktail. Chef Fabio Viviani and Chicago-based hospitality company DineAmic Group (Bull & Bear, Public House) have joined forces to create an all-encompassing Italian eatery. Read more at: http://blog.zagat.com/2013/03/24-new-restaurants-you-need-to-know.html?zagatbuzzid=mar13week2&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=blog20130313
1st Look
“Top Chef” season five contestant Fabio Viviani just opened a new Italian restaurant in Chicago. Host Ali Fedotowsky cooks with him, and learns the secret to making an awesome lasagna! Read more at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/blogs/1st-look/1st-Look-Fabio-Viviani-Serves-Ali-Authentic-Italian_New-York.html
Fabio Italian Kitchen Trailer (Coming April 23, 2013!!)
“When Fabio Viviani was growing up in a housing project in Florence, Italy, the center of his world was the kitchen, where his mother, grandmother, and especially his great-grandmother instilled in him a love for cooking and good food.
Now he shares the best of Italian home cooking while telling the story of his hardscrabble childhood, his success as a chef in the United States, and the women in his family who inspired him. In more than 150 delicious recipes, Viviani takes us from his family home, where his great-grandmother taught him to make staples like Italian Apple Cake and Homemade Ricotta, to the kitchen of a local trattoria, where he honed his craft cooking restaurant favorites like Gnocchi and the Perfect Tiramisu, and then across Italy where he studied each region’s finest recipes, from Piedmont’s Braised Ossobuco to Emilia Romagna’s Perfect Meat Sauce.
A gorgeously illustrated cookbook, Fabio’s Italian Kitchen is a celebration of food and family that brings all the joy, fun, and flair that Fabio Viviani embodies to your kitchen.
Fabio Viviani was born in Florence, Italy, and became a sous chef at Il Pallaio, a trattoria in Firenze, at the age of sixteen. He now works as the owner and executive chef of Cafe Firenze, a renowned Italian restaurant in Ventura County, California, and Osteria Firenze, a Los Angeles Italian eatery. He has appeared on Top Chef (season five), Top Chef All Stars, and Life After Top Chef.”
Chi Gal Lauren
As soon as I had my first bite of the Gnocchi with Truffle Cream and Crispy Pancetta at Chicago Restaurant Week’s First Bites Bash, I knew a visit to Siena Tavern needed to be in my near future. Had I known when I took that bite that Siena Tavern was the new Italian restaurant of chef Fabio Viviani…well, let’s just say there would have been some squeals involved. I’m a huge Top Chef fan and the charming Viviani of Season 5 won Fan Favorite for a reason. I had no doubt that my gnocchi was just a small taste of the amazing food Fabio had in store for Chicago. Read more at: http://chigallauren.com/2013/03/02/siena-tavern/
PureWow
We’re always skeptical of hype-fueled restaurant openings, and on paper, Siena Tavern almost has too much going for it: sweet-talking Top Chefcontestant Fabio Viviani in the kitchen, cocktails by Femme du Coupe and execution by the nightlife powerhouse DineAmic group (Public House, Bull & Bear).
But after booking a table (ask for one far from the buzzing bar) at the Tuscany-inspired tavern, we’re on board with River North’s next big thing. Read more at: http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/4892?forcedViewName=as_seen
