Siena Restaurant
Siena’s Pizzeria is not good. It has taken the place of a beautiful open field there at the rounded, historic corner of Masonboro Loop and Masonboro Sound roads, just a few months ago now, along with some other retail and office ventures — a dry cleaner, a mortgage broker (?).
The pizza is thin and — above all — very, very salty. It tastes as if a much larger piece of food had been cooked down into salty two-dimensionality — a salt reduction. Like on those old science fiction movies where things are shunken by giant lasers. Or like Lot’s wife.
Their health score is an 87 — and high eighties ain’t a B+ in health scores. We’ve tried the margherita and the pepperoni — the restaurant is close to our home and the space itself is inviting, with a bar right inside and some nice common space outside, a little bridge of over a man-made pond in back swarming with tadpoles, a shared patio with Mason’s Haunt next door. We’ve ridden our bikes there a couple of times now — You can get to the restaurant using roads other than the bike-averse Loop road, and that’s one of the reasons we wanted to like it. We had hopes about our little ecosystem of bike jaunts and renourishment and beer.
It’s positioned as upscale, with the sponge-textured wall tones, black uniforms for the staff, Morretti beer, and the framed posters of Florence etc. that are obligatory for a certain haute mall vibe. But these are so much lipstick on the salt-lick if the food is as bad as it has seemed to this eater.
Just can’t agree with the above comments. I have eaten at Siena several times, both sit in and take out. I really like the pizza, particularly compared to places like Michaelangelos and such. It/s thin crust, and nice and crispy.The bread is great, hot from the oven. Crab dip compares to Romanellis’s. Wasn’t a fan of the linguine w/clam sauce, but not the worst I’ve had. I do like the atmosphere and its nice to be able to walk next door to Mason’s Haunt for excellant deserts. All in all, pretty nice to go. Hope not too many people find out about it.
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Hi Ron — Thanks for the counterpoint. As much as anything, pizza is a matter of taste — and that’s all I’ve tasted at Siena. But I prefer — and now benchmark with — Mellow Mushroom’s puffier, less-well-cooked and low-gravity feel.
Like you I really want that corner to be a place to go– but not a place everybody goes.
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I really wanted to like Sienna’s also, live right up the road. We tried it three times, so I gave it plenty of opportunity.The space seems like it could be nice, but it’s REALLY loud. Outside is nice, the waitresses are great, but the service was always slow, pizza just OK. We’ll just keep making our own on the grill. There is enough traffic flowing by there to keep them very busy without my family, I’m sure!
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I don’t mind Siena and also live nearby and love the convenience. We’ve eaten in once (so-so) and ordered pizza for pick-up twice. The pies are above average and the small size is a bargain at about $10 including 2 toppings. Ian, if you have problems with salt, I had an oyster dish at Mason’s Haunt that had so much sodium in it, it took 2 beers to get it down.
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I agree. We also like to bike to both Siena and Mason’s Haunt, but we have yet to have a good meal at either one. Also, the prices seem high for such subpar food. We are disappointed….would’ve loved to have restaurants that were within biking distance. For now, we’ll continue to go to Dan’s Mason’s Bistro.
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Dan’s is great. We don’t go there enough. That’s our ‘hood!
Whenever we do, it’s cozy, the food is great (but expensive), the people are nice.
Dan’s chef got mentioned in that top chefs article in Wilmington magazine a few months ago.
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Yes, I think Dan’s is one of the best restaurants in town. We tried out Cape Fear Seafood a couple of weeks ago (down at Monkey Junction near Block Buster). It was GREAT. Nice atmosphere and great food. It will be a special occasion place for us though. Too pricey for the kids!
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Great tip, Chris. Thanks. I’ve wondered about that place. It’s new, isn’t it?
Not a very auspicious location.
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Speaking of Mason’s Bistro: That restaurant has closed its doors. Bad news.
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Siena has an incredibly low health score, I think it is lower now than mentioned above! Thats really bad. On top of that the owner is the most arrogant person my husband and I have ever met, he lacks the basic skills of tact and sophistication that is required by any business owner. This is really sad considering we can walk across the street to get there, but after talking with the owner we are more than happy to drive to go somewhere else.
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Whew. Let me first state, I am a professional French trained chef, former restaurant owner, former DiRONA restaurant critique and two times James Beard featured chef. I too live around the corner and have watched and dined at all the above restaurants on a regular basis. I was sad to see Dan’s close through no fault of their own. I watched in delight as Chef David Herring left Mason’s Haunt, a potentially dream opportunity with his head lowered in shame. Two nights ago when I arrived there at 6:45pm I was the first person to enter the restaurant on a Wednesday night and sad to say not a single person was having dinner before I left a glass of wine later. Time does tell a story. If you are not great at what you do you will not be there in a few short years. Now with that said I can’t help but notice, Siena’s is still there. Jeff and Rob, the owners are there every night striving to make the place better and better. I can’t begin to tell you how many food conversations Jeff has had with me through this whole time. Very contrary to David Herring sitting down once next to me and Master Chef Todd English (a very famous chef) who commands Olive’s restaurant originating out of Boston and telling us that we do not know what we are talking about when referring to a scallop dish that was obvious the scallops were many days old. I have had bad experiences at every restaurant I have ever been to. Nothing is ever perfect and even I have had my share of disasters. What I am going to state is that every disaster I have seen Siena’s go through has resulted in major changes and an upward direction each time. No offence I dine on a lot more then pizza and for me this is not a pizza place. The braised short ribs and the lobster with fresh house made manicotti are outstanding. I would invite any of the world class chefs I know there for dinner. Neither of these owners have ever owned a restaurant in their life but they do have the passion and for that alone I support them and will continue through any up and down experience.
As far as the ratings, on 7/22/2008 they had an inspection score of 90.5 which 1.5 points was from employees drinks not having a top. Another point for floors and another point for some items having been washed and not placed on the shelf for immediate re-use wet. The other items are not that far off. As we can see on the nhcgov website the next inspection was a 95 on 11/21/09 with each violation being borderline ridiculous except for the pizza brush. (since fixed) The bad thing about the internet is that reviews can be made and exist for many years after times have changed. I would suggest a new trip back to a very good restaurant. Since they are busy now over a year later (in a very slow time) if you decide things have not improved I will have to say thanks, since perhaps now I will have an easier time finding a seat. Leave food critiquing to the professionals.
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Ian Oeschger Reply:
February 20th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Wow, Gordon! – I’m no food critique, but this comment of yours is like a sandwich made with old bread: Lots of good stuff in the middle, but funky-tasting at the top, where you feel you have to pull out your bona fides, and at the bottom, where you snark on people who are expressing their own opinions, disagreeing with one another, sharing information.
It’s ridiculous to suggest that we should not be writing these things because you’re around — a PROFESSIONAL restaurant critic — to tell us what we should like. Did you mean to sound this way?
Ahem….That said, I’m so glad your sandwich has all this tasty meat in it: Your inside-baseball account of Siena, its owners, and the improvements being made there really do inspire me to try again. As I’ve mentioned, I’d love this local joint to be great, and to be a place we go often. I occasionally eat things other than pizza myself, and the short ribs sound great.
BTW, it does seem like it’s been busy there recently — the parking lot is filled most evenings.
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Pardon me, Gordon, but is the following a dignified comment for a “professional French trained chef, former restaurant owner, former DiRONA restaurant critique and two times James Beard featured chef”:
“I watched in delight as Chef David Herring left Mason’s Haunt, a potentially dream opportunity with his head lowered in shame.”
Seems to me someone with those credentials wouldn’t give a rat’s patootie about a chef’s career at a mid-range Wilmington eatery. It’s like if the NY Times book reviewer dissed the Star-News’s Ben Steelman. Pretty unbecoming, shocking even.
You sound a lot more like a relative of the owners of Siena. Or maybe the restaurant’s PR flack.
But thanks for sharing.
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“Leave food critiquing to the professionals.”
Professional food critiquers? Huh..right there at the bottom just above movie critic
and just below AM sports radio talk show host….complete waste of money and CO2.
I and anyone else in this city are the real food critics, because WE make or break your restaurant.
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Very nice “comeback” “Ranald”. Very adult noticing your last name attached to a slanderous statement. I have never worked for the owners of the Restaurant Siena nor any other entity they have owned nor am I a relative of any sort.
It’s annoying when someone makes a statement as this thread does that can harm whatever business is concerned when the statement is false or libelous. Published false statements are what the court system is here to contend with and I would be happy to meet you there. When I read this initial and following critique I read of a local restaurant getting skewered that in my professional opinion was not deserved. Because of that I made known what my background is, be whatever you may think of it. I bet critiquing is not what you get paid for. All too often now with the internet and flow of information anyone can make a statement that they can hide behind and not be accountable for. All of the above blogs could be a former fired employee or the competition. We will never know.
Time will tell if this restaurant is around. I bet it will be there through the next 3 or 4 openings and closings of the other restaurants mentioned. Unlike many of the above my full name is attached to this statement.
Buckwheat, the public does make or break any business, that is a given. More times then not, history shows that an educated opinion will stand longer then an uneducated one.
I stumbled upon this site looking for a phone number and so what I must add is that I do know with this new dribble, there’s no more reason for me to read this website anymore. Have fun arguing with yourselves.
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From the Star-News (the opening date remains a mystery):
Debbi DiGivanni is breathing new life into the old Dan’s Mason Bistro (4039 Masonboro Loop Road), which opens this month as Sunset Bistro. Expect international and regional American fare (shrimp and grits, prime rib dip sandwich, Wiener schnitzel).
Also, anyone try the new Korean BBQ joint on 41st near Oleander (in the spot that used to be a Mexican restaurant)?
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i used to be the sous chef here a few years ago and the only reason I left was becouse my wife found her dream job of teaching. One thing I can say is that rob and jeff strive for perfection they are very awair of the food that is being surved and try to make each dinner feel like there at home I don’t know how the food is now but i can truly say that rob and jeff realy care about there guests having the best dinning expiriance possible good luck rob and jeff still love you guys joseph
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I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Steve Hotz and I am the new Executive Chef at Siena’s. I have reviewed your comments and I think that you will find that I have made more than great strides to improve the food at Siena’s. It is a great little Trattoria and I look forward to serving you great food.
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Great, Steve. Nice to meet you and look forward to coming in there soon.
Thanks a lot
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I had the pleasure of dining at Siena last October with 9 other people while vacationing and I must say it was one of the best meals I ever ate. The clams were spectacular, not to mention the service was as equally spectacular. Not one person at my table had a complaint and I dined with some tough cookies let me tell you. I also had the pleasure of talking with one of the owners and he was very concious about our dining experience. All and all I have to give Siena a huge thumbs up. I can’t wait to go back to Wilmington this year and have a meal at Siena.
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I just wanted to thank everyone that supported me at Siena. I am no longer at Siena but will continue my culinary career soon in the Port City. I will keep everyone posted on when and where that happens. Otherwise Good Food, Good wine and Good Friends…Cheers
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Wayne Reply:
May 7th, 2010 at 7:13 am
when Sienna first opened, the food was OK, not great but OK. At some point (about the time many of Mason Haunt’s employees moved over to Sienna) it got better, and then better and right now it’s great. Had the Wahoo last night and it was superb – along with a really nice sangiovese malbec blend. Oh and just to spread the wealth around, Bouchee next door where Mason Haunt was – is also an excellent restaurant. Both restaurants are comparable to neighborhood restaurants in Manhattan.
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