This week’s specials include Chef Harvey’s “Trio di Medaglione”: Wood grilled medallions of South Texas Nilgai Antelope, Black Buck Antelope and grass fed, Angus beef tenderloin with a blackcurrant-juniper demiglace and roasted potato sformatino.

His suggested wine pairing for this dish is one of the most popular wines here at Siena, Lucente by Robert Mondavi and the Marchesi di Frescobaldi: Barrel aged, rich full body blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet, grown in the same vineyards where the Frescobaldi family makes its legendary Brunello di Montalcino ($15. gls. / $59. btl).

Note the fine marbling (i.e., the way the veins of fat run through the steak).

Antipasti

Salami e Pecorino Toscana
Tuscan salami with pecorino Grand Cru,
Peperoncino and olives (not pitted)

 Insalata di Campo
Assorted young greens with red wine vinaigrette

Primi Piatti

Tagliatelle Bolognese
Fresh pasta with traditional meat sauce of Bologna
garnished with Grana Padano

Ribolitta
Tuscan kale, white bean, stewed tomato
and pancetta soup over grilled croutons

Secondi Piatti

Medaglione di Capriolo
Wood grilled Nilgai Antelope medallions with blackberry-juniper demiglace, rosemary roasted potatoes and braised Tuscan kale

Ricciola Grigliata
Wood grilled Amberjack with lump crab, capers, oregano and garlic in lemon beurre blanc on sautéed spinach and roasted potatoes

Sorry no substitutions or split orders

The Tuscan farmhouse setting at Siena Ristorante Toscana is the ideal setting for a romantic dinner for two, warmed by the restaurant’s classic Italian fireplace…

Click here for our 2012 Valetine’s Day Menu!

The name Riff means “reef” in German and it refers to the fact that the Alpine valley where the grapes for this wine are grown was once a seabed.

It’s the nature of the ancient subsoil there that gives this Pinot Grigio its wonderful mineral character. Indeed, one of the things that we love about this wine is that it marries the classic freshness and fruit flavors of great Italian Pinot Grigio with minerality and bright acidity, an ideal combination to create one of the world’s greatest food-friendly wines.

If you like Pinot Grigio, come check out the Riff: we think that you’ll love the complexity and structure of this wine.

Chef Harvey is pairing it today and tomorrow with his Sarde in Dolceforte: Fried, fresh Sardine filets with a sweet and sour sauce of caramelized onions, cracked red chili, currants, vinegar, and toasted pine nuts.

Click here for today’s and tomorrow’s specials!

Did you know that out of the 28 menu items on the Siena menu 18 of them are gluten free or can be prepared gluten free? One of the advantages of being an authentic Tuscan restaurant is that a lot of Tuscan cuisine is naturally gluten free! Over the past 12 years Siena has been offering Austin diners a wide range of gluten free appetizers and entrees. Check out our menu online and see where Chef Harvey has pointed out that some of our most popular items are gluten free!

Quagle Arrosto con Farcita di Fagiano
Wood grilled Lockhart Quail
stuffed with pheasant, pistachio and figs with a
roasted quail-Chianti wine reduction sauce, soft polenta
and braised Tuscan kale (cavolo nero)
$28.

Nodino di Maiale Agrodolce
Pork tenderloin grilled with juniper, garlic
and sage on a blackcurrant-balsamic
gastrique with crisp fried broccoli florets
and roasted butternut
squash-goat cheese sformatino
$27.

Lampuga Grigliata con Granchio
Wood grilled Mahi Mahi
with roasted green garlic-fresh lime beurre blanc,
Lump crabmeat and roasted potato, tomato and onion fricassee
$28.

Sorry no substitutions or split orders.

The Laetitia winery is located in one of the most picturesque valleys of the Arroyo Grande AVA (America Viticultural Area) in San Luis Obispo, California. But there’s much more to its beauty than meets the eye.

The vineyards were planted in 1982 by some of the world’s greatest Champagne experts from France: they had a dream of making world-class méthode champenoise wines in California using Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (just as in Champagne). The Arroyo Grande’s proximity to the ocean provided the cool evening breezes they were looking for and its rolling valleys provided the ideal growing conditions: cool breeze from the sea is channeled to the vineyards naturally thanks to the landscape.

And while Laetitia continues to this day to make some of the best sparkling wine in America, the estate also produces some of California’s best Pinot Noir, like the estate Pinot Noir that we serve by the glass here at Siena.

Here’s the tasting note that owner Stan Adams wrote for the current vintage: “incredibly rich forward fruit, dark cherry floral nose, touch of spice & forest floor, long smooth finish, WOW!”

When you talk about California Pinot Noir, most people think immediately of the Russian River Valley. Come see why Arroyo Grande is California’s best kept Pinot Noir secret at Siena! Just $11.50 by the glass.