Sienna’s
403 Roncesvalles Ave
416.901.4899 Website
Sienna’s is serving up platters of classic red sauce Italian for family feasts.
Forget about dainty single servings of truffle-sprinkled malfade: It’s all about mountainous portions of ravioli and massive chicken parm at this Roncy restaurant paying homage to old school Italian-American joints.
Marinara-stained checkered tablecloths abound in New York and Jersey but they’re a little less common in Toronto.
Paul Campione of The Commoner and The Commoner Bar Room wanted to bring a taste of Sunday night family dinner to Roncy with a cozy spot to bring the whole crew.
It’s a comfortable vibe, with a great back room with booth seating. As with most Italian spots, there are obligatory photos of the family on the wall, including the restaurant’s namesake and the owner’s daughter, Sienna.
All the mains at Sienna’s come as platters large enough for two to three people, but it should be noted that there are also Family Trays that serve from six to 12 people that can be ordered in advance.
Sides at Sienna’s are more conventionally sized for sharing, though arancini stuffed with mozzarella ($12) are tennis ball-sized, sitting in a pool of marinara.
Thick-battered calamari ($17) is served with banana peppers, garlic aioli, and a cocktail sauce. Garlic bread ($10) is garlic bread. You simply can’t go wrong with a basket of carby roasted garlic and blended cheese.
No exaggeration, the tomato sauce spaghetti ($30) is a literal mountain of noodles, complete with sturdy full-sized serving tongs.
Add meatballs, a blend of beef, veal, and pork, for $10.
It’s a refreshingly affordable meal at a time when eating Italian in Toronto means paying upward of $20 for a handful of goods. One plateful from this mountain of spaghetti barely makes a dent in the motherlode.
Rigatoni ($32) in cream rose sauce is my favorite. This hardy pasta is served with basil and parmesan.
Crispy chicken parmesan ($21) is a solid contender for this cheesy, deep-fried dish. It comes with a coating of mozzarella on top and marinara on the bottom.
The eggplant parm ($32) is a match-up for any good Italian hot counter in the city. It’s a massive layered hunk of parm, Mozza, and layers of eggplant doused in sauce.
Drinks at Sienna’s include wines, a few beer options, and a list of exclusively Italian cocktails.
Retro drinks like the Angelo Azzuro ($13) bring back the Amalfi Coast’s answer to the Cosmo with gin, limoncello, and blue curacao.
For Sopranos fans, the Paulie Walnuts ($13) is a take on the classic cocktail The Godfather, with Famous Grouse, amaretto, and walnut bitters.
Definitely come hungry and expect to leave absolutely stuffed. If you’re a party of two, expect to take leftovers home. Sienna’s is the kind of place where doggie bags are almost a given.
