There may currently be a proliferation of wine bars in the city, but there was a time, and not that long ago, when you could count such places on one hand and still have a few digits left over. One of the earliest innovators was Mark Taylor, who opened the late-lamented Cru in 2003 and ran it for nine successful years. Cru’s colour-coded menu that matched food and wine selections was a first for Vancouver and paved the way for future iterations.
Like all good things, Cru eventually came to an end, but before it was laid to rest, Taylor went on to open Siena a few blocks away in the heart of South Granville. Named for the city in which he proposed to his wife, the casual little trattoria is a simple testament to the alchemy that happens when good food and wine are aptly paired.
“Originally, we planned it to be more Mediterranean,” explains Taylor, “focusing on Italy, Spain and France. But it gradually evolved into an almost exclusively Italian menu based on what our guests wanted.”
The customers were absolutely right in this case. A fabulous antipasti platter for two changes daily, is excellent value at $19 and one night came loaded with arancini stuffed with truffle, chives and lemon, a head of roasted garlic, pickled carrots and cranberries, farro salad, prosciutto, sopressata, mortadella, parmesan, roasted salted walnuts, fig jam and toasted focaccia. It’s hearty and bright, with contrasting flavours and textures. Burrata ($14) is excellent, sided with sweet, light, onion jam and grilled focaccia.
Chef Jessica Howery, who was with Taylor at Cru, keeps things easy and elegant. Pastas are a select list, with standouts like the puttanesca ($17) and porcini ravioli ($19). Mains are even more tightly focused, with three regular selections, and a daily feature. One night the feature was pan-roasted halibut with a cauliflower-fennel puree. In-season always tastes best, and this was a winner that will hopefully stay on the menu for the duration of the season. Local is definitely a theme, as most of the produce is sourced from the Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley or even closer. “In summer, almost all of our produce comes from UBC Farm,” says Taylor.
The food might be more Italian in focus, but the wine list ranges freely over BC, France, Italy and Spain. Bubbles by the glass include cava, prosecco and a particularly excellent crémant. Reds and white follow a similar path, based on what tastes good rather than where they’re from. Most of the glasses hover around the $10-$12 mark, and – wine aficionados takes note – all bottles are 50 per cent off on
Mondays, which also seems to be a night for industry to converge.
As for Taylor, it doesn’t seem that resting on his laurels is in the plan. The busy father has entered into partnership with the owners of Biercraft to open a third Biercraft location at UBC this summer. Look for 155 seats, plus a 90-seat patio, and what sounds to be a menu worth the drive.
In the meanwhile, get thee to Siena and feast like a happy Tuscan.
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★★★
Service: ★★★
Ambiance: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
★: Okay, nothing memorable.
★★: Good, shows promise.
★★★: Very good, occasionally excellent.
★★★★: Excellent, consistently above ave.
★★★★★: Awe-inspiring, practically perfect in every way.
Open for dinner daily at 5pm.
Siena | 1485 West 12 Ave. | 604-558-1485 | EatSiena.com
Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for more than 10 years. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday.
