I’ve been meaning to visit Chicago’s Siena Tavern for a while, but I’ve never gotten around to it.  Back home, for nostalgic reasons, the sight of the abandoned former China Grill space always saddened me. Luckily for me, I now get to enjoy Siena Tavern in my own backyard and see the 5th and Washington corner come to life again. Problem solved.

Italian-born Fabio Viviani initially stole hearts across the country with his appearance on Bravo’s hit reality competition show, Top Chef. I don’t know about you, but my favorite Fabio TV moment is and will always be “boor-gor-vention.” If you don’t know about it already, please take a look here. With the right amount of charisma, comedic chops, business wits, and a charming accent, he has since taken over America: six restaurants (for now), countless TV cooking segments, a web series, a cookware line, multiple product endorsements, cookbooks, his very own magazine, and even a newly released wine collection. If you haven’t heard of Chef Viviani, you’ve been living under a rock!

Given Fan-Favorite Fabio’s popularity and his many business ventures, I wondered if Siena Tavern would be just a marketing ploy to get Top Chef fans through the door. The second I set foot inside, it was obvious… READ MORE