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Restaurant & Bar Reviews » Chapel Hill » Media Event: Il Palio in Chapel Hill Doing Rustic and Regional Italian Fare

November 2, 2015 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Media Event: Il Palio in Chapel Hill Doing Rustic and Regional Italian Fare

Entrance to the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Entrance to the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining

Out in the NC Triangle we’ve got several great examples of hotel restaurants ranging from the Fairview Dining Room at Washington Duke Inn to Herons at the Umstead and Flights over at the Renaissance Hotel. Hotel restaurants may not be at the top of your list as a dining option but you’d be remiss in not considering them. And Il Palio at the Siena Hotel is a new, Italian option in this category. I received an invite for a VIP dinner with their new chef Teddy Diggs and here’s how the evening played out…

Lobby at the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Lobby at the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining

Il Palio and the Siena Hotel are conveniently located off of E. Franklin Street in Chapel Hill and is certainly one of the more upscale options in this college town. The lobby is full of polished marble and columns presenting an age-old, antiqued European feel. Il Palio sits to the right of the lobby entrance with a bar and lounge area in front, impressive wine display to the side.

Wine-display at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Wine-display at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining

We meet with Il Palio’s PR representative, Cherith from Clairemont Communications, who has organized this soiree and gathering of local food media and bloggers. It’s an impressive and chatty group for the evening. I manage to get a quick tour of the dining room before dinner kicks off with General Manager, Anthony Carey who shows off the refreshed dining space. While elegant and upscale, the decor is still comfortable and shows off hints of a post-mod 70’s feel.

Cul de sac seating at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Cul de sac seating at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining

We’re seated at two long tables and the dinner will be coursed with a variety of items off the Il Palio dinner menu. We start off with some beautiful large crostini slathered in a variety of pate, jam and mousse, quite good but I’ll confess that I’m not a huge fan of pates!

Crostini at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Crostini at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Roasted chestnut soup at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Roasted chestnut soup at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining

Course two is a variety of antipasti (appetizers) which range from a roasted chestnut soup to tuna carpaccio and squid in red sauce. A warm basket of olive-oil infused focaccia is actually MY favorite appetizer, sometimes it’s the simple things in life!

Olive oil focaccia at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Olive oil focaccia at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Hand-cut taglierini with porcini at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Hand-cut taglierini with porcini at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining

Next up is an array of pastas and entrees. The hand-cut taglierini pasta with black truffle-porcini butter and walnuts is rich and exquisite. A plate of gnocchi to my left, lamb chops to the right and a lovely grilled seabass in front of me.

Grilled lamb at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Grilled lamb at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining

Il Palio specializes in wood-grilled fare so everything comes out with a hint of smoke and char from that specialty oven. I loved the seabass but you do have to be careful picking through its small bones. General Manager Anthony is also taking care of our wine needs over the course of the evening making it a lavish meal. Again, I find some of the simpler items on Il Palio’s menu to be some of my favorites, don’t miss their creamy aquarello risotto!

Whole grilled sea bass at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Whole grilled sea bass at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining

The table finishes up with a variety of desserts and I absolutely adore mine: a simple-looking olive oil cake! Served with olive oil gelato and these wonderful roasted grapes, there’s a lot of simple complexity happening on this plate. Warm and luscious cake paired with the cool gelato and the fruit with a swirl of balsamic makes for a wonderful ending and sweetness to finish the meal.

Olive oil cake with roasted grapes at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining
Olive oil cake with roasted grapes at Il Palio in Chapel Hill- NC Triangle Dining

Over the course of the dinner, Chef Teddy comes out to tell us a bit about his vision for the menu here at Il Palio and he’s a talented chef with a passion for regional Italian fare. Il Palio is certainly doing Italian cuisine that goes far beyond what you’ll find at most Italian restaurants in the Triangle. So if you’re up for a trek to Chapel Hill and Italian treat for the taste-buds, seek out Il Palio at the Siena Hotel. It’s worth the effort if you’re looking for modern European cuisine in lush surroundings. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, bon appetit!

 

Il Palio at the Siena Hotel

1505 E Franklin Street

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

919.918.2545

Location on Google maps

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Filed Under: Chapel Hill, Media, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Italian Restaurants

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