The kosher dairy restaurant Siena’s has moved to 12303 Twinbrook Parkway in Rockville.
Formerly located on Woodglen Drive near Whole Foods, the 12-year-old Italian and Mexican-inspired restaurant plans a grand opening Sunday.
Owner Ramesh Zadeh said the restaurant now features a completely different layout and a sizable patio with outdoor seating.
According to Zadeh, the reason for the move was because the lease was up. The landlord told her the building where it used to be located would be torn down in a couple of years. Its new location is in a more populated area with many Jewish residents as well.
“I am really excited,” she said. “I think we’re going to be successful.”
Zadeh said there are some new additions to the menu, including imitation crab and shrimp, new sandwiches and different salads, but that there won’t be anything lost from the original.
“I realized these past years that people didn’t like when I took an item off the menu, if they were coming for that particular food,” she said, adding that more salads have been added for a reason. “Right now, everyone is trying to diet. I realized if I add more salad, this makes customers happy. Siena’s is not just pizza and carbs.”
Its menu puts a unique spin on Italian and Mexican food, featuring no meat products, as well as numerous vegetarian/vegan options made with many local and organic ingredients. Its dairy products are cholov yisroel, under the supervision of the Rabbinical Council of Greater Washington.
Menu items include pan and stuffed pizza, calzones, various sandwiches and pasta dishes and Mexican cuisine, including burritos and quesadillas.
Zadeh is happy with the success of Siena’s, but said that kosher restaurants won’t survive without support from the Jewish community, adding that she knows of some kosher venues that have closed down. The Pita Hut Israeli Restaurant of Rockville, which online restaurant rating service Yelp users rated four stars, is an example of a kosher venue that recently closed.
“I’m supporting all of the kosher restaurants,” she said. “Even if I think that these restaurants are my competition, I’ll help them. I see how hard and difficult it is when I go someplace and I’m searching to find a kosher restaurant.”
