Published by Angie. Last Updated on October 22, 2024.
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Senza is a cozy and welcoming restaurant in Etna serving up seasonal, scratch-made dishes during regular dinner hours on the weekends as well as during Sunday brunch and ticketed dinner club events.
The dishes here are comforting, the flavor combinations are unique, and the hospitality is off the charts. The environment is so welcoming that a meal here feels like dining at your best friend’s house- if that friend was a creative, talented chef, of course.
Order a Mix of the Entire Menu at Senza
From the sidewalk in Etna you might walk by Senza and not think twice. But step inside and the thoughtfully decorated space hints at the type of welcoming dining experience the spot provides. There are only a handful of tables here which adds to the ambience. The menu is small but mighty, with seasonal ingredients and global flavor influences in the small plates, pastas, and entrees. On the drink side, several classic cocktails are on offer in addition to a handful of wines by the glass or bottle.
We started with a pair of Manhattans, which were some of the nicest iterations we’ve had in quite a while. Of particular note was the beautiful, perfectly clear ice. We sipped our cocktails and pondered the menu, quickly realizing we wanted to order one of everything.
We started with a few small plates- the seared scallops with brisket and the kuri squash bruschetta, both of which provided ample portions for sharing.
The bruschetta was a perfect fall dish with two types of tender squash, a rich and creamy mornay sauce, and some arugula for a bitter contrast. The scallops with brisket were so wild that we are still thinking about them. Smokey, fall-apart-tender meat was topped with juicy, buttery scallops, while pomegranate molasses and pomegranate seeds provided a bright, acidic high note.
The house-made orecchiette dish was punchy with lots of delicious textural contrast. Plump, giant shrimp shared the plate with orecchiette in a significantly spicy tomato sauce. But our favorite part of the dish was the texture—crispy, crunchy, chewy bits of pasta studded the dish, reminding us of the browned corners of lasagna or a Detroit-style pizza.
Delicious!
Just Keep Ordering More
For our entree, we shared the substantially-sized pork shoulder dish with risotto and chanterelles. This was another stunner with tender lard-braised meat contrasting with ultra-crispy mushrooms and crispy pork edges.
The spice rub on the meat was full of sweet and warming notes of brown sugar, cardamom, and cinnamon, and the risotto was creamy and perfectly cooked. This dish was so comforting that we spent several minutes gushing about it to our server, Matt, who is also one of the owners. We loved that we were able to chat with him about the preparation of the dish and the lard-braising technique.
Although we were quite full, we couldn’t resist the pull of dessert, which on our visit was a take on s’mores. The dish started with a molten lava-style chocolate cake on a rich caramel sauce, topped with a mind-blowing light but creamy meringue. This decadent dessert was a perfect end to our soul-satisfying meal.
Dining at Senza feels like getting a big hug- the hospitality, comforting flavors, and delicious, creative plates all add up to a beautiful experience that we look forward to repeating again soon.
This was truly one of the finest meals we’ve had in recent memory.
Senza is located at 372 Butler Street in Etna, PA.
