Friends of Tabletop Restaurant Edition: Anthony Carey from The Siena Hotel and Il Palio

Last year, we started a monthly series highlighting the many social influencers and bloggers who have become not only our colleagues, but our friends throughout our journey with Tabletop Media Group. Well, we recently decided to include clients and people in the restaurant community with a new series called: Friends of Tabletop, Restaurant Edition. We hope for this new series to highlight folks that we admire and love working with + give a little peek into their world and background.

With that being said, we’d love to introduce our August feature, Anthony Carey from The Siena Hotel and Il Palio in Chapel Hill, NC! Check out our fun Q&A with him.

Photo by: Triangle Business Journal

Tell us about your position at The Siena Hotel & Il Palio.

I’m the General Manager and have been since 2006. I’ve worked most of my career here at the Siena, starting as a bellman in 1992 and working my way up to Assistant General Manager in 2000, when I left for 6 years, and then and came back as the General Manager.

What's your favorite thing about working in the Triangle?

I love so much about working here in the Triangle! I love living in a highly educated, fun, and diverse community that has all walks of life: from students with purple hair, to conservative folks in business suits. I love the food and wine scene and discovering delicious new places all the time. And I love being in the center of the state where you are always within 2 hours of the beach or the mountains.

What's your bar order?

Gin, gin, and more gin. And did I mention gin? My favorite gin is Distillery 209.

Do you have a favorite fun/crazy story you'd like to share that happened at the hotel or restaurant? Any famous people that have dined with you?

We’ve been fortunate to have many famous people dine and stay with us, but one story that comes to mind is when Billy Joel stayed here in the late 90s while playing a concert in Raleigh. His manager asked us if we would keep the restaurant open for when they returned from their concert, and obviously we said yes! Mr. Joel’s manager went on to say that they had enjoyed their stay so far so much, that he would like to offer me 2 tickets and access passes for the concert. I told him that I would absolutely love to use the tickets, but for my father and sister if possible, since I would be here at the hotel preparing for the band’s return. My dad and sister went to the concert, had a wonderful time, and came back to the hotel to have a nightcap. As they were sitting in the bar, in walks Billy Joel and company, who chose to have their dinner and hang out in the bar area where my family was sitting! Billy Joel then asked if he could play the piano in the lobby and the piano man began to play The Piano Man. It was magical. The whole band played and sang and drank until the early hours of the morning, basically giving my dad and sister another whole concert! It really is refreshing to see a celebrity who is so famous be just a normal person who enjoys being normal. It’s certainly a memory my dad, my sister, and I will cherish forever.

What's your favorite dish to eat?

I would say pasta, anything pasta.

What is your least favorite food?

I really don’t have a least favorite, but I will say I am least likely to order fish or chicken on a menu.

What's your favorite dish at Il Palio?

The Duck Pappardelle. It’s amazing.

What's your favorite restaurant in the Triangle (other than Il Palio)?

Acme in Carrboro.

What's the most useful lesson you've learned from being in the hospitality industry? 

I’ve learned that by being kind and patient you have the ability to turn any negative situation into a happy one. 

Who impacted you the most in your career?

Mr. Rich, a long-time bellman and hospitality professional who worked at the hotel for over 25 years. He taught me the foundational principles of hospitality and I refer to his teachings daily.

Anthony with the Siena team!