![]() This drink is a bit on the sweeter side as it is made with cider, apple brandy, orange, and thyme. They recommend you drink it slowly to assess the different notes in flavors, which mark the passage of time. It’s served in something reminiscent of a circular glass boat and is just beautiful to look at. Return of the Mac: If you can only have one drink all night, have this one! Its presentation is stellar. It was a stronger drink on the boozier side. It was crispy, light, and coated with salt and vinegar.Ĭrazy Rich Raisins: A cozy, winter drink with more robust rum and whiskey flavors finishing with a rooibos edge. Instead of ours being made with pork, ours was made out of rice. Crispy rice wontonįood Pairing: Vegetarian version of the Crispy Pork Skin – I remember seeing this dish at almost everyone’s table and wondered what it was. The olive oil flavor was quite mild but it was a balanced drink that was reminiscent of bubble tea with fun textures. Jesus Can’t Hit a Curveball: Refreshing and herbaceous with celery, gin and a pinch of Serrano spice – this cocktail is a perfectly mild start to the tasting menu.Įlegant Victory Over Oil: This cocktail was also refreshing and light with cucumber, gin, and olive oil. ![]() You don’t have a choice with the food pairing, they choose the item – and like I said before, they were super flexible with accommodating the pairings to be pescatarian and vegetarian. While they do have an extensive cocktail menu with around 19 options, they have a special prix-fixe menu (what you’re given if you do the 3 pairings) where you choose one cocktail from three different categories beginning with milder cocktails to heavier, more intense cocktails. So if you have a food allergy/dietary specialty, they will do their best to accommodate you, which is unique for a place of this caliber (do you find that fancier places tend to be less willing to change tasting menus?). Our server was patient, enthusiastic, and was very accommodating to our Vegetarian/Pescatarian (no Octopus) diet. After waiting for about 10 more minutes (we waited about 15 minutes total – we got there about 20 minutes before our reservation and they were able to accommodate us), we were brought into a dimly lit cocktail lounge with swanky chairs and booths – basically what I expected the interior of Aviary to look like.īefore I get into the cocktails and food, I will say that the service was excellent on all fronts. The experience felt very dramatic and exciting. Once you make it through the outdoor portion of waiting, then you are brought to the interior entrance with a glass window into the magical and mysterious Aviary kitchen. You can spot Aviary from across the street because there is a line of people waiting out front (there is some heating in the waiting area thank God!) with an important looking doorman holding a tablet. Make sure you have some substantial food in your stomach since it’s pretty easy to get drunk off of 3 cocktails. You do have to pay ahead of time when you make the tasting reservation, so I would be prepared for that. We had the 3 cocktails with 3 food pairings option, which was a perfect option for when you don’t want to have a full-blown dinner but are looking for mainly snacks. When you make your reservation on Tock you are given a choice of various tasting options: 3 cocktails ($64/person) with 3 food pairings ($25/person) or an even more decadent 5 cocktails with 5 food pairing menu. ![]() I made reservations about a month in advance for a cold and dreary, post-NYE Friday night in January. The Aviary is the closest I have ever been to tasting anything related to the legendary Grant Achatz of Alinea and Next. But cocktails can be just as exciting as food and figured that I’d at least see for myself what this place was about. I hesitated for a while because I am more food-obsessed and found it hard to justify spending this much money on cocktails. Check out my updated review of Aviary in 2023.Īs an almost five-year resident of Chicago, I figured it was time to try the ever so lauded cocktail bar, The Aviary – the recent holidays helped with making this a reality since it’s a pricey place. ![]()
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