kathryn wrote:What was the presentation of the El Diablo?

That would be it I believe. It's a deep dark red, and comes in the tall collins glass, with a stainless steel slightly curved straw to drink out of. BTW, if you are a straw biter like me, beware that all the straws are stainless steel.

[quote="clogoodieWe were brought into the liquor stockroom, where he singled out a few rare spirits, and explained why they were excited to use them.


[/quote]

Casa Noble tequilas on the shelf, I'd recognize that bottle and silver label anywhere. My personal favorite brand. Guess I'll have to try a tequila drink there when I finally make it in.

Finally able to report in on our visit on opening night. (apologies on the lengthiness)

Here's what I came away after a wonderful night of drinks. Aviary is definitely a cocktail kitchen. If you are there to observe the craft of making a cocktail, then there are plenty of other places to go and enjoy. If you enjoy new and innovative presenation, then this place is it as it is a great addition to the remerging cocktail scene and a wonderful new addition to the Chicago scene. Drink purists however may not enjoy the flavors of the drinks, they are very good, but other places around the city have done better versions of drinks. I don't mean it as an insult at all, Aviary is a different beast than say the Violet Hour. They both have amazing drinks, but the methods differ.

After posting about the line, we decided to go for it.

As the hour of opening arrived we did notice a small number of placeholders in front of us, not nothing too big. When the dorrs opened, they started to trickle people in, so the line moved slowly. We thought we were going to get into the first seating, but they stopped us at the front of the line. This is where it was irksome, especially after seeing the space inside. We waited almost three hours to get in, not a big deal except they kept letting in larger parties in ahead of us. We were a party of two, and understood that parties of 5 could be seated, but a party of three was let in ahead of us as well. The doorman kept saying it would "just be a few more minutes" but that lasted an hour. Finally he asked if we could buddy up with the other party of two behind us, of course we both agreed and after another an hour and twenty minutes of waiting we got in.

When we got in we were presented with an amuse bouche drink of rhubarb, gin, and mint. This was right outside the "caged" kitchen area on the high table tops topped with grass. Really nice way to start the night.




The décor was great, very modern and the sound and music was at a perfect level, no worries about being drowned out by noise. When we were led to our seats, I saw why it took so long to let us in, especially since we were nowhere near the 80th people in line. They said the place holds 80 people, but on opening night it looked more like 50 people. The standing tables were being used to present the amuse drinks, so that cut some capacity, but the couch seating was set so everyone had space. Nice for the people inside, but not so nice if you are waiting to get in. I suppose if they wanted to pack more people in they could have, but you would lose that spacious seating between parties.
They also had these plant decorations on stands on islands in the middle of the room. Nice, but it was an obstruction for everyone trying to navigate around it.



On to the drinks, we tried half of the menu between the four of us. The Blueberry came in the now famous porthole shaped flask, the server said that as the drink sat it would change color and flavor from your first pour to your last, and it was very true. It was nicely balanced to start, and then got sweeter as it kept steeping. The Lemon drink was a riff on a Tom Collins and was served in a beer bottle wrapped in a paper bag. The Tiki was nicely balanced, like a Mai Tai, and the mini ice spheres were cinnamon flavored. The Pineapple was a drink that excited me, I don’t think I’ve had something like that before, and I couldn’t’ place what that flavor was that was ‘seasoning’ the drink, it was slightly peppery, definitely a favorite of mine.



Our next round consisted of The Popcorn, nice buttery but not filling, definitely tasted like creamy buttered popcorn. The Old Fashioned in the Rocks, pretty playful presentation with the weighted rubberband, a Martinez – I didn’t get to try this, and a Scotch Pine which weirdly reminded me of the Iron Cross at the Violet Hour. After that came the Cranberry cocktail, presented in a carafe showing off the 7 layers of juices and then poured into the glass, The truffle cocktail a Negroni infused with truffle, very strong truffle smell and taste, sadly no one ate the slice of truffle at the bottom of the glass. The Sassafras was a distilled drink and tasted like root beer. The Rooibos tea presentation was great. It was "brewed" table side and tasted great, nice and warming on a cold night.



We then had the Ginger drink, which was another one that floored me, in that having it with a bite of the chili was a different experience than a drink with a bit of the finger lime cell, and different again from the mint (or shiso) in it. The drink was great, and a fun interactive presentation with the lemongrass swizzle stick. Our table buddies ordered a Sidecar and a Daiquiri that I didn’t get to try. We ended the night with the cool Coffee drink. Hot coffee with milk-cream ice frozen on the side of the glass and it tasted like a nice Bailey’s coffee.




The bites on the menu were very good, but definitely not filling. We were craving for more substantial food after sampling them, and we went to the Publican to satisfy our hunger. You have to order the bites in 3’s and they were very flavorful, but small so it’s hard to try and share a taste. My favorites were the wagyu beef, foie gras, crab, and cheesecake bites. Each was very flavorful and had me longing for more. The cantaloupe, clam chowder, pork belly, and brioche worked well, and I think my only disappointment was the lobster cracker. I’d say it’s great to sample, but make sure you eat or have plans to eat afterward or you’ll be craving for a steak like I was.

Our night soon ended, and the bill came already including tax and tip which was nice. As we walked out we noticed the line had thinned out, but the place was still going strong. Also, I couldn’t help but take a few moments standing in the stairwell to the bathroom. It’s connected to Next, and you can peek inside, but what kept me there was the smell of the food, oh man I wish I could have sneaked in there and had whatever deliciousness was being served, so intoxicating. As we walked out, we snapped a few more shots of the cocktail kitchen and noticed Chef Achatz and Chef Schoettler discussing something at the end of the cocktail kitchen. Off we went to have some porky goodness at the Publican.



I really enjoyed the experience at Aviary, and my gripes are minor. Things I did notice – in the beginning the servers were using an iPod to take orders, heck even the doorman was using one to take names and numbers down. Halfway through our service, it switched to a pen and paper. I noticed some of the drinks were not served in the glassware featured in the promo shots circulating around. Also, for a good 40 minutes the two tables next to us were empty, and we still could see a line, so I’m not sure why they hadn’t let anyone in. Annoying since they held us out there was well, and I now could see they could have sat a few more people quicker. These things are minor, and in the scheme of things probably part of Opening Day kinks that will be eliminated once they find their groove.
The cocktails were really great, and the presentations were innovative and nice. Our table buddy said that the booze wasn’t always the primary focus of each drink, and I somewhat agree.

After thinking about it though, I still think Aviary holds its own very well and sets itself apart from the other establishments in the city. Will you get a bar side seat to observe a bartender performing his craft, or get a ‘perfected’ booze-centric drinks? Probably not, but you will get great presentation, and imaginative very well done re-inventions of cocktail drinks. I will definitely be coming back again and again, and will add it to my rotation of places like Sable, The Violet Hour, and the Whistler.

Well, it was opening weekend -- I assume they didn't seat a full house simply so that the kitchen wouldn't become overwhelmed. Standard operating procedure for them, right? I believe it's something they've done in the past for Trio/Alinea/Next. Start small and slowly ramp up to full capacity.

I'm sure that is exactly what happened. I was just more aware of it because we were at the front of the line and kept getting passed pver for an hour and twenty minutes.

Gotta give the kitchen time to ramp up and operate.

From the menu, everything looks to have booze. Any non-booze options for the designated driver?

We will be serving non-alcoholic house-made drinks upon request... just ask your servers.

Made it to Aviary this evening...

Logistics:

Arrived at 5:30, 11th in line. Admitted about 6:15, with less than a dozen queued behind me at the time.

Overview:

A terrific eating/drinking experience. The bites and drinks were of great quality. This isn't Black Truffle Explosion or a Maloney Negroni made by Toby during the heyday of the Violet Hour, but they are absolutely the next best thing and worth every penny. In particular, the size of the pours on the cocktails is significant. Service, while helpful and very attentive, was not exactly up my alley, but it will certainly only get better.

Specifics:

I was solo, which I expected to be less than ideal, and was asked if I wanted to stand in the cage to have a close-up view of the chef-tenders. I thought that was as good an option as any, and I certainly didn't want to take up a seating area reserved for a larger party. I didn't mind standing, but the show wasn't as exciting as I had expected. The chefs work with assembly-line efficiency. There are a lot of pre-batched mixes, such that it's hard to tell what's going on at any given time. Part of this may be down to some novel techniques that are being employed, but all-in-all the bar area was for the most part quiet and serene, dare I say a bit boring. Separated by several feet of bar, a walkway and the wire mesh decoration, the chefs were in their own world, and not particularly interested in or perhaps even aware that they had an audience. As advertised, there was no interaction with them. This drove home the point for me that Aviary is a lounge, not a bar.

Before I got too far into the menu, an amuse arrived featuring bourbon, grenadine, mint and "maple ice" (which was genius, by the way) and before I'd taken a second sip of that a pour of Pappy Van Winkle 20 year appeared (this, I'm guessing, as a result of my acquaintance with the chef). Here I met the first of a number of service quirks where I am probably one of very few people who would notice or care. One of the captains (not my normal server, seemed to be a higher level) brought out the bottle when he presented this and said something to the effect of, 'the 20 year aged bourbon from the Pappy Van Winkle Distillery'. Now, I'm not trying to be a hard ass, but such a place does not exist. If you're going to project an attitude about cocktails and liquor, I expect there to be a base level of understanding that you're building on, which was not yet on display here. If this had been the only instance of such a faux pas, I wouldn't even have mentioned it, but there were more to come.

Bourbon in hand, I was just starting to warm up from having waited in the cold for 45 minutes, but wasn't quite there, so I figured a Hot Chocolate was a good idea. It arrived in short order. So short, in fact, that I was still working on my amuse and the Pappy. The hot beverage demanded my attention, so I ended up rotating between the three drinks for some time. Not ideal, but I can think of many worse ways to spend an evening. The Hot Chocolate was smoky, beguilingly minty and rich. I pegged El Tesoro as the smoke (confirmed by my server) and Fernet was bringing it's minty-chocolate menthol goodness. The server inquired how I liked it, and I mentioned that the smokiness was profound, to which she replied, 'Yes, that's the Fernet. I didn't know what to think of it at first, but they say it's an acquired taste.' Now, Fernet is a lot of things, but smoky it is not. Later she claimed to have tasted every product they use at the bar, which is a little hard to believe. One doesn't tend to forget ones first Fernet.

The attentiveness of service was really something...so much so that it could certainly be misinterpreted as an attempt to increase sales/consumption. I'm sure they're still working on pacing, but with the speed at which the kitchen operates, there's really no need to be inquiring about the next drink when the first is only half gone. As it was, I was trying to pace myself, given the three drinks that landed on my table nearly simultaneously. But, with the frequency at which I was asked about what was going to be next I couldn't help but get the impression that I was taking up valuable real estate and should place my next order post haste. I took the opportunity to open a dialog and ask my server whether I should go for Pineapple or Ginger. Ginger, I had seen, was an absolutely gorgeous concoction, keeping one of the kitchen staff more or less fully employed, as he was preparing the multitude of garnishes for this drink and only this drink the entire time I was there...sadly, for the liquor snobs out there, the base spirit is lowly vodka. Pineapple, on the other hand, is crafted around Green Chartreuse, with Sanbitter and mint. My server pushed Ginger, hard. I ordered Pineapple.

But, first the captain arrived again, this time with the bottle of Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye...there was some small talk, which was slightly strained given that he kept asking me technically nonsensical things like how familiar was I with the Van Winkle Distillery, while I smiled and nodded as I didn't really feel like getting into the minutiae of American Whiskey history at this point in my evening. Fortified as I was, I worked up the courage to inquire about the proceedings "downstairs". I was informed that they are not currently operating The Office, focusing their energies on getting Aviary up and running at full speed. Perfectly reasonable, but perhaps it was obvious that I was a bit dismayed. Seeing this, I was offered a tour, which I wholeheartedly accepted. But, first, Pineapple. If not for the Sanbitter, it would be Tiki-esque. More than anything, it reminded me of the Vellocet from Rogue Cocktails, but this was creamy and just a touch piquant. I love Green Chartreuse. If you do, too, you'll love Pineapple.

What can I possibly say about the Office? Well, speaking of Green Chartreuse...there's a bottle from the 1940s down there. That's all I needed to know to profess that I would happily slog ice up and down stairs or dutifully fill a spot in a line of shaker-boys a la Ramos for the chance to spend more time in that room. I've had dreams of buying a small little space and opening a 10-seat bar, operating by appointment only, where I can make drinks that I like for whomever I like...Grant Achatz beat me to it. I have no idea what it will be like once it's operational, but in the abstract it's the bar of my dreams.

While I'm not sure why you'd go to Aviary and order neat spirits, there is a list (which I haven't seen mentioned, so a snapped a quick photo). I inquired, and the Old Potrero listed is the 18th Century...a wonderfully harsh, oak-bomb of a 100% rye mash whiskey that shouldn't technically be called Rye.



Food-wise, I had the foie, wagyu, potato, crab, chowder and pork belly. The wagyu and potato were very good, as was the chowder. Foie was excellent, dessert-like almost, but pork belly and crab were standouts. The pickle and tomato with tempura battered crab was unique and playful, my favorite of the night.

ETA: Forgot about the "mignardise" cocktail, a mini Cynar flip. Nothing outlandish about this, just rich creamy, bitter artichoke with a bit of spice over the top. A bold, traditional (perhaps not in the grand scheme, but certainly compared to what came before) closer.

Odd, as the recipe that Tasting Table posted says the smoke in the Hot Chocolate comes from a charred cigar. (FWIW, I've never pegged Fernet or El Tesoro as smoky so I might have been inclined to ask if there was a mezcal hidden in there.) Still, Fernet? Not smoky. To me it tastes kinda like Listerine.

IIRC the Ginger cocktail is based off of a Moscow Mule, so liquor snobs are "allowed" to drink vodka in this instance, yes?

kathryn wrote:IIRC the Ginger cocktail is based off of a Moscow Mule, so liquor snobs are "allowed" to drink vodka in this instance, yes?

Well since the Mule was a marketing gimmick, created to sell two products, I'll let each snob draw their own opinion!

SSDD

kathryn wrote:Odd, as the recipe that Tasting Table posted says the smoke in the Hot Chocolate comes from a charred cigar. (FWIW, I've never pegged Fernet or El Tesoro as smoky so I might have been inclined to ask if there was a mezcal hidden in there.) Still, Fernet? Not smoky. To me it tastes kinda like Listerine.

The foam didn't seem to have a ton of flavor, at least not compared to the rich chocolate. From what I could tell, the smoke was definitely coming from the base. Mezcal certainly crossed my mind, but something about it pointed me toward El Tesoro, whose platinum (used here) is perhaps the smokiest tequila I know (which may not be saying much, as my wife is the tequila drinker in the family).

Among other things, Fernet is said to have a flavor profile that includes eucalyptus and saffron. It's certainly the former that I'm interpreting as minty.

kl1191 wrote:Pappy Van Winkle 20 year appeared (this, I'm guessing, as a result of my acquaintance with the chef). Here I met the first of a number of service quirks where I am probably one of very few people who would notice or care. One of the captains (not my normal server, seemed to be a higher level) brought out the bottle when he presented this and said something to the effect of, 'the 20 year aged bourbon from the Pappy Van Winkle Distillery'. Now, I'm not trying to be a hard ass, but such a place does not exist. If you're going to project an attitude about cocktails and liquor, I expect there to be a base level of understanding that you're building on, which was not yet on display here.

Coming from an 'expert' such as yourself, I find this claim amusing, arousing and slightly vexing. However, I absolutely agree with you... "If you're going to project an attitude about cocktails and liquor, I expect there be a base level of understanding that you're building on...." Clearly you are BUILDING on your base level of knowledge and understanding as you will notice when you pick up a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 20yr. Take a gander at this link here: http://www.oldripvanwinkle.com/newbs/vw/website3.nsf/docsbykey/HNEY-5FFM32?opendocument
You will see a label. A Pappy Van Winkle 20yr label, mind you. If you look down to the bottom left hand side of the label, you will very obviously see that it says Bottled by Old Rip Van Winkle DISTILLERY.
Being a "hard ass" doesn't look so good on you and neither does the attitude you're projecting.

kl1191 wrote:Ginger, I had seen, was an absolutely gorgeous concoction, keeping one of the kitchen staff more or less fully employed, as he was preparing the multitude of garnishes for this drink and only this drink the entire time I was there...sadly, for the liquor snobs out there, the base spirit is lowly vodka.

The Ginger is quite a beautiful cocktail, agreed. But again, I must impose my retort...
Dearest Liquor Snob: it is surely not necessary to belittle or discount vodka, or to highlight its "sadness"- as every spirit has its place. While it may not be as complex and multi-dimensional as your favorite scotch or gin, it still provides its purpose with clean, bright and rounded simplicity. Further, vodka allows for an alcoholic platform in which clever and innovative cocktail technique and flavor can shine. As the Ginger showcases, Vodka, in its own right, deserves a creative and delicious outlet and accompaniment in a crafted cocktail.

By the way... did I notice that it was your 'acquaintance' with the chef that prompted a gratis sample of the very rare and highly allocated Pappy Van Winkle 20 year? I wasn't aware that it was proper form to regard such a gesture with a critique such as yours.
What is that cliche about looking a gift horse in the mouth...?

LAH,

First, welcome. Second, thank you for you reply.

I've been thinking about my initial post a lot today and have been worried that it could be taken in exactly the way you've taken it. I'm thankful for the prompting you've given me to clarify my remarks.

By the time/date stamp on my post you can surely tell that it was composed while I was still rather "under the influence" of both the Aviary's wonderful and generous offerings, as well as a post-Aviary stop at the Whistler. I admit that in hindsight it would have been better to wait to write about my experience, and to be honest when I re-read my post this morning I thought about deleting it, because a lot of what I wrote could have been presented in a much more useful manner. I ended up leaving it, after I asked a friend who also happened to stop by Aviary last night to read it and let me know if it was too harsh. He agreed with my assessment that the post was on the whole very positive about the food and drink, and concurred in the general tone of my comments on the pacing and the "newness" of the servers, so I let it be. I should point out that those issues are only natural for a place that's been open 4 days, and that I stated in my post that I had every expectation that things would improve with regard to service.

When it comes right down to it, the only issue I see having with Aviary isn't an issue with Aviary at all...it's an issue with me, and what I like best about a bar. I prefer an interactive bar experience, one where I can be in a dialog with the bartender and learn about and discuss their take on the craft. I'm a booze geek, that's just me. As I told another friend today (the same one who so kindly introduced me to the chef a year and a half ago), I think Aviary is exciting and I'm looking forward to sharing that experience with my wife and friends. It's not the same experience I generally look for when I go out to a bar, but it's a very unique experience to learn in a new and worthwhile way. There's a respect for the ingredient that is not beholden to it.

Now, as to the Pappy. Yes, it was a dick move to talk down about someone who was sharing a fantastic product with me gratis, I can only apologize for that. For my patronizing tone above and for not expressing appropriate gratitude, I certainly will try to apologize in person the next time I see the chef. However, having viewed your image, and consulted several of the bottles of Van Winkle products on my shelf, I will reiterate, there is no such place as the Pappy Van Winkle Distillery. I've been in the building where Pappy Van Winkle is bottled, and it is at Buffalo Trace, the only distillery in Frankfort, KY. The Van Winkle family does not own or operate a distillery. The "Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery" is a marketing creation, a corporate shell. This is a quibbling point (one well known to those versed in bourbon), and as I said I wouldn't even have mentioned if not for the other minor comments that lead me to my conclusion that the service staff perhaps needs to dial back a touch of the pretense until they are entirely comfortable with what they are serving.

On Ginger, I certainly laid the snark on re: vodka, but I didn't actually go so far as to take the opinion of it that you seem to be suggesting. In fact, as I mentioned, I very nearly ordered it last night. And, it is at the top of my list of things to try on my next visit (should I be allowed in the door). I certainly appreciate vodka in the right context (the Gilded Cage is an excellent example). My sadness was directed toward those who might dismiss vodka out of hand and would thus never get to experience this beautiful drink that I had the opportunity to behold on at least a dozen occasions last night. A booze geek yes, but a liquor snob I am not...love me shots of Heaven Hill Gold Label ($12/1.75L) washed down with cans of Lone Star.

I can only assume that my acquaintance with the chef is destined to be short lived if he were to interpret my post as you have. I've been quite upset that he might happen on this thread and construe things thusly since I read your post while waiting to pick up my dinner. That's been sitting in the other room getting cold while I hammered this out...which is probably of little import to you or the chef, but I felt it was the least I could do to offer a timely response to these valid concerns.

ETA: On the topic of gestures and critiques, to clarify, I certainly would have phrased things differently given a second chance to write my post from last night, but I would never withhold valid criticism simply because I had been given some free, rare whiskey.

kl1191,

I actually really enjoyed your review. You seem like the kind of person I'd want to go out and have a drink with and pick your brain.

And your comment about the Van Winkle Family Distillery not existing made me laugh.

So I realize it may still be too soon for an adequate sample, but does anyone have a good idea of the rhythms of this place yet? Busiest days/times, least busy days/times? Longest waits vs. shortest waits? Best bargain vs. most worth the price? Those sorts of metrics?

Via Facebook about an hour ago:

The Aviary is considering taking reservations for our first seating in order to better manage customer flow... is that something people would be interested in.... 6 PM reserved tables?

with a clarifcation that "It would be 50-50 or so and only at 6 pm." (ETA: as in, only 50% of available tables for 6pm would be up for grabs via reservation)

Seems like it is too soon to tell, Vitesse98, since they might be on the verge of overhauling it! Reaction is generally in favor but I don't see necessarily what that will accomplish. People will still line up, hoping for that 7/7:30 (8pm?) turnover. I mean, look at Frontera Grill - limited reservations don't seem to do anything to limit the number of people waiting in line.

People will still line up, but the prospect of 6pm reservations give hope to us parents, who are not only among the only ones accustomed to going out at 6 but also among the few truly ready for a drink that early in the evening.

I think it's something certainly worth trying. Funny timing considering my friend and I were just discussing it. He is coming in from D.C. at the end of June and really wants to go to Aviary but was dreading the 2-3 hour wait eating part of an evening. Hopefully this will solve that problem for us!

Here is what was decided.

From the Aviary Facebook page: We will be offering 10 pre-reserved tables at the Aviary every evening at 6 PM in order to expedite wait times and better serve our customers. You may email [email protected] each day between 10 AM and 4 PM indicating your party size and contact information, and we will randomly select 10 emails. We will still accept walk-ins throughout the evening, including 6 PM.

The 50-50 split on reservation vs. walk-in at 6 PM is meant to ease the crowd in more quickly and strike a balance among the size of tables... really an attempt to make sure we can properly pace the seating. Worked well tonight and in general people are appreciative of having a chance to plan ahead.

The Ginger Cocktail uses Karlsson's vodka -- which unlike most vodkas that are filtered upteen times is distilled once and unfiltered... and therefore actually imparts it's own flavor to the cocktail. So liquor snobs can rejoice that the vodka is not simply a neutral spirit here. And personally, the ginger is the cocktail I was most excited to show people as I think it walks the culinary / mixology line very smartly.

Happy to answer any other Aviary related questions...

lemoneater wrote:From the menu, everything looks to have booze. Any non-booze options for the designated driver?

FWIW, I was curious about this, too, since I have a few close friends who don't drink. Last night, our server checked with the kitchen/bar immediately to see what was available, and we were told that the Popcorn, Coffee and Hot Chocolate cocktails could be made non-alcoholic. I don't like coffee, and I was concerned that the Popcorn and Hot Chocolate would be too sweet for my cocktail preferences, so I ended up ordering "regular" cocktails with my two companions.

The Rooibos, Sassafras and Sazerac ended up being overwhelmingly sweet and/or one-note for my taste buds last night. Much more enjoyable was the Pineapple, though I didn't drink more than a sip of that either as that came at the end of a long night that had started with dinner next door. Aviary might not be for me (unlike the wine with dinner, which was most certainly for me...blew me away), but I appreciated how hard everyone was working and the effort to get feedback from us--at Aviary--on the drinks and food we didn't finish or eat at all.

We were also there last night, arrived around 9:30 and got to stand at the table closest to the cage. Entering is odd. You start to open the door and the bouncer sort of "falls" out of the door at you, and begins to ask about your party (how many, any stragglers, etc). The upshot is that there isn't a waiting area inside, but there are tables to stand and drink at if you don't mind that instead of a table. But it really felt like we were being grilled and was a bit intimidating.

There were 2 non-drinkers in our group, and we were disconcerted that right away they gave us the "amuse" drink - without asking about allergies, or who might not be drinking. This might be nice to bring after people have had a chance to talk about the menu, like at a restaurant. The server took theirs away, and brought something limey for them.

After going through the menu we had no indication of anything that could be made non-alcoholic, or if they took requests and made something up on the spot ("I like ginger and lemon") or if they had things already planned, or would just make some of the drinks on the menu non-alcoholic. That would really help, to know that. I suspect that even your hard-core drinkers might like to alternate with something other than water. I think our server might have been a little overwhelmed, since we didn't get one of our drinks until significantly after the others (one person ordered a single spirit, and it seemed to have to come from the Next basement, and we had to ask for it again).

I'm not a huge cocktails person, so I don't have a lot of comparison in terms of how well made they were. It was fun to watch them make the drinks at first, but it seemed very assembly-line. I haven't watched a restaurant kitchen, so perhaps it's like that?

Also, we had 5 people but had to order 6 bites. You can only order bites in groups of 3. I guess because of how the bites fit on the plates and how the plates fit onto the serving piece? But it seems unnecessary and arbitrary.

I think it's just not my kind of place, but I am glad to have been there, done that.

leek wrote:We were also there last night, arrived around 9:30 and got to stand at the table closest to the cage.

We were there at the same time, just a few feet apart probably. It's too bad we didn't see you!

leek wrote:After going through the menu we had no indication of anything that could be made non-alcoholic, or if they took requests and made something up on the spot ("I like ginger and lemon") or if they had things already planned, or would just make some of the drinks on the menu non-alcoholic.

There was no indication for us either, but I remembered Nick posting this:

nick.kokonas wrote:We will be serving non-alcoholic house-made drinks upon request... just ask your servers.

Of course, I downed the amuse without even thinking about it, since I was curious about the non-alcoholic options but, obviously, have no issue drinking myself. Everyone who helped us seemed overwhelmed, too, and this was also the case at dinner next door. One of my dining companions actually mistook the Next menu we were given to take home for the Aviary menu once we were seated at Aviary because we didn't realize we'd been sitting for a while and no one had brought us menus. Again, it was clear that all of the staff--at Next and Aviary--were busy and trying really hard. There were just gaps throughout the night that made our experience not that pleasant.

Stopped by here on Wednesday night in the middle of a pretty impressive 1-2-3 punch (Haymarket - Aviary - Whistler). Just have to say that the Cynar flip which was served as a complimentary small sip on the way out the door was my favorite tipple of the entire evening. It pulled off the neat trick of offering a nice amount of warming complexity in the forefront and following up with the pleasing bitterness of the Cynar on the fade-out. It was surprising and completely delightful.

FWIW, leaving Next last night around 8:30 there was no line at Aviary.

Was slightly surprised to find no wait for a standing table at 8pm last night, so spent 90 minutes there before dinner at Next. As I'd read (correctly) that the wine pairings at Next are substantial, I asked about non-alcoholic options. The server went away for a bit, and another server came back to offer 4 alternatives: the Popcorn or Coffee from the menu (but not the Hot Chocolate which was mentioned above), a housemade ginger beer, or a housemade fruit drink (I didn't catch the details of this). I went with the ginger beer, which was very good, although perhaps not the best I've ever had; the only negative thing I'd say was that the mint that came with it was not very fragrant.

We also split a Blueberry from the menu (not non-alcoholic). I enjoyed it, and it was interesting to see how the drink changed over time, but I liked it less as it infused more; in the end I found it too sweet. I have a pretty low tolerance for sweet drinks, and in light of the remarks about the sweetness of some of the other drinks on the menu made above, I'm going to have to be careful about what I order on future visits.

I enjoyed the experience, but I don't think it's going to be joining my regular cocktail rotation. Partly this is because of the expense; I'd guessed that the ginger beer would be $10, and it was, but after tax and tip paying over $12 for a ginger beer is pretty painful (the whole bill, with the ginger beer, one shared drink, and 3 bites, was $55). I get a lot more for my $s elsewhere.

Edited to add: was impressed that they were giving everyone a small flip before leaving, though amused that they were careful to avoid mentioning the egg content.

Another interesting tweet from Chef Achatz.

NBA Bulls player comes into Aviary and says..clear these cocktails off the table and give us Vodka and seltzer water. We say no, they leave.

I honor the deed, but I wonder if it's going to get a bit confusing as to when/how it's okay to order vodka.

Kitchen table Cocktail tasting menu at Aviary announced today. Two tables per night to start according to Facebook. 1-3 bites per drink. As someone else noted in the comments, with tax and tip (which is not included in the $165 per person) this is more than I paid at Next for two people with wine on a Saturday night.

Starting tomorrow night at the Aviary: 10-course cocktail tasting menu at the Kitchen Table. Appropriately sized, balanced, and paired with gorgeous bites, this is our ultimate cocktail experience. By reservation only... $ 165 pp. Parties of 2 only, for now. Email your interested dates / times along with Kitchen Table in the subject line to: [email protected]

I noticed some changes to the Aviary menu. Off the menu is the Lemon, Daquiri, Sidecar, El Diablo... In is the Hemingway, Dark & Stormy, and a few others. There is a 3 flight, 7 flight tasting, a vertical tasting of whisky I think, I was trying to listen in on the waiter trying to describe it to the table next to us.


The Kitchen Table is off in the corner of the kitchen next to the windows. I was tempted to peek, but did not want to intrude. It looked very interesting.

If I'm interpreting the Facebook updates and Grant's Twitter correctly, you have the option of:
- Walking in (a la carte) and getting a table
- Reserving a table (a la carte) for 6PM or 11PM, via email (same day)
- Reserving the kitchen table for a 10 course tasting (cocktails and bites), for $165pp, for parties of two only, via email (up to a few weeks in advance)
- Reserving a 7 course tasting (cocktails and bites) reserve, for $125pp, via email (same day?)
- A flight of Van Winkle whiskeys: Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr Bourbon, 12yr Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon, 13yr Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye, and the 15, 20, & 23yr Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve Bourbons

Any details on the flight of three items?