The Aviary

 

 

When high-end dining is talked about in Chicago, Alinea is at the top of the list.  They are the pure definition of food as art.  Because of this, while they can do largely anything, in the context of a restaurant, some things can't be done as well.  In order to explore cocktails, the Alinea group decided to open The Aviary, a combination cocktail lounge/chemistry lab/art gallery.  I had wanted to go for a long time, but decided when I bought The Aviary Cocktail Book that it was a good time to go.  I was meeting a friend there, though I arrived first.  Looking around outside, I saw that there was a rail outside the door like many nightclubs and the entrance had a temporary cloth shelter that is common in northern climes.  I walked past to see if I could see into the kitchen/bar/lab and saw the very nice door into the kitchen and was able to see a little.  When I entered though, I was able to get a good view behind a curved metal gate when I was waiting for my companion for the evening.  The work area did very much remind me of a cross between a kitchen and a lab.  There is also a table there for those that want to have a chef's table experience.  Looking into the lounge area, it did look like a lounge, with low lighting, high backed, curved couches, and low tables for drinks and bites.  There was also a Ventilation Hood which extended the similarity to a lab.

 

When reservations are made, there are 4 options:  The Chef's Table, which is 7 courses and located in the kitchen.  That is the most expensive option, but it is also the most limited option, with possibly two seatings a night.  In the lounge, you can opt for a 5 course, 3 course, or a la carte choice.  If you decide to go with a Prix Fixe menu, there are no substitutions, but you can augment your menu if you so desire.  I decided to go with a 5 Course which also came with small food pairings.  We started out with a drink called Return of the MAC, which was a combination of Orange, Thyme, Pimento Dram, Apple Brandy, and Cider Spices.  It was served to us in a vessel called a Porthole that looked very much like an old style canteen.  The canteen acted as an infuser and the flavor and appearance of the drink changed as time went by.  It started red and sweet, but became more red, less sweet, and more spicy as time went by.  Paired with the drink was a very good Takoyaki, a deep fried ball of dough with finely chopped octopus.  It was tender and flavorful with a little spice, and it went well with the drink.

For our second drink, we had a cocktail called Jesus Can't Hit a Curveball which was served with in a Tom Collins Glass with a large green ice cube.  The liquid part of the drink consisted of Gin, Green Chartreuse, Chareau Aloe Liqueur, and Celery.  The ice cube, which was also part of the drink, was a Serrano Ice Cube, which added spice to the drink as it melted.  I liked the flavor of the drink, and the fact that it got spicier as time went by was interesting, but I didn't care for the mouthfeel of the drink.  The Aloe has a slippery feeling and there was a slightly slippery feeling to the drink.  For the food pairing, we were served Crab.  It was a Crab Salad with Roe, served on a Silicone Plate that was vaguely shaped like a hand which we had to hold.  In order to eat it, we basically had to eat it out of our hand without utensils.  Despite the unusuality of it, it was good.

Our next drink also involved ice.  It was served in an Aviary mug and contained a Tequila Cocktail with a Popsicle soaking in it.  The Popsicle was Tequila and Ancho Chili and we could have the popsicle on it's own or soak it in the drink.  I tried both elements individually on their own and found them both good, and it also tasted good together, so I split the difference and had it both separately and together.  For our pairing, we were served a slice of Asian Pear (garnished with a bit of Nori) and a large Batter Fried Shrimp with Togarashi.  I generally don't care for pears, but I did try it, and as far as flavor was concerned, it was a good pairing.  I did not, however, care for the texture.  The shrimp, I liked.  The texture, spice, and flavor all went well with the drink.

There was a little theater with the presentation of our fourth drink.  Our server came out with a small chest, which looked like a pirate's treasure chest and when he opened it, a large amount of smoke poured out.  Our cocktails, which were gin based, had a reddish cast and a very smoky flavor.  As the smoke infused the gin, it became less smoky and more woody and smooth.  It was very good, and the food pairing, Short Rib Tortellini with a savory broth was a perfect pairing and a bite of pure happiness.  It was amazing and one of my favorite bites of food that I have ever had.

In a past visit, my partner had had a bite that she wanted me to try.  She ordered a Pork Cracklin' which I visualized as a Chicharron or Pork Rind.  I figured that we would get something like a paper coon and they would be the size of large chips.  I was mistaken.  It was like they removed the skin from the pig as a single piece and went with it that way.  It was huge and in order to eat it, we had to break pieces off.  While it was very light, There was also a lot of it, so it was a little filling.

The menu for The Aviary is pretty large and there were many that we were unable to try.  Despite that, they all had visually arresting presentations.  The couple next to us had cocktails served in glassware shaped like a bird and a glass bottle with a glass ship.  Despite the fact that we were unable to try them, it was still cool to see them.

For our dessert we were presented with more smoke.We were given round bottomed flasks filled with smoke that were set on their sides to allow the smoke to pour out like a liquid.  After most of the smoke poured out, we were given metal straws to finish the liquid within.  Called Easy on the Ice, it consisted of Hazelnut Hot Chocolate with Rye and Cinnamon.  It was sweet, a little spicy, and a nice finish to a very fun evening.  Our dessert was a Cake and Ice Cream with flavors of Tea and Spices and went well with the Rye Hot Chocolate.

We also had a cocktail equivalent of a Mignardise.  Called a Boomerang, it was a sweet shot containing more Rye and Cinnamon and it was a great finish to the night.  Coming to The Aviary is like coming to a Magic Show.  It's cool, a lot of fun and you don't know what to expect.  I would definitely like to return to explore more of the magical menu.