Yesterday was hot. Totes disgusting. It was sweltering, and the schizophrenic mix of sunshine, rain, and overcast skies was hardly conducive to a desire to go patio’ing. But, being the city explorers we are, patio’ing was indeed on the docket and we always follow the docket. Well… mostly…
Aria Ristorante – you know, that totally underrated because it’s so massive and gorgeous and clearly cost a boat-load to bring to fruition restaurant down by the ACC – hosted a li’l shindig to kick off their patio season. The rain held off for the night, and the shaded outdoor space was decidedly cooler than standing under the burning rays of the sun.
Drinks flowed like secrets from a whistleblower – pints of Perroni, gin n’ tonics, sparkling wine… whatever one’s heart desired. Porchetta sliders with purple slaw were snatched eagerly from the servers’ trays, as were the sausage and roasted pepper sammies that were delicately topped with fresh dill. Delivered-that-afternoon oysters were shucked by the half-dozen and topped with a small dollop of house-made chili sauce. Deep-fried zucchini flowers barely had the chance to make their way to the opposite end of the patio, grabbed en masse when passing by hungry fashionables and socialites. And fried ravioli stuffed with mushrooms and topped with a truffle aioli elicited the “oohs” and “awws” that are music to any restaurateur’s ears.
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Aria Ristorante is no neophyte when it comes to the event scene. Food was ample, delicious, and never below par. Drinks were refilled before the last sip. And the DJ sequenced tunes so seamlessly LA Reid himself would be impressed.
Like its name, Aria is a stand-out performance in a sea of cacophony.