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Martin Kastner/Crucial Detail's Porthole flask used for drinks such as the Blueberry is now available via Kickstarter:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/692 ... e-porthole

Anyone been to the Aviary KT under Jolly? I am interested to see how it might have changed.

One report here:
http://aviaryishaunted.tumblr.com/post/ ... ay-evening

I was there tonight after Kyoto and wow, the change since the staff turnover was really not good. The cocktail list was the same since I went after Sicily, with a lot of the cocktails being totally inappropriate for the autumn weather. I thought after having some wonderful autumnal food at Next, that Aviary would have some seasonal cocktails to enjoy afterwards. Our waitress was really overworked and we stood in the lobbyish area in front of the kitchen, which was a bit chilly.

Meanwhile, we asked about some empty booths, but they kept saying they had reservations, but maybe the reservations wouldn't show up and then maybe we could have it. I don't think their reservation system is working, as there is no penalty whatsoever for just not going to your reservation, which is based on a daily lottery.

They pretty much told us that the Office, which we visited after Sicily, was out of the question, and that the table was a long shot. After the four hour Kyoto meal I was a bit tired, so after one cocktail while eying the empty booths, we left. I did tell them I was disappointed and they gave us free ramen, which was absolutely delicious, but the high/lowlight of the experience was a drunk guy on his way out, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, who stopped at our table to make fun of my coat I was having to wear and to inform us that the ramen we were enjoying was "cheap poor people food" before his buddy dragged him away. I think they were from the same table of Jersey Shore hoodlums where I heard a guy was trying to order a rum and diet coke..

Hopefully they can get some issues ironed out. It had a definite frat boy night club harried feel there tonight that definitely wasn't pleasant. It was a totally different experience than after our Sicily meal and it felt jarring to go from being treated very nicely at Next to being basically ignored at Aviary.

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- melissa

According to Grant Achatz' Twitter they should be rolling out some Japanese-inspired cocktails soon. I'm sad to hear about how the service has deteriorated and hope this was just an off night and not the new standard.

Going to the Aviary after our meal at Next Sicily, it really felt like the clientele was much more of the W Hubbard frat boy crowd rather than the foodie scene that one might expect. Much younger, and the story of a drunk dbag stopping by your table does not surprise me at all. Kind of hard to figure out how to alter the clientele, but it does seem like the Aviary has some issues compared to the demand for meals at Next next door.

You should tell the management about this. Unfortunately, the D-Baggery at otherwise civilized bars is on the rise. Chalk it up to "best bars" lists in publications like GQ and Blackbook and the fact that such goofs can swallow $20 for a drink when they wouldn't necessarily sit down for a glitzy dinner with their fellow drywall conventioneers. It's a dilemma, because the snooty 2012 version of the velvet rope one encounters at places such as PDT in NY is equally irksome - though it would keep your guy out.

An a propos story that I was not thinking to share before I read this: I had a very nice dinner at Sixteen (the Trump) a few weeks back. Everything on the big tasting menu was great, as was the service. (Such places are no longer my thing, however.) After spending hours and a bundle in the half-empty dining room (puzzling) Friday night, we wanted to finish up on the terrace (which is spectacular by any standard). The manager, a 5'2" sprite of a lady, politely booted out a table of louts so we could sit. When said knuckleheads later stood around loudly taking up space, blocking various tables' views and swilling crap drinks, she sent them packing. Harsh but fair. PS, no knock on conventioneers or conventions, but our dumbasses were the picture of rubes cutting up in the big city on the company dime, down to the company-logo golf shirts.

Wow mgmcewen! That is crazy. No drunk schmucks when we were there, but service did have issues.

We did the prix fixe and were blatantly being rushed, the second drink came out before we finished our first. The third drink came out when my wife was not even halfway done with her second. Minor quibble - we were both given each other's drinks as well, something I wouldn't think twice about if we weren't paying $45 per person.

The thing that really irritated me is as we were finishing, we were asked if we needed a cab - we did, so they said they'd get one. A few minutes later, a waiter came up and very firmly said "a cab is waiting for you outside." I gulped down my water and we headed outside to see no cab. The doorman spent several minutes trying to get one, luckily one pulled up a few minutes later to let people out. I told him it was kind of irritating practically being pushed out the door because a cab was waiting and here we are standing in the cold. He shrugged. Oh well.

I can't see going back anytime soon.

This has happened to me twice there. Last time it happened I just used the Uber app...

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- melissa

Went to Next this past Saturday and The Aviary crowd (encountered outside and in the basement) was baffling. Two wasted guys in Tap Out t-shirts screaming about minorities in the lounge (after they left, a woman peaked her head out of the bathroom and asked me "are they gone?" - not sure if they accosted her, but they definitely scared her enough she felt compelled to stay locked in a bathroom with them around), a young lady so intoxicated she couldn't walk straight exiting the men's room, people stumbling around outside early in the evening....most of the people seemed well behaved, but all it takes is a few knuckleheads to ruin an entire vibe or evening.

Has anyone been recently and ordered the "Kyoto flight"?

We were at the Aviary last night and had a fantastic time. The posts above had me a little worried about the change in environment but everything seemed very low key and nice and we didn't run into any of the issues discussed above. A friend and I decided to split the 7 course flight while 2 other friends split the prix fixe menu and some a la carte menus. My friend and I also ordered another prix fixe menu and some more a la carte drinks. Between the 4 of us (and a brief visit by 2 other friends) we put quite a dent in the menu. This was my third or fourth time returning and definitely the best time I've had. Splitting the 7 course flight between 2 people is the way to go; the times I've come before I feel like I've spent more money and gotten less out of it (although I have no regrets of ordering all the el bulli cocktails and bites the first time I was here). My only complaint is that it was apparent that the cocktails on the 7-course flight were predetermined and we could have used a bit of a heads up to avoid the other 2 people in our party ordering a lot of the same drinks (we wanted to maximize our variety); however, the server did tell us our last course would be one some one already had and offered an alternative.

You'll have to forgive the pretty bad photos as the lighting in The Aviary is really not at all conducive to (flash-free) photos.


Amuse bouche

We started with the amuse bouche that I believe was bourbon and some sort of fruity tea (although I could be mistaken). It was very nice (especially right out of the freezing cold) and tasted of mulled wine.


On the Bright Side (I believe) - prosecco, absinthe, peychaud's

This was the first drink in our 7 course flight and was a variation on a Death in the Afternoon. This was the only off-menu cocktail that we had. I believe that the ice cubes were made from or infused with Peychaud's bitters. A great start and very refreshing. It was the favorite of the first round of drinks to come out.


End of Days - pomegranate & rum torch, bourbon, mezcal

This was a drink ordered a la carte as well as the second drink in our flight (in fact the chef sent out 2 for our flight since he felt it was too small to share). This was a special drink for the "Mayan Apocalypse" and I believe that yesterday was the last day it was on the menu. The base was bourbon and mezcal with some egg white (I believe). A mixture of rum and pomegranate was aerosolized and torched (hairspray flamethrower style) over the drink. A nice and smokey drink although I really didn't pick up a lot of the pomegranate.


End of Days torch action shot


Granny Smith - sage, tequila, mezcal

The first drink of the first prix fixe. This drink was very interesting and very strongly tequila. The apple flavor was very subtle but definitely present. A very nice drink.


Spiritual Advisor - bijou, the venerable, trappist, chartreuse v.e.p.

This was another a la carte drink ordered. The concept here is each drink is (or has a component) from monasteries or monks. The first drink on the left is the Chartreuse VEP. Really incredible stuff. Like green Chartreuse but much more subtle and rounded and full bodied (this stuff is a dream purchase of mine). The next drink was bijou which is made with gin, chartreuse, dry vermouth and orange bitters. A very nice cocktail. Next was a trappist ale, I forget which. Finally was the cocktail The Venerable which I believe contained Drambuie and Grand Marnier. A very nice drink that tasted similar to a rusty nail.


Ginger - shiso, peychaud's, vodka

This was the next drink on our flight. This one has been on the menu for a while and I've always sort of overlooked it because I tend to avoid vodka. This was probably my favorite of the flight. Some great ginger flavor but not overpowering. I especially enjoyed the tiny fingerling lime bits that just sort of burst in your mouth.


Smoking Barrel - fig, cognac, calvados, bourbon

The next drink on the flight as well as the prix fixe. A glass came inverted on a charred barrel stave. The glass was removed at the table and the smoke released. Then the cocktail was poured into the glass. A nice, smokey drink.




Baked Apple - chai, pine, brown butter, silver lining, pisco

This was the next drink in our flight and like all the rest was fantastic. It comes out with the vac pot contraption with the alcohol in the bottom and the fruits and herbs (including a full baked apple) was in the top. As the liquor is heated it enters the top compartment and infuses. It was then poured into the glass which contained a small ball of brown butter. I would have never thought to use butter in a cocktail but it worked fantastically. Another home run.


Cranberry - rosemary, allspice, gin, rum

This was another a la carte drink ordered. I believe there was also absinthe in here. This was a very nice drink, with the flavor from the fruits infusing over time. It's cool to taste the change over time.


Persimmon - gewürztraminer, blanc de blanc, cognac

The penultimate drink of our 7 course flight. A fairly simple (comparatively) drink but very well executed and flavorful. The flavor delivered on it's namesake.


Hot Chocolate - malt, banana, cinnamon, bourbon

The last drink of the flight. I believe the whole table agreed that this was the best hot chocolate we've ever had (alcohol or not). The malt was a good idea and I plan to try some next time I make hot chocolate. The banana was very subtle and added an extra dimension to the rich drink.


Horchata - cinnamon, rum, tequila

This was the last course of the first prix fixe. Tasted just as it's name suggests with cinnamon ice. Very nice.


Tonkotsu Ramen - pork belly, soft boiled egg, scallion

At this point I was getting a bit hungry so I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen. Beautifully presented with a very rich and flavorful broth and tender pork belly. The soft boiled quail egg was also great. Overall a very nice rendition.


Assortment of Lollipops

Overall cute but I was far less impressed with these.


Poached Pear - egg white, walnut, pinot noir, poire williams

This was another a la carte drink ordered. Tasted nicely of pear. The burgundy portion on the left was ice, although I'm not sure with what it was flavored.



Rob Roy - lavender air, pedro ximenez 1985, scotch

Another a la carte. The drink came in the bottom of a bag filled with lavender air. This was a very nice drink that tasted mainly of nutty, dark fruity sherry with hints of lavender and smoke.


Quince - verjus, white wine, oat whiskey

The first drink of the second prix fixe. This drink came in a french press that was then poured into the glass. Very nice, light flavors.


Margarita - cranberry, cider, fall spice, tequila

The next prix fixe drink. A very delicious fall margarita with cranberry ice.


Root Beer - sassafras caramel, angostura, fernet, rum

The final drink of the prix fixe. Great root beer flavor with a nice foam on top.

Overall a great experience at The Aviary. We didn't have any problems with service or anything. We were there for almost 3 hours and never felt rushed. We asked for a tour of the kitchen at the end and were obliged, although we couldn't get a tour of the ice kitchen as the ice chef had already left. The server said next time to ask for an ice tour ahead of time, which I definitely plan to do.

Has anyone had the cocktails for The Hunt? When I ate that menu they weren't ready (as usual it seems, I also missed the Kyoto ones).

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- melissa

I've had cocktails for The Hunt and they were incredible.
Beautifully presented as always, too!

Per http://eatdrinkthis.com/theaviary they are:
Moon River Shrub
huckleberry, champagne vinegar, white armagnac

Carrot is the New Tomato
pickled vegetables, ancho-spiced syrup, california rum

Chupacabra
oregano, oloroso, chorizo, aviary knob creek

The Snake Charmer
yerba mate, amaro, ambergris, smoked whiskey

Fitzgerald Fizz
tangerine soda, buttermilk, gold, gin

Sounds great!

Just saw this announcement on Next's Facebook Page:

The Aviary is please to announce that chef Andrew Brochu will be joining the team to lead our Aviary culinary kitchen in greatly expanding our food offerings. Chef Brochu spent 3 years at Alinea and chef Achatz, Nick Kokonas and our entire staff is excited to welcome him back to our restaurant group. We will have many exciting culinary announcements in the weeks ahead. But for now, please help us in welcoming chef Brochu.

I'm very excited for this. Never made it into the Monarch while Brochu was there because I heard the drinks were subpar. Now that he is at the Aviary that's just another reason for me to make it in. Although this will make it much more difficult to go before dinner at Next (since I won't be able to resist the food).

Andrew Brochu is really getting around these past couple years

Two months at a time!

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my food shots