At Aria, dinner is different. Servers greet us with ice water poured from giant frogs and warm, pleasantly charred naan bread from the clay tandoor oven.
The accompanying assortment of Indian-influenced condiments (including a coriander yogurt sauce and warm curried lentils) hints at the universal scope of Aria’s menu, where Normandy onion soup and
Thai mussaman curry share the page with Hong Kong-style noodles and prime Chicago aged steaks.
Intriguing, but such an eclectic selection immediately sends up a red flag. How can a kitchen successfully riff on such a broad array of ethnic flavors?
With Aria, the Fairmont Hotel takes a shot at creating a hipper, more youthful replacement for its Entre Nous restaurant, adding a separate entrance, swank lounge, globally influenced menu and decor to match.
Globetrotting executive chef James Wierzelewski deftly meets this challenge. A salad of cucumbers and crisp French green beans tossed in a tahini vinaigrette and accompanied by a wedge of sizzled tofu tastes balanced and bright. Precisely seared scallops paired with nuggets of foie gras perched on a soothing cauliflower puree and bathed in a sweet apple reduction is at once ornate and harmonious.
Wierzelewski adeptly grills, braises and roasts meat. A satisfying roast leg and rack of lamb is accompanied by a sweetly spiced roast eggplant and tomato chutney. His seafood dishes don’t slack. A velvety seared black cod with a sticky mirin glaze was flawless. Desserts offer sweet surprises: Our cylindrical apple crisp came with a stunning silvery apple, which opened to reveal a scoop of caramel swirl ice cream.
The dining room, adorned with rich tapestries and glittery mosaic tiles, features a dramatic wine wall complete with a library ladder, and tables beautifully set with tiny salt and pepper cellars armed with even tinier spoons.
Next time we expect to see more martinis and miniskirts–the far-reaching food keeps pace with the adventurous crowd the hotel is angling for.
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Aria
Fairmont Hotel
200 N. Columbus Drive
312-444-9494
