y now, New York has convinced us all we know every-
thing there is to know about cocktail culture. We're privy
to the usual cast of ingredients, unimpressed by ooh and
aah antics of pyrotechnics and liquid nitrogen. But what
Grant Achatz is doing has set all those notions aside and
buried them six feet under. e Chicago-based chef whose Windy
City restaurant, Alinea, remains a permanent fixture on e World's
50 Best Restaurants list, has brought that same Michelin-level of
shock and awe to his Colombus Circle cocktail bar, e Aviary. at
is, if you can consider it a bar at all.
What originated and still stands as a speakeasy-style lounge in
the Meatpacking District of Chicago has recently sprouted its own
set of East Coast roots—perched high on the 35th floor of the Man-
darin Oriental, overlooking Central Park. Achatz, alongside Alin-
ea Group co-owner Nick Kokonas and Beverage Director Micah
Melton, spent several years planning their New York debut aer be-
ing initially approached by the hotel in 2012. Ultimately, the project
came to fruition this past fall and the success of e Aviary thus far
has le many of us, including myself, wondering why Achatz didn't
bring the business here sooner.
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