VUE

o define e Aviary as a bar is to call omas Keller's Per Se a restaurant—it is both neither and so much more. What can be best and only described as alchemy, e Aviary will make you feel as if you've been transported back to chemistry class. Avant-garde presentations can include anything from boiling flasks to Bunsen burners and cock- tails come with tongue-in-cheek names like "Science A.F." and "Cloche Encounters of the 46 Kind" — made with Maker's 46 bourbon. While it can be tempting to jump past the more classic offerings, it is perhaps the most exciting to see something so familiar, become so new. eir already famous "Bloody Mary" for ex- ample, drinks (and eats) more like a meal rather than a boozy beverage. Guests aren't served a tall glass but rather a rounded bowl with a flat, table-like rim that's adorned with appetizers instead of garnishes. Spheres of frozen ice lay at the bottom, except some are made from wa- ter and others pickled banana peppers, Fresno chilis and Cubanelle peppers. e concoction is poured over top and and you're given a straw to sip it down. e Aviary's so-called "Ice Program" is a sig- nature at both locations, where they create over 20 different types of ice, each with their own unique taste, shape and purpose. e best dis- play of Achatz and Melton's madness at work is the "In the Rocks" cocktail — where the liquid is actually inside of a hollowed piece of round- ed ice. e water itself is poured into small bal- loons and then chilled using a technique similar to sous vide cooking. Once the exterior is solid and the interior still liquid, they carefully drill a hole and use a syringe to extract the water and inject the cocktail combo. When it comes time to serve, champagne is given as a precursor and crème de cassis grani- ta is shoveled into a glass in the style of a Kir Royale. e sphere goes in next and a rubber band-like instrument is fitted across the top. Inspired by New Year's Eve in New York City, guests are expected to pull the band back and crack the cube open, simulating the iconic ball drop. A mix of Szechuan-infused scotch seeps out into the granita and hypothetical fireworks fill the air. VUE ON DINING V U E N J . C O M 98

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