HAWKES WINE MAKER DINNER

On March 24th at 7pm, Aria will be opening its doors to Jake Hawkes of Hawkes Winery. Hailing from Alexander Valley (Healdsburg, CA), Hawkes is known for world class estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon.

For Jake's second visit to Aria, Chef Gerry Klaskala will be preparing a five-course dinner to complement the fantastic wines that Jake is bringing to the table. Specifically, the menu will feature three preparations centered around a whole spring lamb that Chef Klaskala is bringing in just for this event. Each of the three lamb courses, in turn, will be paired with a special '05 single vineyard Hawkes Cabernet brought to Georgia by Jake himself - again, only for this event. Along with dessert, we will taste a barrel sample of Jake's botrytis semillon.

Don't miss out on this perfect dovetailing of food and wine.
Call 404.233.7673 to make reservations - availability is limited!

Five courses with wine pairings: $90 per person (excludes tax and gratuity).

ARIA Wine Maker Dinner Series 2010

We kicked off our monthly wine maker dinners this year with the visit of a good friend; Alex Sokol Blosser. His wines showed beautifully and we were particularly fond of the Dundee Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2007. Thanks to Alex and all those who attended, we look forward to seeing you again soon.
In March we will welcome Jake Hawkes from Hawkes Winery in Alexander Valley and in April Mark Vlossak of St. Innocent Winery in Oregon.

Here is a quick recap of our Sokol Blosser dinner menu:
All photography thanks to George Sanchez

Faux Gras Terrine
apple gelee, green apple salad

Evolution NV, American White

Thyme Roasted Prawns
endive, red grapefruit, tarragon

2008 Pinot Gris, Dundee Hills, Oregon

Crisped Breast of Naturally Raised Veal
roasted sweet red peppers, sugar snap peas, natural jus

2006 Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon
2007 Pinot Noir, Estate Cuvee, Dundee Hills, Oregon

Roasted Tenderloin of Cervena Venison
oyster mushrooms, roasted shallots, celery & potato gratin

Meditrina NV, American Red

Bayley Hazen Blue
baby arugula, truffle vinaigrette

Red Bartlett Pear Tart
orange vanilla sauce

2007 Late Harvest Riesling, Columbia Valley

DINNER WITH ALEX SOKOL BLOSSER

Aria is excited to welcome Alex Sokol Blosser for an intimate wine dinner on February 18th, featuring wines from his family’s Sokol Blosser Winery in Oregon.

Since the family planted their first grapevines there in 1971, they’ve become one of the pioneering wineries in the region and continue to play a key role in shaping the Oregon wine industry.

Sokol Blosser has set strong standards in keeping their wine making program green; including farming organically and building an underground cellar to US Green Building Council standards. That made them the first winery in the country to earn the prestigious LEED certification!

Sokol Blosser produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Evolution (a proprietary white wine blend of nine varieties) and Meditrina (proprietary red blend), along with small quantities of Single Block Pinot Noirs in selected vintages. We are thrilled to welcome Alex and his excellent wines to Aria.

Six Wines/Six Courses $80.00 per person (excludes tax and gratuity).

FOOD TO WARM THE HEART

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, and it’s not too late to make plans to treat your loved one to a special dinner here at Aria!

We will be offering a special four-course prix-fixe menu for $85 per person (excludes tax and gratuity). A draft of the menu is available here and the final copy will be available the week of Feb 8th.

For reservations, please call 404.233.7673, See you then!

New Year's Eve at ARIA

Our NYE menu is ready and we are busy preparing for a great evening.
We look forward to seeing everyone!

For reservations, call us at 404-233-7673

Early December brought two wonderful events to Aria:

Contributor: Aidan Mirisola-Sullivan
Photography from George Sanchez

On December 2nd, there were two phenomenal chefs in the Aria kitchen - our own Gerry Klaskala, of course, and the talented Chris Hastings, executive chef of The Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, AL. Together, the two cooked inspired Southern fare from Chef Hastings's new cookbook “THE HOT and HOT FISH CLUB COOKBOOK: A Celebration of Food, Family and Tradition”. Combined with Andres Loaiza's masterful wine pairings from the Vineyard Brands portfolio, the evening was a resounding success. Thanks, Chef Hastings, for bringing your creativity and passion to Aria, even if it was for just one night.

Pan-Seared Flounder with Shaved Fennel Salad
Picholine Olives and Satsuma Oranges
Hamilton Russell, Chardonnay, Hemel-En-Aarde, South Africa 07

Fudge Farms Pork and Beans with Braised Greens
Cracklin’ Cornbread and Chow Chow
Perrin et Fils, Vinsobres, Rhone 07

Chocolate Pot de Crème with Chocolate-Cardamom Cookie
Candied Peanuts
Domaine du Mas Blanc, Banyuls 07

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Having the opportunity to cook with another chef is a lot like having the chance to cook with a unique ingredient. Both can inspire, lead to new preparations, or add that extra something to a traditional dish. The day after Chef Hastings left our kitchen, a new visitor arrived: fresh black truffles. Working with this luxurious and coveted ingredient, Chef Klaskala created a sumptuous five course menu. In looking to pair wine with this menu, Andrés sought out Avant Partir's Nick Montigelli. With their combined knowledge and palettes, the black truffles had perhaps the only thing that could make them any more delicious: good wine.

A special thanks to Nick and Avant Partir for helping to make the Truffle Dinner on December 3rd such a fantastic evening.

Truffled Farm Egg
Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve NV


Lobster with Celery Root, Fine Herbs and Truffled Lobster Jus
Peter Dipoli, Voglar, Sauvignon Blanc, Alto Adige 04


Breast of Pheasant, Haricot Vert, Arugula and Truffle Xeres Vinaigrette
Rocche dei Manzoni "Sorito Masconi" Barbera d’Alba 98


Chocolate Truffle with Caramelized Honey Cognac Ice Cream
Fortetto della Luja Moscato Passito, Loazzolo 03

Celebrate New Year’s Eve

Join us to ring-in the New Year and celebrate 2010 at Aria. We’ll be serving a four-course prix fixe menu for $85 per person and wine pairings will also be available. When our menu is available, we will be post it here.

For reservations, call us at 404-233-7673.