Aria Restaurant   

490 E Paces Ferry Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-233-7673
www.aria-atl.com

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Opened in the Spring of 2000, Aria has become one of Buckhead's hippest hotspots, and was even named one of the country's best restaurants by Esquire Magazine during its first year of operation. It's easy to see why the place has attracted so much attention: Its slick, post-modern decor, with an intimately romantic bar area and a dining room that looks like something out of a Stanley Kubrick film, is as much a feast for the eyes as the food is for the stomach. Chefs Gerry Klaskala (who also owns the place) and pastry whiz Kathryn King have made fans of local restaurant critics who gush over the sophisticated creativity from the kitchen. The New American menu is a mixture of "slow foods" -- braised, roasted, stewed and patiently simmered meats -- and fresh seasonal offerings, with popular entrees ranging from Niman Ranch slow-roasted pork (with balsamic and port, blue cheese and sage polenta and baby spinach) to pan-roasted tripletail grouper, seved with black mussels, sugar snap peas, leeks and lemongrass. The dessert menu has also won rave reviews, with favorites such as red Bartlett pear brioche pudding with almonds and vanilla sauce, and warm chocolate cheesecake with walnut crust and vanilla cream.