Last week, before her final work-related art event (she’d completely handed off her duties at this point, accelerated by la cheville fracturée) Lindsay and I had dinner at Aloette. Linds had been before; I had not.

I was impressed, but not surprised; I’ve been upstairs to Alo enough times to know this place wouldn’t be fucking around. The food was as expected, but there were little touches that just made the experience — the service, design elements like the under-the-seat cubbies for bags and water bottles, automated shades to keep us from roasting in the late-day sun. Just…touches.

But yes, the food:

• Cocktails
  • “Sour Cover-Up” (Tanqueray gin, strawberry apéritif, coriander, Bellwoods Jelly King sour beer)
  • “Five-Ten Fizz” (Rangpur gin, sherried apricot, citrus, egg white, Peychauds)
• Apps
  • cheddar brioche buns
  • Stracciatella cheese on sourdough w/ burnt honey, piquillo pepper, pine nut
  • torched Hamachi w/ green goddess, coconut, avocado, lemon balm
  • glasses of 2016 J.M Sohler sparkling Pinot Blanc
• Mains
  • Dan: Aloette burger (Beaufort cheese, onion, lettuce, pickle) & fries / 2016 Thymiopoulous Xinomavro
  • Lindsay: spinach agnolotti w/ braised veal, Gremolata, lemon / 2017 Masseria Li Veli Negroamaro

We then walked to the event and proceeded to stare dumbly at plate after plate of delicious hors d’oeuvres, so full we couldn’t eat a single bite.

.:.

Cover photo from Aloette’s website