KAREN'S PICK
Executive Chef Andre Molina
Aviary A KITCHEN + WINE BAR WITH INNOVATIVE DISHES BACKED BY CL ASSIC FRENCH TECHNIQUE By Karen O. Spezia Photos by Holly Cowart / Portrait by Cassandra Klepac
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JUNE 2022 | tribeza.com
“S
HHHH…DON’T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THIS PLACE,“ WHISPERED A FRIEND when we crossed paths at Aviary, an under-the-radar restaurant on South Lamar. But her pleas to protect her favorite neighborhood haunt from exposure were futile. Not only was I committed to reviewing this delightful spot, but the cat was already out of the bag. The crazy thing is that Aviary isn’t new: it’s been around for over 15 years. But it has taken that long for it to evolve into what it is today. Its genesis is unconventional, to say the least. In fact, it didn’t begin as a restaurant at all. Instead, it originally opened as a trendy housewares store that started offering glasses of wine to enhance its clientele’s shopping experience. As the wine program gained popularity, a small but impressive food menu was
