Aroma 31 opened last October, after the comically short-lived Eco Table in that same location mysteriously closed. Fast forward a few months, and the former Eco Table décor and menu had transformed into what is now Aroma 31. Perplexed by this seemingly sudden change, especially considering how Eco Table had been open not even a full month before closing, I was able to get an answer from our server at Aroma 31 on my visit. Story has it that two friends and business partners had the idea to open a restaurant together, and thus, Eco Table was born. However, shortly after opening this venture together, the partners had different ideas about running the place, and butt heads. This lead to them closing the restaurant, while one partner took over the space to open his own restaurant, Aroma 31.
Aroma 31 features floor to ceiling windows that are opened in the warmer months. The interior has a warm feel to it, with exposed brick walls, and dimly lit hanging ceiling lamps. Cool colors in warm hues reign here, with a palette of greens and blues filling the space. It is a simple, cozy space, yet large enough so you don’t feel cramped. Walking past Aroma 31 quite frequently, it does not seem to get as crowded as other hotspots in that immediate area, making it a nice, quiet place to enjoy a meal.
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| Aroma 31 from the outside |
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| Aroma 31 from the inside |
Visiting Aroma 31 on a Friday night with a group of friends, we were brought complimentary pita and hummus to start our meal. The hummus was freshly made and topped with spices and olive oil, which was a nice alternative to the usual bread and butter most restaurants fall back on. Aside from the permanent menu offerings, Aroma 31 also offers a few specials, found on the chalkboards outside or inside the restaurant. Our group started with some drinks, namely the White Sangria and the Organic Nut Brown Ale. The sangria was refreshing, but tasted a bit watered down, while the Nut Brown Ale was just okay for its $7 price point. For our meals, my friends and I settled on the “Seven Hour” Slow Braised Lamb Osso Buco, the Fresh Mint Tagliatelli, two of the Aroma Burgers, and a side of Sautéed Spinach.
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| hummus + pita |
The “Seven Hour” Slow Braised Lamb Osso Buco is described as having a dates and raisin demi glace and served with vegetable couscous. My friend enjoyed her dish, saying the lamb was tender and falling off the bone. The demi glace left something to be desired, as she wasn’t sure if she tasted the dates and raisin flavors. The vegetable couscous was good as well, but did not have a whole lot of vegetables in it.
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| "Seven Hour" Slow Braised Lamb Osso Buco |
The burgers at Aroma 31 consist of 8 ounces of the Chef’s Blend of Flank Steak, Short Ribs, Sirloin, and Beef Flatiron, served on a brioche bun and house fries. The Aroma Burger comes topped with Feta cheese, crispy onions, and tzatziki sauce, and got mixed reviews in our group. One of my friends enjoyed the burger, which came truly “medium” as requested, with the fried onions piled on top of it. He thought the brioche bun could have been fresher, but the price of $10 and accompanying crispy fries made up for it. The side of Sautéed Spinach was really tasty and fresh, and loved by us all. My other friend did not love the Aroma Burger, feeling that the Feta and the tzatziki flavors, along with the beef mix, did not complement each other as expected.
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| Aroma Burger |
My dish was the Fresh Mint Tagliatelli, featuring a slow roasted lamb shoulder ragu. Ordering this dish was a bit of a risk for me as one, I do not like mint in my food or beverages, only in my gum, and two, I am very picky eating lamb and only like it prepared certain ways. I love ragu with ribbony pasta so this dish piqued my interest. I was also debating getting the Butternut Squash Risotto, but trusted our server who told me to go with the tagliatelli. Lucky for me, the mint flavor in the dish was not overwhelming, and was quite subtle. The lamb ragu, though chunky, was extremely tender once you bit into it. Having the soft tagliatelli with the delicate and tender lamb made it an enjoyable dish.
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| Fresh Mint Tagliatelli |
We looked at the dessert menu but nothing really captivated our interest, so we skipped a sweet nightcap.
Dinner at Aroma 31 was an enjoyable experience, especially since it is quiet and offers a cozy environment to catch up with friends or bring a date to. Although it is not the first place that pops into my mind when I think of restaurants to eat at, the food was good, and it is a place I would consider visiting again.
