The Basics
- Neighborhood: Uptown
- Cuisine: Italian
- Price range: $$$
- Good for: Cocktails | Date night | Girls night | Non-adventurous eaters | Wine lovers
- We dig: The negroni and wine lists; the house-made pastas
- Downers: The massive dining room can feel corporate
- Must order: The mussels
- Beverage focus: Wine and cocktails
- Superlatives: Unpretentious Picks: Restaurants for Wine Lovers
- Phone: 704-376-8880
- Website: https://www.ariacharlotte.com
Last updated: July 1, 2021
In the Weeds
It’s easy to make assumptions about an Uptown restaurant full of khakis, button-downs, and pencil skirts at 5:15 p.m. on a weekday. These are, after all, the people we blame for the city’s steakhouse culture. There is something to be said, however, for a locally owned restaurant popular among a contingency of diners that values consistency in favor of meeting the latest dining trends.
Aria Tuscan Grill, which will celebrate a decade in business this year, is one of those restaurants. Popular among business clientele, the Uptown Italian spot serves all of the dishes you’d expect: carbonara, penne a la vodka, lasagna, chicken parmigiana, gnocchi.
The menu’s simplicity is part of its appeal. There is a comfort in Italian, which is perhaps why the city is going to see so many casual Italian restaurants opening this year. The dining room, though it can feel cavernous, has a cosmopolitan vibe that makes the simple cuisine feel more high-end. A window from the dining room into the kitchen reveals a focused staff, constantly heads-down in the rush of service.
A personal favorite is the carbonara, a dish I often crave for its indulgent creaminess. The fettuccine is made from scratch, with salty pancetta and Parmigiano cheese cutting through the unctuous runny yolk and bite of cracked pepper. I’ve yet to eat this dish at Aria and be disappointed with any aspect of it, even when I’ve ordered it as part of the restaurant’s in-and-out lunch, where you can order three courses — a salad, pasta, and dessert — all served at once for a quick outing.
Aria’s menu seems to be making a statement: There’s no shame in simplicity. If you’re in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs, that’s what you’ll have. But that spaghetti and meatballs will be fitting of a night out: noodles made in the restaurant, a red sauce that’s bright with harmonious flavors, and juicy, flavorful meatballs. The Caesar salad is one of the few in town that is served with anchovies; the mussels are served with your choice of two sauces, tomato-based or white wine-based, both equally worthy of sopping up with leftover bread or pizza crust.
Similar care is taken with the restaurant’s beverage program. The deep wine list focuses on Italian wineries, teeming with interesting offerings selected by beverage director Briana Cohen. In addition to thoughtfully helping diners navigate the lunch and dinner menus, the servers at Aria are well-versed in wine recommendations, as well. Even the craft cocktail offerings take on an Italian spin. The restaurant brought on mixologist Bob Peters to consult on a variety of negronis, the classic bitter drink.
Businesspeople often choose to spend their money at chain steakhouses because the restaurants are dependable. The service is friendly, the menu approachable, and, most importantly, you can depend upon the kitchen to deliver. Aria commands the same clientele because it offers that same consistency. Despite facing the same difficult labor market, Aria has shielded diners from the highs and lows that come with frequent turnover. And that keeps them coming back — probably for the same dish, time after time, like it does for me. —Kristen Wile
