Editor's Note: This story is unlocked for everyone to read courtesy of the CRVA, our partner in nourishing culinary exploration for residents and visitors of the Queen City.
October 1, 2021
Where the Industry Eats: Aria’s Briana Cohen
This longtime GM and sommelier favors Asian cuisines
An assortment of dishes from Sun’s Kitchen, a ghost kitchen in West Charlotte. Kristen Wile/UP
Folks in the restaurant industry know good food, so we want to know where they eat when they’re not cooking. In this series, we ask a local chef, bartender, restaurateur, or server to share their favorite restaurants in town and what they order there. This week, we interview Briana Cohen, general manager of Aria. Cohen, who has more than 20 years of restaurant management experience, shares her love for Asian dishes.
Sun’s Kitchen, takeout/delivery
A ghost kitchen in West Charlotte specializing in vegan dumplings and thick noodles
Briana’s order: Hot & Dry Noodle
Aqua e Vino, Cotswold
A Northern Italian boutique restaurant with handmade, high-end pastas and seasonal entrées
Briana’s order: Tajarin (a thin pasta with a porcini mushroom sauce)
Pinky’s Westside Grill, Ashley Park
A local American chain that serves cocktails, burgers, and hot dogs
Briana’s order: Stray Dog (a vegetarian hot dog with veggie chili, mustard, coleslaw, and onion)
Musashi, Pineville
A chef-favorite Japanese restaurant with a sushi bar
Briana’s order: Anything off the authentic Japanese menu
Pro tip: Make sure you ask for the Japanese menu, it contains some secret items from the regular menu
Copper Modern Indian Cuisine, Dilworth
An upscale and colorful Indian restaurant located on East Boulevard
Briana’s order: Lamb kozhambu
More from this series:
Duke Bread’s Adam Duke
Counter-‘s Sam Hart
Community Matters Cafe’s Ashley Anna Tuttle
Your Farms, Your Table’s Sam Diminich
Para’s Alex Verica
