There are no tentacles sticking out of things, no Jackson Pollock squeeze-bottle paintings and no extraneous garnishes. Like the giant scallop and the white asparagus tips in the middle of the soup bowl, the food itself is the garnish. American cooking just doesn't get much better than this. It's difficult to categorize the food at Aries, because American fine dining is in transition. But that is beginning to change.
Regional cuisine is too limiting.
Chefs want to incorporate flavors they've tasted in other countries. Scott Tycer is a rising star in this new era of individualism. I returned to Aries three times looking for something to complain about, and I came away without a quibble. Well, except for the lack of a lobby on a rainy night. But that's being awfully damn picky.