The DIY crew has been buying up vegetables, too, but for another use: canning. The restaurant, which builds its seasonal menu around available harvest from local providers, is stocking up for winter, making jams and pickles, which it will proffer in addition to house-cured meats.
But that's not all the restaurant has been up to as the weather turns cool and students return to school: In August, the spot opened for breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week; and in September, it added a Tuesday all-night happy hour offering snacks like fried almonds, an eggy Spanish tortilla and crisp, puffy chicharrones -- all for $4 or less.
In fact, all of Aion's offerings have gotten more economical. No tapa on the dinner menu is priced above $9, and the kitchen has added platters to share, which include sizable entrees and sides. A Wisdom Farm half chicken, for example, with potatoes and greens. Or a hefty portion of paella, studded with spicy sausage and clams.
Those platters seem like a perfect way to spend a cool night tucked into one of the window seats with a date, sharing a bottle of wine.
Cafe Aion will also throw a final summer send-off on October 9 at Flatirons Neighborhood Farm, the urban farm it uses for much of its produce. For more information on that event, go here.
