text: Aria is typically not the type of establishment I would frequent. It seems like the type of place that people who think they are sophisticated go to feel like they are sophisticated. As I'm fond of saying when I see tables VIP reserved at the booty clubs here in Charlotte, \"This is not New York City.\"\n\nDespite the Gattaca style ambiance that this troglodyte normally doesn't associate with Italian joints, the food was awesome. It does happen every so often that my ingrained, arbitrary, judgmental prejudices are incorrect.\n\nThis was a restaurant week visit and Aria gets automatic kudos for offering practically the full menu instead of paring the choices down to three or four almost popular options.\n\nI did play it traditional with my meal, sticking to classic staples. The fried calamari was fresh, light and crispy, not greasy or oily at all, with plenty of tentacles, which are the best part. For my main entree, I had the linguine and clams like some kind of mafioso. Fresh clams in the shell and plenty of them served on a bed of al dente linguine and understated white wine clam sauce. The portion size thankfully is not overwhelming nor skimpy. All finished off with an amazing cheesecake, perhaps one of the best deserts I've ever had and I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake. Aria could be worth an end of the evening stop simply for desert. And I really don't believe in desert; it takes up too much stomach space that I need for meal gorging.\n\nThis three course dinner was not heavy at all like a lot of Italian food, sitting in your gut some sort of fart bomb ready to go off.\n\nI did not get a drink, but the table next me ordered some refreshing looking cocktails. I'm comfortable enough with myself to drink pink. The wine selection is extensive. It's supposed to be, it's an Italian restaurant.\n\nIf I had a special lady, I'd take her here. Yeah, it's that nice.