Cuisine:

• Sea food
• Contemporary
• Banquet

Aura Description:
Aura's oft-noted potential remains hampered by the restraints of a convention hotel whose design reveals a baffling lack of logic. The hapless décor scheme includes poorly arranged seating and a temporary wall that hardly hides the lobby beyond. The seasonal menu, by contrast, is sharply focused---namely on seafood brushed with a global glaze that intrigues without distracting, at least for the most part. Consider, for instance, classic clam chowder paired not with oyster crackers but an Irish soda biscuit, or the daring pairing of scallops with Asiago, tossed together with basil-flecked fettuccine. Unexpected lunch selections such as pulled chicken and smoked cheddar with fried onions on cornbread also prove Aura is more than a competent but conventional choice for (whom else?) conventioneers---it's an out-of-the-blue surprise for foodies. Given that it's also well out of the way on the waterfront, however, odd ambience alone may be the deal-breaker. Chef Rachel Klein has instituted several programs---one being a kid-friendly Friday night dinner, with toys and patient waiters---to attract non-biz types to her tables.