Per the menu: aura is “the invisible energy field that radiates around every person, place, and thing, like a personal glow that reveals your inner world.”
If you’re brushed up on the reviews thus far, you’re familiar with this location. Like a cat, this place has lived many lives! The same arena once hosted Krug Korner Pub and even further back it was a pharmacy called the Medicine Shoppe! Anywho, we’re back here at 9th and Kossuth to check out Aura - Craft Bar + Kitchen. It’s received another face lift and if it doesn’t stop soon it just might get itself a contract on Bravo.
It’s got quite an extensive menu with options ranging from artisan cheese boards to shawarma, flatbreads, and of course a very intriguing cocktail menu. I was intrigued by the upgraded menu. The owners here also own Big League and the Tick Tock offering delicious bar food and diner menus executed well.
Local shrimp queen Linda started us off with the butterfly shrimp entree featuring wild mushroom risotto and chili oil, among other flavors. It was very good and tasty, the shrimp was very flavorful and popped right out of the shell and into her mouth with great ease. She loved the mushroom risotto and salad as well.
Kay ordered the scallops in white wine sauce under the agreement that she and Linda would mix and match their under the sea flair. She really, really enjoyed the white wine sauce with the crostinis it was served with and strongly recommended everyone try it to see.
This joint was top notch when it came to options for Jo! She was able to order the slammin salmon handheld without the bun, and when she asked them to hold the fries, they offered grilled vegetables as a substitute. The blackened salmon comes adorned with feta, cucumber and red onion, arugula and buttermilk ranch. The salmon was cooked very nicely with a great crust on it. She loved the sauce as well, and was really happy with the assortment of accommodations which made for a fantastic salad of sorts!
The menu has an entire section dedicated to power bowls which looks to be an assortment of salads and non salads. If that’s not a real thing, you can tar and feather me in the town square. Tetia had to try the ahi poke bowl, and I can assure you it was definitely a non-salad. It had all of the things you can dream of, purple rice, ahi tuna (naturally), slaw, red onion, cucumber, avocado, sesame ginger dressing, black garlic kanzuri, and sesame seeds. The texture combinations are really nice. The crunch and softness was really fun for her mouth and the vegetables were portioned very generously. She also praised the presentation as solid, it was even adorned with a flower in the middle!
Apparently we were in an ahi tuna vibe because Ken got the ahi tuna appetizer. It’s pan seared and served with micro greens, fresh slaw, roasted shishito, black garlic kanzuri, sesame seeds, red onion and grilled lemon. He praised the nice crust and the terrific balance of flavors.
Way over yonder at the other end of the table, Iseral decided to try the PLT+A handheld with REGULAR fries. He’s not truffling and you can’t make him. I’m sure you’re wondering what a PLT+A is, because how could anyone know off the top of their head?! It’s a pork belly sammich with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and garlic aioli on Italian bread. Iseral shared, "The pork belly was nice, thick, flavorful, and it was very filling."
I had to have the waygu sliders. To be honest, they had me at “hot pepper bacon jam”. Omg. I also have a weakness for all things miniature so if you’re going to put it on a slider bun then I’m going to need it like Jack and Diane needed chili dogs outside the Tasty Freeze. The buns are pretzel AND miniature, which would make for a power couple, but paired with the hot pepper bacon jam, we have ourselves a good ole fashioned power trifecta. I truffled my fries though on account of my sophisticated palate, and certainly not because I was feeling Fancy like Reba in the 90’s. The fries came with some kind of secret sauce and though I couldn’t name it, I loved it and took everything for a swim in it. The peppered bacon jelly and pimento spread made for a winning combination, all of which I would do again.
The lovely and attentive server offered us dessert, and being the gluttonous monsters we are, we obliged. We are not great at resisting peer pressure, especially when there’s sugar involved. We shared a lemon parfait and whiskey chocolate pudding. Honestly, I couldn’t get an answer over the flurry of gawks and babbles, but they can edit their Christian names in, that’s just my assumption of what they were! I would sell YOUR soul for another bite of that lemon parfait! I'd swim in the sea of lemon curd, clinging to a pistachio for dear life, but also totally fine with landing in the bed of the graham cracker crust. As fate would have it, the whiskey chocolate mousse party is also self-sacrifice worthy. We couldn’t decide which was better, and it seemed to be whichever one we were eating at that moment. And it has real whiskey! I don’t know, that could be a lie, who could know? Maybe you! Maybe you should come in and get one of each and cast your vote for the dessert king!
