NEW YORK— Sunday evenings can dampen the highest spirits when anticipating the upcoming work week or the morning commute. Calm your woes and eliminate winter’s raw edge at Aroma Kitchen & Winebar’s Sunday ‘Family’ Dinner, premiering Sunday, 7 January 2007 from 6PM until 12AM and continuing every Sunday night thereafter. Adhering to Italian tradition, owners Alexandra Degiorgio and Vito Polosa invite you into their “home-away-from-home” to celebrate Sundays with family, friends and neighbors over rustic Italian dishes and table wine that charm the palate and ease the mind and spirit. Guests are invited to choose dishes from a three-course prix fixe menu available for $25, while glasses of house wine are $7. Adding to the affair, the melodious combination of revitalizing flavors and Aroma’s comforting setting are combined with the sounds of Daniel Garcia’s classical rhythms on guitar to help you finish the weekend on a high note. Find out for yourself why the New York Post’s Andrea Strong describes Aroma as, “one of those restaurants you’ve just gotta love.” For reservations, please call 212.375.0100. For more information on Aroma’s Sunday Dinner or to interview owners Alexandra Degiorgio & Vito Polosa interested media please contact Workhouse Publicity, publicist Lauren Gould directly by telephone 212. 645. 8006 or via email lauren@workhousepr.com

Relaxed. Intense. Italian. Aroma Kitchen & Winebar is favored for its easy-going ability to bring people together over sumptuous food and wine arrangements. Whether dropping by for a quick bite or staying in to relax and take in the warm ambiance, New York magazine assures that at Aroma, “You’re in more than competent hands.” From the moment Alexandra Degiorgio greets you at the door, to the first scent of wine selected by Vito Polosa, visitors to Aroma experience a casual, honest environment that captures the flavor and soul of Italy. The food incorporates authentic tastes from Italy’s regional cuisine, while the wine list includes over 150 Italian wines and an extensive “by the glass” program. With seats comfortable enough for dining at the bar, a dining booth in the back and a sidewalk veranda, the restaurant’s intimate quarters seat 30. Additionally, Aroma’s Farmhouse Room— a private, subterranean escape accessed through a narrow staircase and winding catacombs—comfortably seats 20 guests and provides a novel setting in which to hold group outings or corporate events. Don’t let its East Village coordinates fool you—Aroma feels like a secret wine bar in Rome.

SUNDAY ‘FAMILY’ DINNER MENU
$25 per person, $7 glass of house white or red wine
sunday bruschetta

appetizer
sunday soup, garlic crostini
“aroma” caesar salad, parmigiano reggiano, sicilian anchovy
organic mesclun, beets, toasted walnuts, ricotta salata palermitana, basil, mint
zucchini parmigiana, tomato ragu, three cheeses, basil oil
meatballs, tomato ragu, smoked treccione

main
penne, roasted artichokes, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts
orecchiette, sweet fennel & spicy sausage, broccoli rabe, pecorino
sicilian meatloaf, herbed polenta, cipolline onion, red pepper pesto
beet lasagna, wild boar bolognese, mozzarella, nutmeg béchamel
pappardelle, bolognese ragu

dessert
gianduja panna cotta
vanilla bread pudding, golden raisins, hot chocolate sauce
sicilian pistachio crème brûlée

small plates
three cheeses  8
house cured olives  4
tuscan baked three bean “uccelletto”, tomatoes, sage  7
italian cured meats  7

MENU AND VENUE INSPIRATION
Alexandra Degiorgio and Vito Polosa’s childhood in the Mediterranean was founded in a culture with a strong, stable culinary tradition where great pleasure is derived from food and where dining is an experience to be savored. Great meals lasted for hours, bringing family and friends together. These meals were always prepared with local and fresh ingredients and with love, care and attention.
Since moving to New York, Alexandra and Vito have seen the same passion for food and drink but found the experience is rarely savored or remembered here. This passion is also often hindered by a fear that delicious food cannot be healthy for you. After they met in November 2002, they created an escape in their home by hosting frequent dinners to celebrate friendships and family, food and wine. They dreamed of creating a restaurant that would bring back the values of fresh, local food that is carefully prepared coupled with wonderful wines and genuine service. Alexandra Degiorgio and Vito Polosa opened Aroma Kitchen & Winebar in March 2005 with a vision to take guests to new levels of Italian food and wine enjoyment, making every meal a memorable experience.

ATMOSPHERE
Aroma is a study in contrasts: The urban/rustic interior features exposed brick, a dark wood bar with natural edges juxtaposed with mirrors framed with brushed steel. The room is softly lit by both contemporary chandeliers and flickering candles. Brought together by their shared passion for food, wine and entertaining, owners Degiorgio and Polosa are both as active behind the scenes as they are in front of the house. Alexandra, a native of Malta, was formerly a consultant for American Management Systems (AMS), an international information technology firm. Vito, from Potenza, Italy (just South of Naples) has extensive experience in service as waiter, head waiter or manager at such NYC restaurants as Fiamma, Da Silvano, Bice and Il Gattopardo. Most recently, he was a wine salesman for Winebow, one of New York's largest wine and liquor distributors. The team brings passionate, focused intensity to the art of relaxing hospitality. They plan to share their enthusiasm with wine tastings, directed pairings and other educational programs.

HOURS
Aroma is open Monday – Friday 12PM – 12AM, Saturday - Sunday 6PM – 12PM. Lunch is served Monday to Friday 12PM – 3PM. Dinner is served Daily 6PM – 11PM. Aroma is open for "aperitivo" Monday – Friday, 4PM – 7PM.  Aroma is located at 36 E. 4th Street between Bowery and Lafayette. For more information call 212-375-0100 or visit aromanyc.com.