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| - I recently attended a large holiday party held at the National Aviary with catering by Atria's. It was my first time seeing the National Aviary and trying food from Atria's, so I had no idea what to expect. I was very favorably impressed with the entire evening and would highly recommend the National Aviary, as both an event space and an interesting destination to visit during normal hours.
Kyle and I arrived at the start time of the event and easily found parking in the lot. We entered through the gift shop (it seemed cute) and found our group. The entire space (minus the Sky Deck with the birds of prey, so sad!) was available for everyone to explore. Nearer to the entrance were two Sea Eagles and a Snowy Owl behind the glass. It was amazing to see such beautiful birds up close! We grabbed drinks from the open bar and took a quick photo with the live penguin sitting near the appetizer station. There was a trainer on hand to closely supervise all interactions between the guests and her little penguin friend, and each bird wasn't out for a long period of time. I appreciated this, as I hate seeing animals stressed out or made overly tired for the "entertainment" of spoiled, bratty kids at a party. After seeing the penguin we walked through the immersive exhibits, where you put down your food and drinks outside and enter a quieter, climate-controlled habitat where most of the birds living there roam freely. There were three that I remember: Grasslands, Rainforest, and Wetlands. I loved the Grasslands, since finches are a favorite of mine and there were so many colorful ones! The aesthetics and atmosphere of the Rainforest was probably the nicest though, and there were some very striking crested pigeons walking around that I have a lovely photo with.
Once we'd finished those exhibits we came back and sat down in the main hall for dinner. The food was absolutely delicious...some of the best catering I've had in Pittsburgh. In particular the bread was really high-quality and there were a variety of different types to choose from, (it was a cut above the standard stale caterer's rolls for sure) the salad was actual mixed greens and not cheap iceberg, and the orange miso-glazed salmon was wonderful and not at all fishy. Last time I had catered salmon in Pittsburgh I could smell it all the way across the room, which was highly unappetizing. I unfortunately couldn't partake in any of the desserts due to my allergies, but they looked decadent and I was jealous of everyone around me. The bar was open for the entire event, and they had a great selection of whiskeys, scotch, and four or five different beers. On top of all this, the group of staff from Atria's was really polite and professional from start to finish, and they did a nice job of not making you feel like a nuisance. I've been to some weddings where the wait staff snapped at me or made me feel like I was in their way whenever I came back to my table for a rest or to get another drink, and this was the polar opposite of that experience. As I stated previously I would gladly attend another event catered by Atria's and/or held at the National Aviary. Both the vendor and the venue were superb, and I can't wait to come back and visit again so I can catch a glimpse of the birds of prey.
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