Super Bowl Sunday

One of AZUR's official holidays in Super Bowl Sunday, hence, we will be closed on Sunday, February 3rd. This closing allows our staff to enjoy the festivities with their co-workers, families or friends. AZUR will be back in the kitchen on Monday. We recommend that you stay away from the bean dip and stop by for some good food on Monday.

Going for the Gold

After three years of operation, AZUR submitted applications this week for two national restaurant awards. The first one is for our latest Wine List, which we have worked to expand over the last two years. It was submitted along with our Dinner Menu to Wine Spectator for their evaluation. And today, we submitted the AZUR restaurant design to The James Beard Foundation for entry into the Outstanding Restaurant Design award. We believe if you're going to dream, then dream BIG!

Why is "patio" in the Name?

This is a fairly common question that AZUR is asked. Actually, there are two reasons: 1) AZUR did not want to emphasis "bar" because our focus is on cuisine and 2) Lexington, Kentucky was about to enact a city wide "smoking ban" so we wanted to insure that our new customers would know that we had a large patio as well. We'll save the AZUR part of the name for another day as this explanation is rather long. Poster's Note: Since coining the "restaurant & patio" phrase, we have noticed that other restaurants have used "patio" in their naming as well.

Belleville Outfit

Many of you have enjoyed the gypsy swing of Belleville Outfit on the patio of AZUR. They will be out and about in Lexington on Feb.19 to celebrate their CD release. Wanderin', the title track from Belleville's new CD, will start 5-plays-a-week rotation on WUKY (91.3) today. You may want to listen for it if you've become a fan of this talented young band that AZUR was fortunate enough to have play this past year.

Specialty Dinners Reminder

AZUR wanted to remind everyone that we have two specialty dinners coming up fast. First, we have the Floral Dinner featuring edible flowers on Wednesday, January 30. This six course dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. The next very special dinner is the Valentine's Day dinner. We are offering this dinner on February 13 and 14. Live music will be playing in the background on Valentine's Day from 6-10 p.m. Informational is available by calling 859-296-1007 or the menus may be sent to your email address by sending an email request to fwohlstein@azurrestaurant.com

Too Many Pots

AZUR had "too many pots on the stove" to post yesterday. Sometimes one has to just focus on the day-to-day needs of the restaurant. Yesterday, we had two large dinner bookings and an off premise event to prepare appetizers for so we took care of business. AZUR is also working on submissions of materials to various national organizations so we can be judged among our peers. It's one method to insure AZUR continues to meet expectations of our customers.

Heater Blues

AZUR was feeling the cold as we discovered the heater was not working properly. With the outside temperature in the teens, we reacted quickly and were able to have it serviced as the lunch rush began. Since the dining room temperature was below normal standards, we offered complimentary hot beverages for our customers and everyone understood our plight. AZUR is very fortunate to have such wonderful clients every day. Just another day in the hospitality industry.

Best Advertising

AZUR does not rely on printed advertisements, in fact, we spend only about 1% of our budget on advertising. We feel the best form of advertising is you. When you come to AZUR and enjoy a wonderful evening, we believe that you will share the experience with your family, friends and colleagues. Word of mouth advertising is something that cannot be bought. It is advertising in it's pure form like our cuisine.

Warmth with the Cold

Although it's been very cold outside, AZUR wants everyone to know that a warm reception awaits you. We been gearing up for the Floral Chef Series Dinner as well as our special Valentine's Day menu which will be served both on Wednesday, February 13th and Thursday, February 14th. Andy Mason (pianist) will be playing from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. in the background on Valentine's Day. If you can't find the menus, please send an email to fwohlstein@azurrestaurant.com and we'll send them to you directly by email.

Vegetarian

At AZUR, we try to have something for everyone including vegetarian. In addition to items listed on our menu, the chefs are ready and willing to accommodate vegetarian requests not on the menu and other dietary needs if at all possible. This is a great advantage to an independent restaurant. AZUR is not limited to pre-prepared products from a supplier.

Adventuresome

Besides offering table service and a contemporary atmosphere, the menu at AZUR is adventuresome. We offer entrees that cannot be prepared at most homes. For example, bison, elk and rabbit are not readily available at most corner groceries. Then, the chefs add the flavor through exotic spices or wines. Finally, the presentation is important too! Our chefs want the plate to be visually appealing as well as taste good.

Kentucky Proud

AZUR is a member of Kentucky Proud. This organization promotes locally made and grown products. It is sponsored by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. Currently, we feature bison, rabbit, produce, mushrooms, tomatoes, beer and ice cream on our menu from Kentucky. Also, we take advantage of other seasonal products when available. They are an important part of serving only the freshest ingredients.

Catering

Often AZUR is asked if we do catering. The answer is "yes". As with our menu, we offer an unique, upscale menu tailored to your event. When you need to make a good impression with clients or want everything just right for your family, AZUR will delivery! Our chefs have several recommended menus for you to review before making your selections. The final menu is your call.

Food Cost

AZUR is dedicated to serving the freshest products available which translates to higher food costs. Obviously, we could lower our costs be serving frozen items but this would effect our taste quality. Plus, buying local vegetables and other produce stimulates the local economy and enhances plate presentation. AZUR believes that maintaining the food quality and restaurant appearance while providing professional service equates to an outstanding dining experience.

Charity Tuesdays

AZUR would like to remind our customers that we have a venue available to schools and other organizations who wish to raise money for various causes. It's called Charitable Tuesdays! Just stop by AZUR and pick up the application form. Once approved, your group arranges a date on a Tuesday for your families and friends to dine at the restaurant. On that date, AZUR will donate a portion of the dinner proceeds to your function. It's a great way to get together and support your cause.

Valentine's Day

The chefs of AZUR have completed the four course romantic dinner for Valentine's Day. It will be offered both Wednesday and Thursday so those with busy mid-week schedules have two days to choose from. We're expecting it from the printer on Monday or Tuesday of next week. We'll share the details shortly. It is a prix fixe dinner at $60 per person and seatings will be available at 5:30, 7:00 and 8:30 p.m. Last year, it was a sell out on Valentine's Day but there were openings the day before.

Wine List

AZUR has been working on a new wine list to start 2008. Since opening in December of 2004, we have continued to expand our wine offerings. Chef Ashby wanted to insure that our wines were as varied as the food offerings. Meaning, the wine list should be global. AZUR now offers wines from Italy, Australia, South Africa and France as well as the United States. The only limitation AZUR has is storage space. All our wines are stored in custom overhead cabinets which were made to compliment the decor.

Menus

It's hard to believe the amount of time that goes into every menu - whether it's a Chef Series menu, a specialty dinner menu or our regular daily menus. They all go through several reviews and edits before being sent to the printer. Not to mention, the time the chefs take to create the various offerings. It really gives one an appreciation for editors and proofreaders.

Strange Weather

Although we couldn't believe it possible in January, it was actually warm enough for customers to seat on the patio (if they wanted). AZUR believes in being prepared so we set tables and chairs just in case we had some adventuresome diners. Plus, we staged the heaters for a little extra warm if needed.

Floral Chef Series Dinner

The weather is dark and gloomy so we thought it was “thyme” to brighten your day with a floral dinner. This adventuresome six course dinner features edible flowers. Flowers for the palate are not a new idea rather a forgotten one. Flower grazing has been done throughout the world for thousands of years. Roses and orange flowers are commonly used in Middle Eastern and Persian dishes; day lilies in China; cherry blossoms and Chrysanthemums in Japan; Lavender is a favorite in England and France; and the Mediterranean countries enjoy saffron in their food. With our dinner (a collective effort of AZUR's chefs), we wish to re-introduce flowers from the garden (not the florist) to your plate to arouse your senses of sight, smell, taste and texture. Wines from Southern Wine & Spirits will accompany the dinner. Cost is $55.00 per person.

Edible Flowers

The Floral Chef Series Dinner has been set for Wednesday, January 30, 2008. This dinner will showcase edible flowers in the courses. In keeping with our adventuresome cuisine, this dinner will truly be an interesting one. Chef Ashby will be writing a personal note on the dinner in the next few days. Please check back for his comments. We haven't seen a dinner this edgy since the Appalachian dinner early last year.

Discretion & Respect

While surveying the table service last night, I noticed several faces that I knew and realized that most people in Central Kentucky would recognize them too. Our policy has always been to respect our customer's privacy. We don't take photographs or plaster pictures of customers in advertising because we respect our customers. As we have stated before, our function is to fade into the background and not draw attention to ourselves or customers. AZUR believes that this is what is expected in a upscale restaurant or should be.

Floral Dinner

Several weeks ago, AZUR begin researching edible flowers for a Chef Series dinner (themed dinners that we host 5-6 times per year). Yesterday, we completed the menu which includes a variety of tasty flowers. Really, it's not something new as flowers were used in Victorian cooking as well as other ethnic foods for centuries; however, it fell from favor until now. AZUR will announce the date and wine parings in the next couple of days. Please check back for details.

Cold Outside

In AZUR country, we haven't seen temperatures this cold since February of last year. When temperatures hover in the teens, people tend to head straight to the house. We are pleased to report that the heat is on at AZUR and it's very cozy. Apparently, the three gas stoves in the open kitchen generate a lot of heat (according to the chefs). So if you need to warm up on the drive home, we can put you near the kitchen to thaw out.

Planning

As you would make personal New Year's resolutions, AZUR also makes yearly plans for improvement. We reflect on what we did well and what we could do better. Gathering input from customers, staff and owners, we will make adjustments to our operations. AZUR will also plan events for the year including our Chef Series dinners. We look forward to another year and hope that we continue to please our customers in the path we selected as a casual, upscale restaurant with continental cuisine.

New Year's Day

AZUR is once again silent today. The New Year's band music has faded and only a few balloons are left behind to mark the party that took place last night. As predicted, the winter storm hit just after 11:00 p.m. with light rain and gusting winds (40 M.P.H.). The owners and staff quickly adapted to the conditions in the party tent and the celebration carried on. We saw customers who have been with us every year since we opened, we saw our faithful "regulars" and we saw new faces. Although we normally promote our cuisine maybe it's more the people that make AZUR. Happy New Year! We'll see you in 2008.