Easter Brunch at AZUR

It's not to early to think about what you will be doing for Easter this year. With Keeneland in session, you may wish to take your house guests out to AZUR's Easter Brunch and then slide out the back exit and right into Keeneland within just a few minutes drive. Our Easter menu is posted at http://azurrestaurant.com/specialty.aspx Think about it.

AZUR Invented a New Sport This Weekend - Rooting

With a 2,500 square foot bricked patio with trees, you can imagine what tree roots will do over time to the dry-laid bricks which creates a tripping hazard for our guests. On Sunday, we went "rooting" and removed a pile of feeder roots located just under the brings. AZUR has been joking that we got our "bag limit" for the day. View the photo at http://azurrestaurant.com/azurin.aspx We love our trees but we cannot have the bricks all uneven just before the Keeneland Spring Meet.

Busy Busy Busy - Keeneland is Coming!

With the warmer weather the last few days, AZUR has continued to prepare the patio for Keeneland. We have a laundry list of things to address to make sure that things are just right. We are hoping that the weather cooperates and the sounds of live music echo from the patio once again. There is nothing better than seating outside with friends having dinner while talented musicians play their hearts out. Well, one could add a glass or two of wine to the equation.

Warmer Weather Brings Patio Into Action

The warmer weather in Kentucky the last few days has brought people out to spend time on the AZUR patio. We have tulips peeking through the mulch and the Sweet Bay Magnolia is starting to shoot leaves. This weekend we will install the final components for patio season just it time for the Keeneland spring meet. It appears that spring is finally here!

New Food Trend - Valulinary

From what we have been reading in the trades, the latest food trend is Valulinary. Chefs are being creative in their dishes by substitution of more exotic ingredients with more common ones which adds "value" to their culinary offerings, hence, the term "Valulinary". This is being done in combination with tasting flights and other dinner pricing such as an appetizer and entree for one price.

Digital Branding 102

Last Friday, AZUR focused on digital branding of the restaurant. In addition to the AZUR blog, the website, Facebook and our eNewsletter (all of which may be linked to from (www.azurrestaurant.com), we added Twitter for communicating daily specials and other special events. You can subscribe by going to twitter.com (no "www" in front). We also added a "favicon" to our url address which displays a graphic to the left of our web address. We know that there are restaurants that have great professionally created web pages but we are proud that all of our marketing, branding and much of our advertising is created in house. It's a true grass roots effort!

Today, we've been working with getting all the digital components to play nice together. We believe that we have it! This is starting to be more difficult than running the day-to-day business but we do pride ourselves on being cutting edge (technology included).

Digital Branding 101

Today, AZUR focused on digital branding of the restaurant. In addition to the AZUR blog, the website, Facebook and our eNewsletter (all of which may be linked to from (www.azurrestaurant.com), we added Twitter for communicating daily specials and other special events. You can subscribe by going to twitter.com (no "www" in front). We also added a "favicon" to our url address which displays a graphic to the left of our web address. We know that there are restaurants that have great professionally created web pages but we are proud that all of our marketing, branding and much of our advertising is created in house. It's a true grass roots effort!

The Value of Fine Dining (Part 3)

We previously discussed how chef creations trickle down through the culinary chain and where the value can be found in fine dining. If the question still exists as to why fine dining should be supported by any community, we ask why does the community support other art forms? Why does one buy a ticket to an art showing or a concert ticket to a musically performance? We believe the answer is...to insure the future creativity of others that amuse us as well as the temporary escape it provides from the normal grind of life. Any form of artistic expression enhances the community and insures it's future growth. Culture is expressed through the preparation of food as well.

What is Value in Fine Dining?

Generally speaking, fine dining restaurants use fresh and typically less readily available ingredients in their cuisine. They create a dish from scratch and chefs pour their passion for cooking into it. Another component is the atmosphere which lends to the overall experience. The food is enhanced by not only it's presentation but also by it's surroundings. And finally, well timed professional service insures that the dining experience is paced properly and any customer special needs and/or questions are addressed promptly. Fine dining does not necessarily need to be "stuffy" but it does need to meet the above expectations and there lies it's value. A dining experience which is pleasurable from taste, visual and service perspectives that takes the diner away on a journey and in which all their needs are met. We strive for an Utopian experience. Why should customers pay more for this experience? (To be continued)

Culinary Trickle Down

As many quick service and fast casual restaurants have had an increase in business, the converse is true of many fine dining restaurants across the country. The question is...Can patrons allow fine dining to just disappear? At AZUR, we believe that fine dining restaurants drive the food service market. The passion and creativity of chefs at fine dining restaurants create new and interesting tastes by combining ingredients and cooking methods in new ways. These are then often duplicated by the next level down in more simpler ways. Obviously, they cannot afford to prepare a dish for hours or even days. Hence, culinary "trickle down" occurs. Cut down the ingredients and preparation time and you have something similar but not the original (e.g. chicken cordon blue - prepared fresh vs. frozen "out-of-the-box") Do people want to see the next level below fine dining to become the highest level available in the future? (to be continued)

AZUR Patio is Open

The temperature will be reaching the lower 70's on Saturday and the patio will be opened. This marks the third time that AZUR has been able to open the patio over the winter months. Better take advantage while you can and get out of the house. Colder temperatures will be returning very soon. This is Kentucky after all.

Kitchen Mathematics

The rules of mathematics are finite or are they? We know if you multiply a number by 2 then the resulting amount is double. Conversely, if you divide a number by 2 then the resulting amount is half of the original amount. AZUR cannot seem to obtain the same results with a practical application of the same rules. For example, we have found if the baking time for a particular dish in the oven is 40 minutes at 250 degrees then baking it for 20 minutes at 500 degrees should yield the same result but twice as fast. It does not! Just an observation.

Are You a Culinary Tourist?

If you will prefer to drive a little further to try something different or support locally ground products, then you fit the profile of a culinary tourist. AZUR has been catering to your desires for years by offering an adventuresome menu with entrees using unique ingredients. Some of the dishes include rabbit and caviar from Kentucky and others feature Gruyere and bison (another Kentucky product). Then, there's the Chef Series dinners which showcase different foods from around the world such as: Brazil, Spain and India. AZUR prefers to introduce you to new tastes rather than the ones that you can prepare at home. It's what we do best!

Another Misconception in the Food World

Following in the footsteps of the tomato not being a vegetable (it's a fruit), the banana tree is not a tree. Yes, AZUR is helping to set the record straight. The banana tree is actually a plant from the herb family. Other interesting facts are: the true origin of the banana is Malaysia and it first entered the United States about 133 years ago as a novelty food sold wrapped in foil for about ten cents. So the next time you hear someone say banana tree, you can enlighten them. The banana is a fruit but it comes from a very large plant.