AZUR Commercial Spot - 30 Seconds

A little while ago, AZUR taped footage for a 30 second commerical with the production crew of Secrets of Bluegrass Chefs. It is a difficult task to capture the food, atmosphere and service in such a short span of time. Luckily, AZUR believes that we were able to do just that. Judge for yourself by viewing the final product on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P275g_hrQGw AZUR has five other videos posted as well. Enjoy the show!

AZUR Has Something to Say

Over the last few weeks, AZUR has been asked to share our thoughts in the form of articles and opinions. We are always honored and welcome these opportunities to share not just information about AZUR (which we never lack enthusiasm to discuss) but other topics that represent the Kentucky food industry. We feel that we are equally qualified to report food trends, issues that impact restaurants and general food knowledge. Our mission for the last five years has been to raise awareness in food diversity and educate whenever possible. This exposure is good for restaurants, producers and the community. In the coming year, AZUR has renewed this commitment. Just ask us.

James Beard Foundation Kentucky Press Conference

Earlier today, Susan Ungaro, James Beard Foundation President, announced the sixteen Kentucky chefs who have been invited to participate in Cookin' in the Bluegrass during the World Equestrian Games 2010. Executive Chef Jeremy Ashby of AZUR was one of the elite sixteen. In addition, AZUR restaurant & patio was asked to be the exclusive caterer for the Kentucky press conference held at the Kentucky Proud retail store in downtown Lexington. He created four Kentucky Proud hors d'oeurves for the event which are detailed below:

- Kentucky bacon praline with brazil nut, foie gras mousse, and smoky chipotle
- Local freshwater prawn ceviche with green chile, avocado and pineapple crema
- Kentucky raised bison tartar with local duck egg yolk, bourbon barrel worcestershire, goat cheese fraîche and duck crackling
- Escabeche seared tuna with sesame, sriracha, honey, mustard and scallion on a corn arepa with Kentucky Paddlefish caviar

Sources: Alltech Angus (Critchfield Meats), Aquaculture of Kentucky, Kentucky Bison Company, D-K Duck Hatchery, Bourbon Barrel Foods LLC, Rob Hoffman Produce, Woodford Reserve and Kinder Caviar

Link to photographs of the event: http://www.azurrestaurant.com/Azurout.aspx

AZUR Logo Sign: Strange but True

About a month ago, the opportunity to place an advertising AZUR logo on one of the blue informational signs along a major roadway presented itself. It's not often that you see an independent restaurant listed on these signs (especially your own) so it does seem a little strange. We're accustom to seeing our logo in magazines, on menus and even above our entrance, but seeing it along the road is a totally new perspective for us. If you're on the south side of Lexington, traveling East or West on New Circle Road, you'll see it just before Exit 2 to Harrodsburg Road. AZUR's own little billboard.

Do You Support the Arts? Culinary Arts?

Many of us support "the Arts" be it performing arts or visual arts but what about the culinary arts? Do you think about dining at an independent restaurant with a chef in the kitchen as supporting a form of art? By definition, culinary art is the art of cooking. As with the other arts, a chef is an artist who creates. His or her canvas is the bare plate and the palette is an array of fresh ingredients often exotic ones that are combined to create a new taste and a visually pleasing object of food (art). Though culinary art is slowly growing through destination restaurants, the popularity of national food shows and celebrity chefs, your local venues still need your support to maintain their existence. So the next time you consider an evening of entertainment, please consider going out to dinner at an independent restaurant in your own neighborhood or city. You will be rewarded on several levels and be supporting "the Arts."

AZUR New Year's Eve Reflection

AZUR restaurant & patio is known for pushing the envelope and our New Year's Eve/5th Anniversary Celebration was no exception. First, AZUR provided a five course dinner to three seatings on New Year's Eve (5, 7 and 9 pm). With nearly 200 covers booked, the culinary team needed to prepare five plates per customer or 1,000 plates in total from a 500 square foot kitchen. As those in the culinary field realize, one becomes limited by the BTUs of the stoves. Meaning no matter how good your chefs are at multi-tasking, there is only so much cooking area to prepare your meals. Second, the logistics of adequately attending to those already seated and those that are about to be seated is difficult to manage with such tight time parameters. Finally, the atmosphere provided by the band must add to the dining experience as well as entertain those that have already completed their meals and are ready to ring in the new year. Again, tempo plays an important role. As we reviewed the performance of each component, we came to realize how perfectly 2009 had been orchestrated. It was a night that guests enjoyed and the entire staff of the restaurant excelled. We could not have been more pleased with the result. New Year's Eve 2009 became the benchmark for future events to be measured. Truly a night to remember when the AZUR experience was at it's best.