AZUR Cooking Tip for Mashed Potatoes

Nearly everyone prepares mash potatoes at home. AZUR doubts that many add white wine or cider vinegar to them. If they did, they would find that it cuts the richness of milk and butter and lightens the potatoes a shade. Also the more milk you add, the smoother the mash potatoes become. Try it next time and see if your family or friends notice.

AZUR Believes Food Quality is Value

Often surveys related to customer satisfaction in the food service industry separate quality and value as two different attributes. Using this method, food quality is ranked as the most important to customers when deciding where to eat out. AZUR agrees that it is the most important factor; however, we believe that food quality is the value and vice versa. They are intertwined. Larger portions of lower quality ingredients does not translate to better value. At AZUR, it's always about the food quality which means value.

Premium Tuna Sells for over $100,000!

If you think the prices are high at the grocery store for a can of tuna, this recent news item will definitely shock you. Two sushi bar owners paid more than $100,000 for a Japanese bluefin tuna at a Tokyo fish auction on Monday, several times the average price and the highest in years. The 282-pound premium tuna caught off the northern coast of Oma fetched 9.63 million yen or $104,400 U.S. dollars. That's $370.00 per pound!

One New Year's Resolution Down for AZUR

Several months ago, AZUR set a New Year's resolution for the website. The goal was to have a new more interactive AZUR website with pics, menus and just more restaurant information by 12/31/2008 (New Year's Eve). We are happy to report that we accomplished our New Year's resolution with hours to spare. As always, AZUR encourages your comments and suggestions for improvements to the website and to the restaurant in general.

AZUR Sopranos Table 2

The previous Sopranos Table dinner was "SOLD OUT". If you wanted to attend the last dinner and could not obtain a reservation, here's your chance. This menu is not a repeat rather a completely new menu! Join AZUR for it's second tribute to Italian family gatherings. Again it will be served "family style" with communal seating.

Menu:
Antipasti - Marinated artichokes salad with Roma tomato, toasted pine nuts, caper and raisins
Zuppa di Pesce Amalfitana fish soup in the style of amalfi with tomato chili bruschetta
First course - Rigatoni al Ragu Napoletano, large tube pasta Neapolitan pork shoulder ragu and cacciocavallo fonduta
Second Course-Polpette di braciole con risotto, chef Ashby’s famous meatballs braised in tomato, mushrooms and Marsala wine over creamy lemon Parmesan risotto
Third course-Tiramisu, in the style of Treviso

Sunday, January 25 at 6:30 pm. Cost is $35 per person. Seating is limited.

AZUR Post-New Year's Eve

AZUR is still recovering from New Year's Eve. Nearly the entire day was spent putting the restaurant back in order inside and outside. Plus, we still need to complete the normal year end duties such as: food and beverage inventories, seasonal menu changes and specialty menus for upcoming events. Then there is the accounting for last year.

Happy New Year from AZUR

AZUR had a lovely evening tonight. We were pleased that things flowed smoothly throughout the dining service. Despite the chilly temperatures, our guests came dressed for the celebration. As for AZUR, we are are a few minutes into our fifth year. We'll be fine in 2009.