Art Show at Azur

Azur welcomed local artist Kimberly Narenkivicius and her wonderful works with a reception this past Sunday.

Narenkivicius, a photographer and publisher of the The Secret of Salt, will be taking flight to Spain soon and last night was a great way to send one of Key West's most celebrated artists on her way.

Food, wine and friends were enjoyed by all as Kimberly's sea inspired pieces wowed the crowd.

Art Show at Azur

Do you have fresh fish?

Yes we do!

Is That a Big Grouper or Are You Just Happy to See Me?

Hey Mike! Wow that's big! What'cha got there?

"It's a black grouper I just got in and am prepping for tonight's special."

Oh yeah? What's the special tonight?

"It's pan roasted black grouper with scallops, Key West pink shrimp over farro with panchetta and confit of broccoli rabe."

Mmmmmm. Sounds tasty. Tell me about the grouper!

"Black Grouper is a deep water white fish that has a light flavor. It's my favorite fish in Key West because of the steak-like texture. For people up north, it's got a nice firm texture like halibut. 

Tonight it's paired with broccoli rabe confit cooked in olive oil and garlic for about an hour and farro."

That's sounds great but what the heck is farro?

"Farro is an ancient grain that the Romans cultivated and ate when they were in Egypt. It's a member of the wheat family and is a nutritious high complex carbohydrate. It adds texture and a nutty flavor to the food. Just consider it the quinoa of Europe."

Well if it's good enough for the Romans I guess it's good enough for me. Time to conquer the special! 

'Tis the Season

'Tis the season for perfect patio weather!

Hey Mike! What'cha Doing?

Hey Mike! What'cha Doin'?

"I'm filleting a Cobia fish I just got in today for tonight's special."

What's the special you're making?

"It's a pan roasted Cobia with sea scallops, Key West pink shrimp over fresh sauteed ratatouille."

Wow! That sounds great! What is Cobia?

"Well, Cobia is a fish found in local Key West waters. It's line caught which is environmentally safe and we buy it in the 25 - 30 pound range so we can keep it in it's freshest state. Cobia is a steak fish that has a decent fat content and has a creamy texture when eaten raw like in our fish carpaccio. Does that answer your question?"

Yes, but how do you cook it?

"Well, the first day we get it, we make the carpaccio. I use sea salt, crushed pepper and Italian parsley with first pressed olive oil unfiltered. The unfiltered olive oil has a higher acidity level so it cooks the fish a little bit. Kinda like ceviche with lemons or lime. I pan roast it to medium so it doesn't become dry. Steakfish like Swordfish, Wahoo, Cobia can tend to go dry if you don't cook it correctly. It's very important. Um, are you drooling?"

Yes. Can I have a napkin or something? 

"Uh, sure."

Thanks. I hate it when that happens.

"No problem. Listen, the easiest way to remember how we cook things here is that we use good ingredients and work with the natural flavors to let it stand on it's own. Any other questions?"

Nope. Thanks Mike! See you later!

To Gnocchi or Not to Gnocchi... That is the Question.

To gnocchi or not to gnocchi that is the question!

One of the favorites here at the restaurant is the homemade potato gnocchi. It is a Michael Mosi family recipe that his grandmother made every year. She usually only made it on holidays so it's a special treat to have it offered every day here at Azur.

"It has to be done right or else it can taste like lead bullets" Chef Mike explains. 

He's had lots of practice making the 25 year old recipe that's made with potato, flour and cheese but no eggs. Eggs make it tough.

You can try Mike's family recipe in our confit of petite osso bucco over sauteed broccolini in a natural roasted garlic veal reduction with truffled leeks or our braised beef gnocchi served with petite vegetables. 

Hey Mike, Why do people love the gnocchi?

"It's just honest food with great flavor." he says with a smile.

Come on in and try some today!