Azur Restaurant and Patio Lexington KY

Reads and Reviews
   
Casual yet Uptown, Sleek yet Comfortable

Saturdays are generally not too hectic for lunch at   Lexington’s Azur Restaurant and Patio. But that doesn’t mean Executive Chef Jeremy Ashby is not working.
   
   

He’s just left the radio station, WLAP, where he co-hosts Sunny Side Up Lexington, a food talk show. There are folks to meet who purchased the opportunity to be “Chef for a Day” part of local charity fundraiser.
   
   

And in a booth, Charlie and I are soaking up the ambiance and deciding what to order.
   
   

One does not expect a high-end restaurant to be in a strip center, Lexington’s Beaumont Circle off of Nicholasville Road.
   
   

Outside the patio is topped with canvas sails for shade. The chairs, shiny aluminum reminiscent of a French café. In small plots, tomatoes are growing. The Azur Farmers Bazaar is winding up for the day.

Inside, the color theme is blues and greens, simple with undulating lines of movement. The bar is near the kitchen window, where a theater of kitchen staff takes center stage. The ingredients? Locally sourced of course; featuring a variety of Kentucky Proud products.

The furnishings are Scandinavian inspired, very modern, very sleek but at the same time welcoming and friendly. There are no placemats, no fancy white linen tables. It’s part of the European style.

Here’s Josh Gardener, Ashby’s day chef. Hannah part of the wait staff is fun; be sure to ask for her! She is a college student working toward a career as a Dietician.

The luncheon menu is fairly simple with salads in the $7 – $9 dollar range. We had the wild greens salad.
   
   

Sandwiches include Panini’s and Poor boys, chicken and even a sandwich with nothing but vegetables. I had the lamb burger Sandwiches are served with a choice of fries, slaw or pasta salad. For a small up charge you can add a house salad or cup of soup. Price range for sandwiches in the $9 to $13 area. The Dominican Sandwich with roasted pork shoulder and a wonderful assortment of trimmings including cheese, banana peppers, and lemon slaw was Charlie’s choice. I would make a second trip back to Azur just to have another one all to myself!

I had a lima bean soup. I love lima beans, have three kinds growing in my garden and am very eager for their harvest.

There were luncheon plates available, but we did not sample them. Of special interest is woven shrimp, a signature of Ashby’s. (Update Photos of Woven Shrimp) There is a bar, well stocked with bourbon.

Azur has won several awards for their cocktail concoctions. I do not like schnapps’, but then again I had a bourbon and peach schnapps drink that was cool, refreshing and mellow. I’ll definitely try that again!

We did not stay for dinner service, but the menu was very tempting Lobster crepes, Macaroni and Cheese with pancetta and smoked cheddar cheese, short ribs, salmon, pork tenderloins, halibut, chicken steak and duck all appear on the menu. Dinner entrée prices ranched between $13 to $35, with lamb burger the most economical and filet medallions at the upper end. Azur dinners also offer cheese tasting plates, truffle fries and calamari. There’s something on the menu that would appeal to most.
   
   

Friends Drift Inn Recipes, Gardening and Hot Flashes!

More about Chef Jeremy Ashby

Chef Jeremy Ashby The Interview

Behind the Scenes on Sunny Side Up Chef Jeremy Ashby

Chef Jeremy Ashby at Woodford Reserve Bourbon Distillery