Eight years ago Michael Mosi and Drew Wenzel brought a new culinary gem to Key West in the form of Azur Restaurant. Both Michael and Drew are passionate about good food, and the delicacies of Azur are clear testimony to their love of fine cuisine. After meeting in school at Penn State, and each completing business degrees, they went into the World to bolster experience and knowledge of fine dining.
Drew moved to Germany studying under Michelin chefs, gaining his journeyman papers, and later opening his own unique restaurant in Hamburg. Michael took a hands on approach, traveling the World through Thailand, South Africa and the Mediterranean, also deepening his knowledge of European cuisine with French and Italian chefs at the Italian Embassy in D.C. The result of their collective knowledge has created a Mediterranean style restaurant that is fine cuisine without pomp or pretense.
Influences of Turkish, Spanish, French, Italian, Greek, Moroccan and Portuguese dishes are blended flawlessly into down to earth recipes you would expect to find in a family style rustic restaurant on the Mediterranean coast. Branzino (a European seabass) is flown ice pack fresh from Greece, along with giant prawns, octopus and sardines. Local catches include yellowtail snapper, wahoo, cobia and Key West pink shrimps. Seafood dishes are complemented by prime cuts from select butchers.
Breakfast can be light or robust from Greek yogurt with fruit and honey to a braised beef hash and poached eggs to salmon gravlax (cured with salt, sugar and dill) benedict, classic benedict, or crab cake benedict. Artisan breads, croissants and continental breakfast are always staples.
Lunch features an ever-popular short rib French dip sandwich, with asiago mustard truffle au jus. Fried sheep’s feta Carpaccio, and summer gazpacho style soups are amongst items that fill the menu. Beginning June 1st a variety of ten lunch plates per month will be offered for $6 each throughout the summer.
Dinner has four sections starting with small tasting plates of two bite samples, apps and salads, almost entrees (when you want to try more than one dish) and full entrees. These dishes are mainly seafood but include braised meats, grilled steaks, lamb and vegetarian dishes. Everything is made fresh in the restaurant except for the bread and ice-cream.
Exceptional old World wines, ports and Madeira’s have been lovingly paired with all dishes. Do leave room for the World-class deserts. An almond apple tart with apricot glaze and cardamom ice cream will leave you in awe, not to mention the expresso panicotta. Located at 425 Grinnell Street, Key West, FL 33040 Azur Restaurant perfectly blends ‘old country’ dishes with the emblematic diversity that is Key West.