Restaurant Review: Azur

Med men

By: Susan Meadows
Published online: Friday, August 19, 2011
Appeared in: Pasateimpo

Azur in French is the bright blue of a New Mexico sky — or the Mediterranean Sea, whose varied cuisines inspire one of the newest (opened May 28) and, frankly, best restaurants in town. Eric Lamalle and Xavier Grenet, owner and executive chef, respectively, conceived this new little sister of their 15-year-old Ristra, just down the block. Grenet’s long, distinguished résumé includes a stint with Joël Robuchon in Paris. With Azur, he dons a blue-and-white-striped sailor shirt to take you on a tour of the Med, with delicious reminders along the way that the ancient spice trade crossed those waters long ago. Delightfully harking back to his Catalan cooking days at Barcelona in San Francisco, he has created a menu on which every delectable offering is available as a small plate, or tapa, which means even if you can’t try every- thing, you can make a valiant attempt — and at prices that make Azur one of the best values in town.

Lamalle shrewdly took over the renovated venerable adobe that formerly housed the tragically short-lived Á la Mesa. Decorated with modern glass and steel for contrast with the warm wooden beams, comfortable seating, and blue-striped pillows along the banco, the setting strikes an elegant compromise between old Santa Fe and Railyard contemporary.

The staff is welcoming and efficient, even if youthful inexperience sometimes interferes. One runner helpfully offered to take our bread — before our main courses had arrived. With the sauces at Azur, you’ll want to guard the good sourdough, perfect for sopping; this is bread in the French tradition, not bread as entertainment. Another time a server disconcertingly declined to let us taste a rosé that had just been graciously offered for tasting at the next table. But these are mere quibbles. Nearly all of the wines by the glass are priced at less than $10 — a coup in itself. Recommended are a Matane Primitivo from Puglia; the Ardèche Chardonnay; and a bright, little-known sparkler from Limoux, France, where sparkling wine is said to have been invented in the 16th century.

Bravo for the sardine rillettes — a mash of sardines, garlic, and olive oil to spread on toast. It’s just not the Med without the sardines. North African-inspired Fatima fingers are flaky pastry rolls of spicy lamb to dip in fresh coriander sauce; hold on to your bread for the remaining sauce. Bright piquillo peppers from Spain are stuffed with pork belly and complemented by a blue cheese sauce. A citrusy lemon grass sauce perfects sweet potato fries, while baby artichokes are caramelized and then basted with sauce agrodolce (a sweet-sour sauce) for a quick trip to Sicily.

From Majorca, there’s lightly poached, tender calamari with pine nuts and raisins — a dish that fragrantly reminds you that calamari are creatures from the sea, not the fryer. The spinach salad combines the tang of fresh cheese with the sweetness of dates and a perfectly balanced dressing; Grenet could give lessons. Even thelamb-averse should taste the tagine, in which succulent morsels of lamb shoulder and sliced prunes loll about in a sauce delirious with cinnamon, saffron, and ginger. The couscous flavored with refreshing mint and fruity olive oil served alongside will bring you back to your senses. A special of Hawaiian mahi-mahi in a silky saffron sauce proved irresistible with its stack of smooth and velvety potato gratin and grilled peppers and squash.

Tropical trade routes cross the Med, too — for which I was especially glad when I tasted the warm pineapple crumble supporting a slowly melting house-made ice cream flavored with sea salt and caramel. The briouat — a Moroccan pastry called warqa (which means “leaf” and is similar to phyllo) stuffed with almonds and drizzled with orange-flower syrup — evokes soft spring evenings and the souk, or market. The chocolate-hazelnut torte is a mini-tart of fudgy delight, while the crema catalana resembles a crème brûlée yet offers subtle pleasures entirely its own, whispering slyly of Grenet’s mastery at Barcelona.

The expert play of contrasting flavors, the citrus paired with sweet, and the perfume of flowers and spices make Ristra’s little sister the exotic new beauty in town. If the others aren’t jealous yet, they certainly will be. Go now while you can still get a table.