Azure at The Shores Resort and Spa

I would say that this is some of the best scenery you can have while enjoying dinner at a fine dining restaurant, wouldn't you?  This is exactly what you will see at the Azure restaurant located in The Shores Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach, Florida.  My husband and I enjoyed a mini-vacation here and were pleasantly surprised at how amazing the food was.  We arrived on a Monday afternoon just in time for lunch.  I guess we were expecting typical "beach food"; fried grouper sandwiches, hush puppies, etc.  Here is what we discovered instead:

Shrimp Parppardelle Carbonara with asparagus, crispy panchetta and a light cream sauce.  This dish went quite well with the white wine the server suggested for me.  I ate every last bite.  The flavors delivered perfectly!  My husband was eyeballing my pasta so I gave in and let him have a few bites...of course he did the same for me:

Grouper Tacos made with locally caught grouper, pico and a delicious chipotle sauce for dipping.  Needless to say, we were quite satisfied after this glorious lunch.  What a way to begin our vacation!  Perfect service, an elegant setting and a view to die for.  We could not wait to see the dinner menu at Azure.  At around 8:00 we were hungry for more...

After driving around Daytona Beach to find that perfect "beachfront seafood joint", we ended up back at the resort with empty stomachs.  Daytona just doesn't have those local eateries that you expect from beach towns.  (However, go north to Ormond Beach or south to New Smyrna Beach and you will find what you're looking for!)  We walked into the dining room ready for a cocktail and appetizer.  We had the place all to ourselves as every other customer was sitting on the patio.  Unfortunately, I did not take many pictures of the food since we were starving!  We started with the crispy calamari.  It was pretty standard fried calamari with a cocktail sauce.  Nothing exceptional about it other than it was cooked perfectly.  Then we had a little surprise before our entrees - a loaf of their 'famous' Thyme and Rosemary bread topped with melted Asiago cheese.  Appetizer?  Calamari?  Not necessary when there is exceptional fresh bread with whipped butter!  I wish we could have bought a case of this bread.  It would be perfect for breakfast...and lunch, dinner and 11sies and what-have-you.  Okay, onto the finale. 

I was pretty stuffed after my over indulgence in bread, so I opted for the Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Cake whereas my husband went head first for the Atlantic Seafood Etouffee.  The aroma was enticing but I couldn't have eaten such a heavy dish.  He claims is was BETTER than anything he'd had in Louisiana!  We sent good comments to the chef in admiration of his dish.  It was truly a work of culinary art!  But my poor husband desired a Bloody Mary with his meal which filled him up too much to finish his meal.  He tried so hard and was very disappointed that it would go to waste. 

Ah, my crab cake.  This one we did get a picture of:

Beautiful.  A crispy top and creamy bottom.  I ate every bite and was perfectly satisfied.  What a meal!  We cannot wait to go back to Azure.

As a side note, we also ate here for breakfast the following morning.  While it was beautifully done, it was just 'breakfast'.  We decided to take a light start to the day after our two 4 star meals the day before.  All in all, we were 100% satisfied with every aspect of Azure and The Shores Resort.  If you are ever in the area, please give it a try.  It can be hard to find such wonderful restaurants when you're out of town.

KUROSHIO - Sushi Bar and Grille

Fantastic sushi....in KENNESAW, GA?!  Yes, it's true.  I do not consider myself a sushi "connoisseur" but I do know what good sushi is.  Kuroshio is a happy medium between your trendy Buckhead sushi restaurant and the down to earth family owned sushi bar.  Located in Kennesaw, GA off Barrett Parkway, it is available for families and college students alike.  This place is always crowded and I am not sure if reservations are accepted, but we always manage to get a table with little to no wait.  (If you're like me and can't always drag your little one to have a meal, they do offer to go sushi.)

I normally like to write about my first visit to a restaurant and describe the experience from start to finish.   However, I have been a frequent customer of Kuroshio ever since my husband took me there on our first date.  It was an impromptu date and we wanted sushi - and Kuroshio was the one place I knew of that was close by.  As far as our first date experience went, it was quite memorable!  We remember getting a large assortment of rolls and falling in love....with the MEGA CRUNCH ROLL.  We loved it so much that we ordered another glorious roll after we completed the feast of sushi we ate.  By then, we were already stuffed beyond satisfaction, but made room for the additional mega crunch roll.  Here are it's details:

Avocado, smoked, salmon, unagi and spicy crunchies.  Rolled to perfection and priced at $10, it has been described as truly orgasmic!

Like I said, I have frequented this restaurant over the past 2 + years so I have learned it's menu well.  While I have (while pregnant) eaten entrees other than sushi, I prefer one over the other.  That being said, it is a perfect place to bring those 'closeminded' friends of yours who don't enjoy sushi (Bree Bannerman!).  That way they can enjoy the BEST chicken fried rice, crispy calamari, and assortment of teriyakis. 

Among other rolls, here are the must tries:

Lovely Roll - kanikama and avocado rolled then topped with cream cheese, oven baked and garnished with sweet unagi sauce.

Sassy Nana - fresh salmon, asparagus and cream cheese rolled inside. topped with blue fin tuna, super white

and coated with our spicy sweet sauce, (one of the three “create your own sushi contest” winners!)

Valentine Roll - filled with blue fin tuna, fresh salmon, jalapeño, avocado, crunchies, cucumber and spicy aioli sauce, wrapped in japanese soy paper.

If that doesn't have your mouth watering for sushi, I don't know what will!  Just take my word for it and try it out.  Yes, I know Kennesaw is out in the "boonies" but it's worth it.  I drive out to restaurants in Atlanta that are worth it...you should drive out to this one.  Also, try out their house Saki.  Smooth and delicious.  I believe they do Saki tastings occasionally, so check their website for details. 

http://www.kuroshiosushi.com/

FIGO Pasta - Vinings, Georgia

I had driven past this gem several times over the past few years and always wanted to try it out.  Just the inviting look of the large patio and trendy sign was enough for me - and the fact that I could eat pasta 7 days a week....

Located in the heart of 'hilly' Vinings sits a quaint eatery with a LARGE menu.  I mean literally large.  It was a good 15x20 inches.  The restaurant was laid out as your typical deli.  You order your food and drink with the cashier and then you are given a large pepper grinder as a table marker.  (Ours was painted with the proud colors of the Italian flag).  The hosts/servers were very courteous and were willing to answer any questions with a smile on their faces. 

We had arrived for lunch and were interested in something light.  After deliberating with the cashier, we had made our decision.  We both had the Prosciutto and Mozzarella panini, side salad and the crispy and savory FIGOttini.  No, not a martini - it's two slices of toasted bread with your choice of spread.  Everything sounded divine.  Spinaci (spinach for us non-Italians), Carciofo e fagioli (artichoke hearts with cannellini beans) and so on and so forth.

Here's the final product:

All in all, it was fresh and tasty.  The salad obviously had a house made Caesar dressing as we were tasting the garlic for hours after our meal (which we didn't mind!).  My son enjoyed the warm and fresh bread that was delivered before our entrees.  I think we will go back for dinner one evening seeing that they offer a wide selection of wines and beers, not to mention an incredible selection of pastas, sauces, and proteins!  I LOVE that they offer whole wheat and even gluten-free pasta.  That is the trend right now and FIGO has the best selection I've seen thus far.  We will definitely go back to taste the fabulous sounding pastas and will share with you what we think.  There are several locations around town including Edgewood, Little 5, Perimeter, and North Point.  Try it out! 

In closing, I will say:  Viva Figo!

FIGO Pasta's Menu

http://www.figopasta.com/

Hollie Guacomole! Gourmet Burrito

Nestled between a cupcake shop and message therapy office sits a "hole in the wall" burrito place in Marietta Square.  With it's enticing neon pizza open sign (seriously) and catchy name, we had to try this place out.  Honestly, if it wasn't for the grand "Hollie Guacamole!" signage, we may have missed this gem.  It was, as you can see in the photo, covered by the Marietta Flower Shop delivery vans.  However, we spotted it from the square and pressed on.

Upon entering we were not at all surprised to it's quaintness.  There was a large menu on the wall with a few high top tables and wall seating.  Definitely not a place for your next family reunion, but it was perfect for the passing lawyers (and local criminals) on there way to and from the courthouse.  We were greeted by a friendly "hello!" and replied that we were drawn in by the name of his restaurant, and the fact that we were in desperate need of some good Mexican cuisine...

The menu resembled any standard burrito joint: steak, chicken and pork.  Along with burritos you could order fajitas, nachos, salads and so on and so forth.  It was your basic Moe's setup without the "Art Vandalay" and "Homewrecker".  As we made our decision quickly, we placed our order.  I asked for a steak burrito and then Bree said the same.  As my tortilla was being laid out, Bree motioned inconspicuously to me and mouthed (not so fresh ingredients).  I took a peek at the containers of lettuce, pico, guac, cilantro, etc. and nodded in agreement.  However, we are writing a blog, right?  As long as the meat is cooked and there aren't used needles in the lettuce, we were determined to get a clear idea of what this Gourmet Burrito joint had to offer!

After some confusion (possibly a slight language barrier) about rice on one but not on the other, our freshly made non-Taco Bell looking wraps were ready to be eaten.  We couldn't eat in the restaurant - not because there were no available tables, but because there were no high chairs and my 14 month old was getting bored.  We headed to the square to find us a nice bench.  About the food...

Honestly, I was surprised that the tortilla looked and smelled fresh.  After biting into it, I recognized that the steak was cooked perfectly.  Not rubbery or chewy as we have come to expect from inexpensive 'Americanized' Mexican food.  The cilantro was a nice touch since the steak had little flavor.  One of the things that intrigued us was this "Hollie" guacamole we were expecting.  It more or less looked like pureed avocado mixed with a couple peppers and sour cream.  Not at all what we expected from the name on the door!  I wanted glorious guacamole.  I wanted chunks of avocado paired perfectly with cilantro, lime, peppers, onion, etc.  Alas, we were fooled!

The burrito was all together edible, but neither of us finished.  Bree mentioned that she'd rather have Moe's.  I was a tad disappointed because I was hoping that we had found a fantastic new place to bring our friends and brag about how delicious the food was.  Unfortunately, we will not be returning.  I am all about supporting local eateries, but I don't think this place will be around for many years to come.  The atmosphere was mediocre and the food was ordinary. 

- Hollie Guacamole! visited on 1/29/2011 by Mary Caldwell and Bree Bannerman.