Azur came highly recommended in the "fine dining" category, and we wanted to hit up at least one of those while in Lexington. We had made reservations and arrived to find a not-too-busy restaurant. We asked if we could sit out on the patio. It had just rained and was drizzling a bit still, but since it was covered, we thought it wouldn't be too chilly. We were seated near the pizza oven, so that combined with the heaters provided for some warmth.



We were first served with some bread and butter - both on the cool side, so nothing super exciting here.

For an appetizer, we tried the fried green tomatoes, which came with bourbon smoked salmon, pimento cheese, peach marmalade and pickled okra. It is certainly a unique combination of ingredients, but I'm not sure it totally meshed. Each component individually was tasty, but I guess I didn't "get it" all together. But points for trying.

My main entree was the woven shrimp. That just sounds fancy, right? These three plump shrimp are covered in a tasty batter, wrapped in the filo dough and pan-fried. They're piled atop a bed of coconut and sweet corn risotto with a red chile and honey sauce garnish.

This dish is really something. I love the crunch of the filo, and the batter has a great flavor. The sweet corn risotto adds a touch of sweetness, while the honey chile glaze adds just a bit of spicy. Very well-balanced and just damn good.

The only downside was that there were people smoking outside while we were trying to eat. I know it's a patio and all, but I just wasn't expecting that. Not a fan.

Grade: B