Jody Dentons' Alchemy
(continued)
|
Grilled
Baby Back Ribs with Green Onion, Chilies and Lime |
With
further imput from architect, Cass Calder Smith, Azie's
visual identity took shape. "We decided to try an upscale
dining establishment that was at the same time catering to the
new dot.com money. There are so many young energetic people
out there with the money to spend on the most extravagant meals
but don't really like going to the most extravagant places because
they tend to be very staid, mellow and stuffy. We wanted a fine
dining restaurant with some good energy to it."
The
ambiance at Azie is doubly seductive. Two dining
floors, two kitchens, two bars, moodily lit in a metropolitan
Japonais/Parisian style. High glossed Brazilian hardwood tables
catch the light and contrast the delicate, sculptured glass
and china place settings. Jody Denton knocks a tabletop saying,
"We are very, very lucky, the response has been overwhelmingly
great. We've changed minor aspects to the service style here
and there. The restaurant's not quite as formal as we originally
thought it would be, and the pace is a lot faster. Its always
different from what you originally thought, but in this case,
it hasn't been dramatically different, and most of the changes
we've made have been menu changes and we'll always try to keep
those going." Denton is also a businessman who understands
his audience.
There
is certainty amidst the excitement. Azie's Cuilinary
Alchemy is the gold spun from the fluid artistry of
chef Jody Denton and his sense of the moment.
