Asia Fest!

Come to Asia Fest on Feb. 20th! Hopefully the weather will be beautiful and you can come experience something new. Celebrate the Chinese New Year with us at AZN! There will be a fashion show, lion dancing, martial arts and a noodle presentation.

Congratulations to Jenhineslange!!!

You are our monthly drawing winner for a gift certificate to AZN! You became a follower on our blog and now will get a chance to enjoy some fabulous food in a fabulous atmosphere!

Congratulations!!

AWESOME WEEKEND SPECIALS

Come try one of our fantastic weekend specials offered by Chef Chris Degenova.

Appetizer: Kobe Beef Tataki - yuzu ponzu, daikon sprouts and cucumber

Entree #1 - Stuff Florida Spiny Lobster - Whole 1.5 pound lobster stuffed with crab and lobster. Red peppers, thai basil, in a creamy brandy sauce. Served with asparagus and side of rice.

Entree #2 - Broiled 14 ounce Kobe NY Strip Steak - Szechuan pepper & shitake mushroom jus veau, smoked gouda mashed potatoes and asparagus.

We also offer a fantastic dessert menu that accomodates many taste buds. Also check out our new wine list!

What is Wasabi?

Wasabi is known as "Japanese Horseradish" and is a root that is used as a spice and has an extremely strong flavor. It is a member of the Brassicaceae family which includes cabbages, horseradish and mustard. It produces vapors that stimulate the nasal passages more than the tongue. It's hotness is more akin to that of hot mustard. The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan.

Wasabi is often served with sushi or sashimi, usually accompanied with soy sauce. The two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasabi

MANAGER SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK
GREG CHRISTENSEN

Greg is one of our 3 dining room managers here at AZN. He was born in Lake Forest, IL and moved to Naples when he was six years old. Greg graduated high school and moved on to get his degree in Business Administration from Flagler College. Greg has been in the restaurant field for 15 years and has literally moved from the bottom up with his first job being a busboy. He knows all facets of the restaurant industry and is so versatile he could step in as bartender if he needed too! He also has a very solid knowledge of wines and wine pairings.

His favorite dish at AZN is the Szechuan String Beans and Shrimp.

Gregs favorite sports teams come from Illinois. He is an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Bears. He spends his time off from AZN boating and spending time with his family which includes his 10 month old little boy.

Our Manager Spotlight

Stay tuned later today for our first manager spotlight. Learn some interesting facts about Greg Christensen, one of our three managers. Also soon to come: some employee profiles and what brought them to AZN.

I would like to personally welcome all of you to AZN's blog! We are excited to offer up some fun via the web so you can learn more about us and even possibly win some gift certificates for your participation.

We want you to stay tuned for some upcoming events, profiles of the people who work here, some tips from the chef, an ingredient of the week, trivia and SO MUCH MORE!!

We will be spotlighting our owners and managers. We hope everyone will feel free to comment and start discussions. We will take you behind the scenes of our restaurant so you may see for yourself the fresh ingredients we use in every dish.

We will also have a special "Chef" spotlight where we will feature our chefs and show you what a passion for cooking they have!

There will also be blogs about events and special tastings and wine dinners that are sure to please the palette and make you want to come back for more. We can't wait to get the blog moving along so our fans can come here and always get the inside track and be up to date on all that is happening.

We are pleased to be a part of the new Mercato and want everyone to come and enjoy this new setting.