Azur - Bubbles & Madness, Key West Food and Wine Festival 2012

Photos by Jacob Romoser

BUBBLES & MADNESS, KEY WEST FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL 2012

Out of all of the Key West Food and Wine Festival events this year, Bubbles & Madness at Azur was my absolute favorite. The unlimited champagne brunch was exactly what I needed after a night of dancing and drinking for my mother's 50th birthday.

FROM LEFT: MIMOSA, BELLINI & POINCETTA

Six champagne cocktails were available, but the Poincetta caught my eye. I'd never tried pomegranate juice with champagne, but I must say, it was delicious and addicting. The drink was sweet without being cloyingly so, and it was a nice change of pace from my normal Bellini (peach and champagne).

GREEK YOGURT AND HOMEMADE GRANOLA W/ HONEY

Before our food even arrived, our waiter brought out a simple starter of Greek Yogurt, Homemade Granola and Key West Honey. The tangy, protein-filled yogurt was the perfect compliment to the sweet honey. The dish was a bit rich, but I also wanted to save room for the heaping pile of food to come.

LOBSTER PAN ROAST

My mother ordered the Lobster Pan Roast with Caribbean white shrimp, potatoes, white asparagus, lobster sauce and poached eggs. While it was quite good, my stomach wanted nothing to do with lobster.

BLACK BEAN & CHORIZO HASH W/ FRIED EGGS

Jake chose the Black Bean and Chorizo Hash with jalapeno, potatoes, fried egg, plantains and chili Hollandaise. The hash was flavorful without being too heavy, and the bit of heat from the jalapeno was a nice touch. I don't think the Hollandaise was even necessary. I would have preferred the fried eggs with just a dash of chili instead.

BELLA BENEDICT

My Bella Benedict with buffalo mozzarella, fried tomatoes, poached eggs and balsamic reduction Hollandaise was absolutely divine. I love buffalo mozzarella and can never seem to get enough of it. The texture of the crunchy fried tomatoes was a great counter to the creamy Hollandaise. The balsamic reduction kept the sauce from being too rich, while the potatoes tasted even better dipped right in. Needless to say, I thought everything went well together.

This brunch would definitely add at least ten pounds to my small frame if I ate it every weekend, but it was a wonderful treat to have during this fun, celebratory weekend.