A new dining jewel

  • John Santana<br>Enterprise writer
  • Monday, March 3, 2008 11:32am

Destination — Mill Creek.

No, seriously. Quit laughing.

For those of you who think the only reason to go to Mill Creek is if you live there or to visit someone who does, you need to re-think your attitude toward this upscale suburb.

That’s because with the development of Mill Creek Town Center, there are reasons for people from elsewhere in the South Snohomish/North King County area to go there. And one good reason is Azul Restaurant &Lounge.

Azul is the newest eatery to open in the Town Center, and also the hippest to date. It features a full bar and a lively atmosphere helped in part by a young, energetic wait staff and pop, rock and even reggae music from the last 35 years playing in the background.

Last Saturday night, when I went to Azul with a close friend, was the restaurant’s busiest night to date, according to our young female hostess. But even so we were seated quickly.

Azul’s interior is open and welcoming. Picture windows are on three sides of the building, and high ceilings help. The walls are adorned with shelves and candles, lending a relaxing air and a nice conversation starter.

The menu had a variety of intriguing items, categorized into appetizers, sandwiches, items with tortillas and entrees. A busser brought us a serving of tortilla chips and a mild chipotle salsa.

We opted to try some of Azul’s specialty drinks from its bar, rather than have something from the large menu of beer on tap and bottles. My friend got a house margarita, while I opted for a drink called a Fresca, which was actually a blend of Absolut Citron vodka, soda and grapefruit juice. While a bit on the pricey side ($7 for each drink) both of them were plenty flavorful, served with plenty of ice, but neither had an overly strong alcoholic taste.

For dinner my friend ordered the creamy seafood enchiladas (shrimp and white fish) and I had the coconut prawns. We also ordered a chipotle beef bites appetizer. The appetizer was brought to us quickly by any standard, and the chipotle beef bites were excellent. They were thin-cut slices of some of the most tender steak I’ve ever tasted, marinated for a subtle flavor.

We were still indulging in the appetizer when our server brought our meals. My friend’s came with rice and black beans, mine with yellow rice, asparagus spears, and a sauce for dipping the prawns.

The prawns were simply excellent, as were the seafood enchiladas, which came in a white cream sauce and wrapped in corn tortillas. About the only thing wrong with the meal was the asparagus spears, which were a bit tough.

The bill came out to close to $60 (my friend ordered two of the house margaritas) but for that quality of food, service and a fun, hip atmosphere, it was well worth it. Azul is a welcome addition to South Snohomish County, where dining out frequently means national chains and seemingly ubiquitous teriyaki places.

Dining Out is a weekly column profiling a local restaurant selected by a staff writer. Writers accept no invitations, but readers’ suggestions are always welcome. Writers arrive unannounced, and The Enterprise pays their tabs.

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