In a world of ever-changing foodie themes and chowhound fashions, one of the greatest comforts is when you find a place that has settled on its identity. That is adult. It is an even greater delight when such a restaurant is in your neighborhood, shows no signs of going anywhere and, through the power of its own comfort and consistent offerings, can meet you where you are and turn you out better than when you came in.
Azzurro is this place. On the eastern edge of western Henrico County, Azzurro has been a destination restaurant since it opened 12 years ago. At the confluence of River and Huguenot roads, in the business triangle of River Road Shopping Center, Azzurro attracts a stream of regulars who come not for any particular scene but rather for the absence of scene. These regulars know that despite the changes and chances of the daily world, at Azzurro they will find a staff ready to serve (not gushing), an atmosphere that gives like a worn leather lounge chair and a consistent kitchen.
A major part of this consistency is Chef Carlos Navarrete, who has cooked at Azzurro all 12 of its years. Navarrete, who is in his early 50s, came to the U.S. from Mexico at the age 17 and, after learning how to wash dishes, learned how to cook Italian food at Mezzaluna in New York’s Upper East Side.
Another Azzurro secret is that the first owner held the place for 10 years, and the current owner, Richmond native David Both, who is in his sophomore year as owner, liked the place already and didn’t want to see it change. He kept the whole kitchen and the general manager. Overall low staff turnover means newcomers can become regulars quickly.
The atmospherics are renaissance, classical, elemental and rich. Over the mahogany bar, a narrow arched ceiling painted Della Robbia blue with tufts of clouds gives way to a dark, flat ceiling where small halogen lights appear like stars in the night sky. The dining room features a large gas log fireplace. At the far end of the bar, the gaping maw of the gas-fired brick oven, decorated in ceramic tiles to resemble a giant sun, flares to life every five minutes or so to maintain a red-hot 500 plus degrees. White cloths and cobalt tea candles set the tables.
The regular menu is a well-constructed tour of northern Italian specialties: scallopines of veal and chicken, grilled lamb chops and an assortment of pastas. Entrees range from $15-$29. But it is the brick oven pizza that constitutes Azzurro’s life-giving force. The dough is made fresh every day and the well-seasoned oven adds a depth of flavor unapproachable by ordinary commercial heat. The wine list is well pruned and reasonable, heavy on California and Italian reds, with most selections under $50.
Like most restaurants, traffic is heaviest Thursday through Saturday, but reservations are recommended every day, whether you are a romantic two-top or a corporate entourage. Or you can wing it and eat at the bar with
the other regulars who roll in each evening starting at 5:30 p.m.. And you don’t need to dress up, either. Just come as you are. Where you are. And let the folks at Azzurro take you from there.
