CHEF: Gabriel BARBER
Chef was born in Palermo, Sicily and moved to Long Island, NY as a child. His father is Sicilian and his mother French-Lebanese, and the Mediterranean-style cooking that he grew up with influences his menu to this day. Gabriel obtained a culinary degree in Europe and brought his talents back to the states in the early 90s, where he cooked at many high-end restaurants and hotels around the U.S. After growing weary of the big-city life, he found a quiet little roadside location and came up with the concept of “OutAZABlue”.
ABOUT AZA:
Since its opening in July of 2008, OutAZABlue has become a destination restaurant for many. Situated on the scenic Wilson River Hwy (hwy 6), just 25 miles west of Portland and 40 miles east of Tillamook, the restaurant's two dining rooms overlook Gales Creek and the covered, heated patio is open for al fresco dining.
Our menu has been inspired by our chef's journeys from around the world. It combines international cuisine and all-American classics, all with our signature "AZA" flair thrown in. We craft every dish using local, seasonal, organic ingredients when available, and we take pride in supporting our local farmers and suppliers.
What is "AZA"? It started out as a play on words with the name OutAZABlue ("out of the blue", since we are pretty close to the middle of nowhere, spoken in our chef's unique accent) and since then it has grown into a life of its own. It's our signature twist on classic dishes, our unique all-in-one environment of fine dining, event space, tap room, wine shop, and family restaurant. When people ask what kind of food we prepare, we say "everything from A to Z and back to A again". AZA.
