The Drunken Horse: French-inspired Deliciousness
By Cinda Sherman
Just like the old-world city of St. Augustine itself, The Drunken Horse is both charming and quaint. The French-inspired restaurant feels like the perfect transition for its owner Azman Dayakli, a Kurdish immigrant from the far southeastern part of Turkey.
At age 20 Azman moved to Israel, where he watched a lot of John Wayne movies about the Wild West and thought, “There’s a drunken horse with a crazy cowboy.” Thus, his fascination with America began, and he moved to New York in 1989 only to discover it was an altogether different kind of Wild West. He worked in the fashion industry until 1994 and then transitioned to hospitality, opening 14 restaurants in New York City, focusing on French cuisine. His first French restaurant was on Broadway, only three blocks from one of Daniel Boulud’s restaurants.
During COVID-19 Azman and his family moved from New York to St. Augustine where they opened The Drunken Horse, carrying on his French-themed classics, such as Ratatouille, Escargots au Beurre d’ail, Boeuf Bourguignon, and Confit de Canard.
We began our tasting with the Burrata Heirloom Tomato Salad with fresh arugula, beets, a delicate crispy goat cheese topping, and champagne dressing. The salad was beautifully paired with the Domaine du Colombier Petit Chablis 2022, which brought out both the citrus of the beets and spiciness of the arugula.
Next, we tried the Confit de Canard (roasted duck), a fan favorite, paired with a wonderful Bernard Magrez 2022 Bordeaux.
Our most delicious pairing was the Domaine du Colmbier Petit Chablis with Pave de Saumon. The salmon was delicately prepared and went exceptionally well with this young unoaked Burgundy.
The interior of the restaurant features original tile floors, brick walls, a copper-topped wine bar, and a barn door, along with a cozy courtyard in the front entrance area and a large courtyard out back.
Azman shares a humorous anecdote from when he was young boy in Bingöl, a city in eastern Turkey, which lies along the Göniksuyu River. One winter his father was getting ready to go into the village to shop and that day there was a lot of snow, and it was quite cold. He asked his father if he could go into the village with him: “We didn’t have cars, nor roads to drive on. My family got around by horse. Normally, we go to village in 45 minutes with the horse. On this day it took three hours. The village had a community barn where horses were tied up while shopping. When we finish shopping, I saw my father buy vodka and he started feeding the horse and watering the horse with vodka.” His father explained, “It’s going to be minus 45 degrees and maybe take like five hours to go back. We want to keep our horsepower.” Thus, the inspiration for “The Drunken Horse.”
The Drunken Horse is on a cobblestone street and hidden behind tall, white walls adorned with wrought iron—56 Charlotte Street. Walk slowly as not to miss it!
As they say in Turkey, “şerefe” (Cheers!)
56 Charlotte St, St. Augustine, (904) 679-5858, www.drunkenhorsewinebars.com
For Pave de Saumon recipe and wine pairing go to read more:
