Bluewater rings of New England fish house

Stephen Santacroce

I grew up in New England and have many good memories of summer trips

along the Connecticut coast, driving up to Cape Cod or Long Island,

or taking the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard or Block Island.

Most of these trips involved at least one stop at a seaside fish

house, a typically understated New England establishment usually

close to the fishing docks and featuring fresh fish, savory chowders

and deep-fried shellfish in an unassuming but picturesque atmosphere.

The setting of most of these restaurants is so quintessentially

New England that it’s hard to imagine that they could be replicated

anywhere else. I’m pleased to report, however, that aside from the

sun setting in the wrong direction, the Bluewater Grill in Newport

Beach has captured the atmosphere, friendly service and fresh menus

of its New England counterparts.

The original Bluewater Grill, in Lido Village next to the Cannery

on the old Delaney’s site, was founded in 1996 by Jim Ulickas and

partner Rick Stanton. Although the site was known as a difficult spot

for a restaurant, parking was limited, and summer traffic could be

daunting, Ulickas and Stanton were convinced that if they could serve

fresh caught fish in an attractive but casual setting, they’d be

successful.

Eight years of operation have proven the partners right, and

they’ve expanded the concept to three more locations: South Coast

Plaza, Redondo Beach and, most recently, Menlo Park. Their success is

based on the simplest of premises: buy or catch fresh fish, cook

fresh fish and serve fresh fish.

Freshness is the mantra of this chain, so much so that the

original Newport Beach restaurant boasts a water filtration system

made by Aquakleen to ensure that even the tap water tastes as fresh

as possible.

Of course, fresh ingredients is only one element of a successful

restaurant. Add a friendly staff, reasonable prices and a waterfront

setting, and you’ve got all the ingredients of success.

Bluewater is at the beginning of Newport Bay next to the historic

Cannery. The restaurant capitalizes on its seaside location with a

large outdoor deck that affords diners the opportunity for true

waterfront dining in spectacular surroundings. Five guest docks are

provided for visiting boaters, and the deck is especially popular in

the summer months.

Inside, the restaurant sports a full lounge with live

entertainment, an oyster bar where fresh shucked oysters and clams

can be enjoyed with the full dinner menu, and a casual dining room

with whitewashed walls and ceilings, ceiling fans and an array of

sport fishing photos adorning every free spot of wall space. The

simple wood tables and chairs are decorated with nothing more

complicated than paper placemats and the requisite silverware.

The menu at Bluewater Grill is printed twice daily, ensuring that

the fish selection is up to date, and boasts about 100 items.

prominently on the menu is the oyster bar selection, which offers

fresh oyster ($8.95 per half-dozen, $17.90 per dozen) and clams (9.75

per dozen), as well as steamer pots of clams or mussels ($11.75 and

$11.50, respectively).

Another favorite from the oyster bar is seared ahi “Ichiban”

($9.95), sushi-grade ahi rubbed with a combination of spices and

quickly seared to create a cooked outer crust around a tender rare

center.

It’s as good as any ahi I’ve had in town, and the perfect

complement to some smoked albacore ($6.95), fresh caught tuna that’s

smoked in house over alderwood coals and served with a tangy tartar

sauce.

No respectable New England-style fish house would be complete

without a selection of hearty chowders, and the Bluewater Grill is no

exception, serving up a thick New England clam chowder and a red

Manhattan version ($3.25 for a cup, $4.25 for a bowl).

I’m a fan of the creamy New England style of chowder, but this was

perhaps one of the few disappointments for me. The chowder was almost

too thick, and I had to fish a little too hard for the clam pieces.

Seafood cocktail lovers shouldn’t miss either of the shrimp

cocktails (small bay shrimp for $5.95, or larger prawns for $8.95),

or the dungeness crab cocktail ($7.95). All three are adorned with a

tangy, homemade cocktail sauce and fresh lemon wedges.

All of these starters are only a prelude, of course, for the fresh

fish featured on each day’s menu. All of the fish is caught locally

or flown in fresh, and the menu even mentions whether the fish was

caught or raised on a farm.

Cooking the fish at Bluewater Grill is the culinary equivalent of

walking the high wire without a net. There are no fancy sauces to

mask any flavor imperfections, no artfully arranged vegetables or

other garnishes to distract from the main selection.

The heart of the menu is the fish grilled over the mesquite grill.

This is Alaskan halibut ($19.80) season, and the Bluewater Grill has

the mild white fish flown in daily. The portion I sampled was simply

perfect. The mild filet was gently seasoned, grilled over the hot

coals and simply served with a small cup of homemade tartar sauce,

which augmented the fresh flavor of the halibut.

Alaskan king salmon ($16.25) is also in season, and it’s just as

good as the halibut (I’ve never considered hijacking, but if I could

find that flight coming in from Alaska with the halibut and salmon, I

might be persuaded to a life of crime). Scientists with an atomic

clock couldn’t have cooked this fish to a more precise doneness,

leaving the filet moist, but not undercooked, as is the trend in some

restaurants.

All of the grilled fish dishes are served with two sides. The

selection includes steak fries, rice pilaf, vegetables, cole slaw and

sliced tomatoes.

The slogan of Bluewater Grill is “eat fish -- be healthy”, and its

Web site, www.bluewatergrill.com, boasts about the health benefits of

fresh fish.

An order of crispy friend whole clams ($16.55) might not be

exactly what the doctor ordered, but the batch of fried littlenecks I

sampled (a food writer’s euphemism for devoured) was as good as

anything I’d had at any seaside shack from Maine to Connecticut.

Share an order if you’re too guilt ridden to eat a whole one.

Bluewater Grill offers a well-rounded selection of mostly

California wines to augment your dining choices, as well as a

selection of beers on tap.

I should probably offer a word of caution at this point to people

who don’t eat fish: you’re choices will be limited -- a rib-eye

steak, rosemary grilled chicken breast and a few salads that can be

topped with grilled chicken breast.

I’ve often criticized Newport Beach for having few restaurants

that combine waterfront dining with good food. The Bluewater Grill is

clearly the exception, combining the freshest seafood, skillfully

prepared, with a picturesque bayside setting and a friendly, casual

atmosphere. Add a few good friends, and it’s really hard to ask for

much more.

* STEPHEN SANTACROCE’S restaurant reviews appear every other

Thursday. Send him your comments at [email protected].