Fred B.
Yelp
After the local food critic's rave review of Blue Water, I knew we had to check this place out - and tonight we did. I don't always come away with the same opinions of a restaurant as he does, but this time we could be siamese twins.
This is a hidden gem, literally. Finding it was the only off note of the evening, and that is nit picking. But, it is not an easy find, first time, and our little GPS lady seemed totally confused. She said our destination was on the right, but it wasn't - a Wachovia/Wells Fargo Bank was. But there is a code, and it is 3. If you are coming from Main Street, it is the third "drive way" on the right. If you are coming from Johnson Street, it is the third "drive way" on the left.
This is a softly lit, well decorated place, with interior walls that provide nooks, and soft corners. And there are several in-wall fish tanks that provide ambiance and amusement - one with a hard working catfish that is amazingly single minded.
The wait staff, apparently an all female lineup, is exceptional - efficient, knowledgable, and friendly. We were seated quickly, drink orders procured, and a delicious bread soon followed. It was a crusty potato bread, which I really found nice - and I've always been of the opinion that potatoes should be mashed, fried or baked. There was a nice small plate of olive oil with basalmic vinegar.
The Fried Calamari with 2 dips was excellent and plentiful. The Crab Bisque was as good as I've ever tasted - rich and creamy, with a mound of real crab in the center, and for $6.
The Oscar Grouper was very nice - loaded with crab meat, and cooked to perfection, and the sauce was rich and smooth. It was listed as blackened, but we ask that it not be blackened, and we were accomodated, perfectly. It came with maybe the best mashed potatoes I've ever had that weren't cooked by my grandmother. You do not want to count calories or carbs here, you just want to enjoy. The appetizers run $6 to $12, with the entrees coming in at the mid to upper $20s
The Beef Tenderloin was also perfectly cooked, tender and rich. This place is best known for its seafood (thus Blue Water), but that beef is pretty darn good. And the desserts were equally exceptional. The Chocolate Torte, or lava cake to some, was really nice, with a near perfect cake, tender and light. And the chocolate wasn't bad either.
The Key Lime Pie was equally exceptional, rich and creamy.
They have a nice sized bar here, and a bartender that pours a good drink. This place is celebrating its 7th anniversity, and it should have many more.