Even though I’ve lived in or near New York City for several years, I never treated myself to the iconic hotspot that is Blue Water Grill. I vividly remember this location being on an episode of Sex and the City, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why I’ve never been inside. Now, I have, and for the future… I will go back again for several more rounds of fantastic ambiance and some of the best seafood I have ever tried.
Blue Water Grill’s legacy in Manhattan is quite spectacular, as the space itself has been open for 20 years now. In restaurant years, that equals about 100, as there have been so many spots that open one month and close the next.
Granted, they have a lot of great things on their side. Being in the epicenter of Union Square Park doesn’t hurt, as you truly have to be blind to not see the location itself. Blue Water Grill’s insides, which just went under a major renovation, still hold it’s elegance and sophistication that it did beforehand (I saw photos), only this time it’s heightened to a whole other level.
Executive Chef Chris Meenan expertly crafts a phenomenal menu that I was salivating over, even before the food got to me, as he knows what he’s doing to a tee when it comes to the delicious seafood, pasta and more that he’s putting out. If I could award him my own personal culinary medal of sorts, I would, as there was nothing bad from what we tasted that night.
Here are the outstanding highlights from what we tasted at Blue Water Grill. For one, as a starter, their Lobster Bisque is by far the best I’ve tried in this city. I am someone who believes that this sort of soup should be thick, very thick, and Chef Meehan understands that philosophy as well except his has a richness and depth to it that marries incredibly well with one another.
They also have a wonderful line of sushi rolls. The one that I tried, as it had an ingredient that I’m obsessed with as of late, is their Metropolis Roll. This came with eel, spicy tuna, grilled pineapple and cucumber. The ingredient in this that I absolutely loved happen to be the grilled pineapple, as it gelled so well with the eel and spicy tuna.
Their pasta options were also delicious, with only three listed on the menu but the diversity in each worked extremely well. I would have to say that their Lobster Tortellini with a bouillabaisse broth is classic, approachable and tasted phenomenal.
Finally, for their entrees, the Seared Sea Scallops with sunchoke and apple brown butter and their Ocean Brined Sullivan Farmhouse Chicken with nori whipped potatoes and soy braised mushrooms were two fantastic options for surf n turf. Not the biggest fan of the mushrooms in the chicken, but the potatoes worked well with the delicious chicken skin that made for a great entree. Apple brown butter makes anything taste good, and it just helped make the Scallops taste that much better.
For more information on Blue Water Grill, please check out their official website.