A refreshing respite of seafood in a season of turkey and ham
By Dave Lowry
Photographs by Katherine Bish
We don’t “stress” during the holidays. We take joy in the secular traditions, comfort and hope in the nonsecular celebrations. But give us a softball bat and some time alone with the composer of “Jingle Bell Rock,” and the results won’t be pretty. There comes that moment in the Christmastide season—usually around the 30th time we’ve heard that auditory equivalent of root-canal surgery—when a time-out is necessary.
That’s when places such as the Blue Water Grill are indispensable. The restaurant has good food—interesting food—and, as is important this time of year, that food is served in hospitable surroundings that soothe the soul even as the menu excites the palate. (Not inconsequentially, the Blue Water Grill is a “Jingle Bell Rock”–free environment.)
Located at the end of a strip mall in Kirkwood, the restaurant is pleasantly decorated, the walls guacamole green and overripe-banana yellow, the tables close enough to create a sense of intimacy without feeling crowded. The décor tries a little too hard with the Pier One Jimmy Buffett Collection, and one wall is dominated by a pointlessly bad imitation of a Gauguin—but it’s all in good fun, epitomized by a unique and charming wine rack that displays its contents in an imaginative, effective way.
The menu is compact, with fewer than a dozen main courses, but they are augmented by daily specials. It’s tough to find a selection that doesn’t tempt. Monday night’s “Flying Saucers” are, of course, a St. Louis culinary tradition at the Blue Water Grill. They’re a riff on tapas: a chipotle–and lime–spiced shrimp ceviche; soft cakes of risotto infused with saffron and topped with crawfish; chicken and chorizo meatballs in a tomato sauce; papery slices of serrano ham topping bruschetta.
Given the kitchen’s attention to those more petite portions, it isn’t surprising that several appetizers on the regular menu are worthy as well. A shrimp bisque with a zigzag spurt of crème fraîche manages to capture in a spoon all the delicate flavor of the shrimp, smoothed into a luscious silkiness with the crème. The risotto, warm and golden with saffron, sports hefty chunks of lobster that give texture and richness to rice that is glossy and adroitly cooked. Chasoba, buckwheat noodles rolled with powdered tea, are delectable because of their delicate flavor; alas, they’re ill-used in a clumsy combination with sautéed shrimp. A better appetizer pairing is the meaty seared sea scallops with a tangy tomato chutney.
Main courses strike an almost even balance between meats and fish. A peppered beef tenderloin is grilled and served with a garlic-spiked cabernet reduction; it’s adequate, nothing more. The religious persuasions of our dinners have rarely been of consequence, but, for those who like their poultry the way they like their buggies, the grill offers an “Amish free-range chicken” with mashed potatoes. Big thumbs of white-truffle gnocchi are a decidedly different course, combined with hefty slivers of wild mushrooms and spinach. (Their denomination got no menu mention, but we think they looked Episcopalian.) The texture of the gnocchi is a wonderfully suitable medium for the truffles; the spinach and meaty mushrooms give the dish balance.
Those manning the Grill at Blue Water are obviously most enthusiastic about their fish dishes and encourage diners to call in the early afternoon to get the day’s special. If, when you call, they say “halibut cheeks,” make reservations instantly. Fish cheeks in general don’t get the attention they deserve; those of the halibut variety are dense, almost beefy on the palate; superbly delicate and moist. A pair of them—as thick as steaks—are prepared beautifully here, pan-seared and presented with a pleasant tomato coulis atop a raft of broccolini. A cioppino is another worthy special, with its chunks of fish and shellfish in a proper tomato-and-herb broth. In regular offerings, Blue Water expertly pairs seafood with complements that bring out the essential taste of the fish. A paste of roasted poblano peppers was inventively matched with grilled mahi-mahi. A topping of gooey Chihuahua cheese and caramelized onions added liveliness to rockfish, a dense, nicely textured fish that doesn’t exactly sparkle with flavor on its own. A presentation of trout was spectacular. Pan-seared, the fish’s body was stuffed with a glorious concoction of fragrant goat cheese and smoked pears. We expected the delicate taste of the fish to be lost, but it was just the opposite. Every bite was a rich explosion, yet the essence of the trout was always at the forefront ($17.95). The Blue Water Grill’s approach to this dish is an example of cooking as a creative pursuit. Try it.
Lobsters are available on weekends; a “shellfish blowout”—a platter loaded with oysters, shrimp cocktail and snow-crab claws—is a frequent special. Nobody’s going to rave about the wine list here—there are only about 50 vintages. Read carefully, though, and you’ll see that wines have been thoughtfully selected to match the menu offerings and prices. At $35, the crisp, pleasantly oaky Evans & Tate Chardonnay from Australia is excellent.
Service is efficient, though casual. We were glad for the white butcher’s paper atop the linen tablecloth: Not a single pouring of wine or water was without a dribble or a splash.
For a place with such outstanding fish dishes, though, there were a couple of stumbles: A “new-style” sashimi of tuna was old-style tataki, seared on the surface and raw inside, and a knob of wasabi paste without any accompanying soy sauce was awkward. Asked to identify the nairagi on the menu, the waiter gave us a vague description of what he thought it tasted like. It’s striped marlin, arguably the finest of all swordfish, another occasional special that should not be missed.
Yeah, it’s December. “Jingle Bell Rock” is out there (has mankind ever composed more hellishly discordant chords than those screeching from the electric guitar at the beginning of that monstrosity?), so be ready. Drop by the Blue Water Grill for a dinner that’ll provide a much-needed holiday from some of the less salubrious aspects of the holiday season.
Address: 343 S. Kirkwood
Website: www.bluewatergrill.net
Phone: 314-821-5757
Average Main Course: $16
Reservations: Worthwhile, especially on weekends
Dress: Smart
Bottom Line: A relaxing, informal restaurant featuring creative seafood dishes
