Which is your favorite: French or Italian cuisine? It’s an age-old question, almost impossible to answer when the two are so diverse. When given the chance to taste similar plates from both nations, though, choosing becomes a diner’s luxury.
Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill in Coronado kicked off its 2016 Bluewater Second Tuesday Monthly Tasting Series with a January 12 showdown between Europe’s two famous fish stews paired with hand-selected wines from each country. The “French Bouillabaisse vs. Italian Cioppinno Tasting Event” is part of a month-long competition between the two European fish stews. The $29.95 tasting event features separate bowls of French Bouillabaisse, made with saffron and garlic, and a tomato-based Italian Cioppinno, paired with a glass of French Pinot Blanc and an Italian red, respectively.
Seafood fans unable to attend the special January 12 celebration can order both fish stews off the menu throughout January, and pair them with French and Italian wines on the bar menu. My husband and I did just this yesterday, where we were treated to yet another exquisite Bluewater meal.
We started with our favorite Bluewater Boathouse appetizer: the seared scallops with roasted jalapeno aioli. That first bite of scallop is an explosion of flavor on the tongue: the crisp edges melting away into the firm inner meat blended with exotic cilantro, spicy jalapeno, buttery tomato oil, and delectable bacon. My husband, with his love for heat, also ordered his favorite Serrano Martini with salt, a cold drink that packs a hot punch.
Before the meal, I explained to our excellent waitress, Stacy, that I’m pregnant and would have to pass on the paired wines for the evening. Stacy and Kelly, the bartender, came up with a virgin strawberry-pomegranate pina colada that was almost so delectable that I thought about skipping dessert. Almost.
Our waitress delivered our first dish: the French Bouillabaisse. Our eyes lit up at the sight of so much seafood in one place: a generous pile of mussels, clams, shrimp, cod, and a scallop surrounded by a light, comforting broth. On the side a wedge of French bread, toasted golden brown, soaked up the broth. In the center of the bowl, a swirl of bright orange saffron and garlic sauce decorated the shrimp and scallop. We dug into the shellfish with abandon, and I am not ashamed to say that I tipped my bowl to get the last spoonfuls of broth.
After a pause (during which we predictably devoured the last of our complimentary oven-fresh sourdough bread and cold butter), Stacy set down our second bowls of stew. Once again, Bluewater had not skimped on the seafood, and we admired the generous heaping of shellfish, shrimp, a scallop, and chunks of a heavier, meatier whitefish. The tomato-based broth tasted bright and acidic in comparison to the bouillabaisse’s comforting warmth, and this cioppino also seemed less spicy than the Bluewater cioppino I’ve had in the past.
So which was our favorite? My husband said the Italian Cioppino, hands down, but I still preferred the lighter French Bouillabaisse. Our waitress laughed, saying our response was typical, with diners’ preferences split right down the middle. Probably the sign of an excellent tasting.
Now, would we like any dessert? But of course!
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Bluewater Boathouse’s monthly tasting events, hosted every second Tuesday, feature seasonal seafood specialty items paired with hand-selected wines or specialty draught beers. The events include casual commentary and Q&A by the restaurant’s resident chefs, and have become a popular monthly diversion for local seafood aficionados and Bluewater Boathouse’s large loyal fan base.
Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill is located at 1701 Strand Way in Coronado, directly across from (and closely resembling) the iconic Hotel del Coronado. For reservations, call (619) 435-0155, or visit their website here.
