At Bluewater Boathouse this past week, the usual crowd of tourists and locals mingled together, eyes on menus, lips on wineglasses. The evening host, a Leonardo DiCaprio lookalike, led us to a table with a view of Glorietta Bay and bobbing sailboats. Our table was not unique in this respect; 95% of the tables in Bluewater Boathouse have a view of the bay. Tables in the middle of the restaurant face tasteful nautical decor and vintage black-and-white photos of Coronado.
My husband and I were there to try June’s tasting menu: the inaugural “Get Crabby” soft-shell crab and wine pairing. We thought we’d have to choose between the sautéed or the tempura-style crabs as well as the wines. However, our server informed us that each tasting included two crabs as well as both salads, a welcome surprise.
We each picked a wine that Bluewater’s sommelier had selected for the tasting: Kungfu Girl Riesling from Washington for me, and an Acrobat Pinot Gris from Oregon for my husband. Both were light and crisp, a perfect compliment to our seafood. If you prefer slightly sweet, go with the Riesling; if you prefer a dry white, ask for the Pinot.
As usual, the chefs at Bluewater get points for beautiful presentation. Our plates arrived as pictured above, but with an extra dish of vinegar aioli for dipping. The first crab had been sautéed in crab lemon caper buerre blanc, and the finished product was mouth-wateringly crisp on the legs with a meaty, satisfying center. My husband is from the East Coast and grew up eating Maryland blue crabs every summer, and he commented that he found it difficult to taste the crab over the flavors it was sautéed in. I disagreed, however, as I could easily pick out the crab from the lemon, capers, and butter, and the four of them together were wonderful. The cold fingerling potato salad and delicious vinegar aioli dipping sauce complimented each other and enhanced the flavors of the crab.
The second crab was served tempura-style, and who doesn’t love anything deep-fried in tempura? I had to slow myself down to enjoy the flavors and textures instead of eating it all in two minutes flat. This crab rested on a bed of Asian vegetables — summer squash, carrots, and a surprisingly and delightful addition of mango — tossed in a cilantro vinaigrette. I enjoyed every last sliver of that salad.
A hostess was passing by and saw our empty plates. “Well I guess you didn’t like that at all, huh?” she joked. We did enjoy the meal very much, and the wines and salads accompanying them were delightful. (Of course, it’s not hard to like food that is sautéed in butter or deep-fried in tempura.) Another bonus of the meal was that both crabs were wholly consumable due to their soft shells, and we didn’t have to worry about cracking open and extracting slivers of meat from small cavities. Both of us felt satiated by the end of the meal. The food was light but satisfying.
If you would like to enjoy this meal, it will be available for $34.95 per person until the end of this month. As with all tasting menus, after the initial second Tuesday introduction, the tasting menu does not include wine, and it may be purchased from the menu for the regular price.
If you can’t make it to Bluewater in June, never fear, for the restaurant has some delicious tastings lined up for July and August as well:
New England Lobster & Clambake with Wine Pour (Tuesday, July 12). Inspired by Bluewater’s deep roots in Massachusetts, this popular annual celebration combines steamed Maine lobster, Manila clams, fresh corn on the cob, baby red potatoes, crispy coleslaw, drawn butter – and a signature Bluewater lobster bib. Pair it with hand-selected white wines for the perfect summer feast. The cost of the 6:30pm tasting is $34.95 per person.
Tuna Takeover Tasting and Sake/Wine Pairing (Tuesday, Aug. 9). Enjoy tuna prepared five ways: Seared Ahi; Seared and Smoked Albacore; Calico Poke, including both Ahi and Albacore; and Spicy Tuna Roll sushi. The $24.95 price includes a choice of tastings of Hakutsuru Draft Sake and Sapporo Draft Beer, both imported from Japan, or Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. The cost of the 6:30pm tasting is $24.95 per person.
For additional inquiries or to make a reservation, visit the website or find the restaurant at 1701 Strand Way in Coronado, CA. The phone number is 619-435-0155.
