If you missed the Bluewater Boathouse Stuffed Maine Lobster event in November and the Encore on December 11, you still have the opportunity to enjoy an incredible meal through the holiday season in an atmosphere that is sure to put you in a festive mood. Decorated with pine boughs and twinkling lights throughout, as well as a Christmas tree and mounted fish donning Santa hats, Bluewater Boathouse is the perfect setting for a meal during the holidays.
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy the Holiday Baked Stuffed Maine Lobster Encore, a traditional New England holiday feast, on Tuesday, December 11. The Encore was added on to offer an opportunity for seafood lovers who missed out on the sold-out Holiday Baked Maine Lobster tasting in November. “Our annual November Stuffed Lobster tasting was so popular, we felt we owed it to our regulars to repeat it in December,” explained Bluewater Grill co-founder Jimmy Ulcickas. “It has become a Bluewater tradition for both Thanksgiving and the holidays.”
As we sat at the candle-lit table the server came by immediately with delicious fresh baked sourdough bread and our special menu for the evening.
We started with a glass of the Cambria Chardonnay at the server’s recommendation and ordered the clam chowder. Being from New England with family on Cape Cod I have a very high standard for Clam Chowder. The cup of soup was delicious and was even better when paired with the sourdough bread and wine. My friend added tabasco sauce which was on the table and while it wasn’t necessary it added a nice bite to the soup.
I was feeling a bit full already and wondered how I would get through an entire stuffed lobster dinner. The server returned asking which two sides we would like with the meal. I chose the sautéed spinach and heirloom tomato sides and my friend chose the grilled baby carrots and scalloped potatoes. My favorite by far were the scalloped potatoes, they were creamy and delicious and I will be sure to order them again. The sautéed spinach and heirloom tomato were the healthier options and paired nicely, but I thought the tomato was a little overripe and the spinach under-seasoned. That didn’t bother me because it left more room for my favorite part, the lobster. A fresh, sustainably sourced Maine Lobster, that was as beautiful as it was delicious.
I felt like I was back in New England with my lobster bib, shell cracker and drawn butter and lemon ready to dig into the lobster. There is no worrying about getting messy or eating with your hands because the experience of taking on a lobster to appreciate all the succulent meat makes it all worth it.
“The Maine lobster industry is the model of a well-managed fishery — ensuring that both the lobster resource and the environment are protected for generations to come” said Ulcickas. “Maine harvesters have been environmentally conscious and ‘eco-friendly’ since long before it became fashionable. They harvest their lobsters the same careful way they have for over 125 years — by hand, one trap at a time — thus protecting the quality of their product and the marine environment.” Learn more about sustainable lobster fishing practices here.
Seafood lovers who missed the tasting events can still order Bluewater’s famous Holiday Baked Stuffed Main Lobster off the menu for the regular $40 price through Jan. 2, 2019. The wine can then be added at Bluewater’s by-the-glass price. If you don’t have time for a full meal, be sure to try their happy hour where you can get wonderful Calamari and a variety of other small plates for a great price in a lovely setting.
Keep an eye out for the monthly tasting events, hosted every second Tuesday, featuring seasonal seafood specialty items paired with hand-selected wines or specialty draught beers. You can find Bluewater special events on the Coronado Times calendar, as we announce them ahead of time each month. For menus, locations and operating hours for the seven unique Bluewater restaurants in Southern California and Arizona, go to www.bluewatergrill.com. You can follow each restaurant on Facebook, or the Bluewater family on Twitter and Instagram.
