There’s something about eating seafood on the water: the sleek or sometimes crashing ocean, the chef chucking oysters in the back — thick, calcified shells cut open by bright, slick knives. Plops, cracks, sizzles and snaps.
Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill runs as a cross between a fine-dining charthouse and a casual dockside grill — where the clam chowder is served in bread bowls and the oysters are received from the sea you sit on.
The boathouse that hosts the restaurant appears to be an extension of Hotel del Coronado, but it actually predates the hotel and served as an architectural prototype for the Victorian-style resort. Located on Glorietta Bay, it offers panoramic views of a sleek bay, with undulating sailboats and small luxury yachts suspended on glittering, Pacific waters.
Granted, these charthouse types can be hit or miss. I find that, because of the swooning views, this format of restaurant gives diners rose-colored glasses for the food.
But when our server came up to our table with not only the gift of gab, eccentric and warm, but also a warm, crusty sourdough bread and butter, I put my previous prejudices aside.
Rather than a snooty upsell, he gave us his personal favorites and even an honest critique to some of the dishes. Familiar with the South, where gumbo is perfected, he said he wasn’t a fan of this one. The lobster rolls were a bit too skimpy for his liking. And based on his honesty, I thought he was definitely a fellow foodie like me.
He suggested the Ponzu Sashimi Sea Scallop and the fish and chips, but with panko crusting for a lighter crunch. I ordered both.
The scallops, which they called “Sea Bon Bons,” were plated in a circle on a fresh bed of ice: six of them in a pink shell, with wasabi aioli, orange tobiko (salmon roe), wakame (seaweed) salad and pickled ginger, all together making the plate colorful with shades of greens, oranges, and pinks.
While the ingredients seemed like a mouthful, the scallops were petite and delicate – truly candy-like. Our server described the dish as having “umami from the ponzu citrus, a creamy hit with the aioli, a spark of spice from the ginger and freshness from the seaweed.”
And most of those rang true. The scallops were sweet, soaking in a citrus ponzu and textured by ocean-flavored seaweed, a creamy aioli and a small teaspoon of fish eggs for a pop of flavor. I couldn’t taste strong umami and the ginger felt a bit unusual as part of the dish, since I’m used to it as a palate cleanser, but it added a spice that gave everything a lift. After removing the scallop from the shell with the tiny three pronged fork, I slurped everything up.
Next came the panko-crusted fish and chips. Well, technically, a complimentary New England clam chowder came out first because our server said they had to remake the fish and chips.
The chowder, apparently an award-winning one, was lush and full-bodied, silky and filled with bits and bobs of clams. I liked that I did not have to go fishing for them. (No pun intended.) Comfort spices like thyme and pepper stood out.
The fish and chips with the panko crust is something I’d do again, as it complimented the delicate layers of the white fish that melted in my mouth. White fish can be fickle — easily go rubbery or dry, so I was impressed by the tender softness, as if pressed on the grill quickly. Dipped in the tartar sauce, where the capers were visible, it added a sharp brine that all dolloped onto the crust. The fish sat atop crispy golden fries and beside a cabbage coleslaw — crisp and soaked in a peppery-sweet mayo. All together, it was easy eating.
Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill in Coronado is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant is located at 1701 Strand Way.
