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| RER 9.7.13 |
Red Bank’s
main street is lined with stylish shops and trendy eateries, among them Blue Water Seafood. The large front
windows opened up the modern space complete with the exposed kitchen space and
tanks with live sea creatures. And at the same time that atmosphere flooded
onto the outdoor seating, right on the bustling sidewalk.
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| RER 9.7.13 |
The
menu’s focus is seafood with a mix of traditional and straightforward seafood
dishes, seasonal items with twists and even some that leave behind the water
theme. The restaurant offers raw bar items like oysters and littleneck clams on
the half shell as well as different colossal cocktails like shrimp and crabmeat
cocktails. The crab cocktail was made up of lump crabmeat at its most pure form,
and served with a lightly dressed salad, some rich red cocktail sauce and a few
wedges of bright lemon. Each lump of crab exuded freshness and encapsulated
delicious crab flavor uninterrupted by spices and seasoning.
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The
array of salads range from classics like Greek and House salads, to the Pepper
Seared Sashimi Tuna salad. The Mediterranean was a colorful salad, heavily
laden with tangy Gorgonzola and layered with little oranges slices, sweet
roasted beets and toasted pistachios on top of a bed of mixed greens, all
dressed with a shallot garlic vinaigrette. Each element was lost to the
superfluous cheese, but once some was removed, a sweet harmony arouse. It was
fresh and alive with the crunch of pistachio pieces to counter the slippery
textures both the beets and the citrus.
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| RER 9.7.13 |
The
specialty Dry Sea Scallop dish served with linguine was one of the many classic
dishes presented by the seafood restaurant. Others included hearty pieces of
meats or chicken with a myriad of complementing seasonal sides to seafood
pastas. This pasta was topped with a never-ending amount of scallops paired
with tart grape tomatoes, earthy spinach and meaty mushrooms, coated in a rich
truffled butter sauce. Each swirl of the pasta induced a wave of fresh flavors.
The lovely scallops mimicked the textures of the spongy mushrooms and wilted
spinach while the tomatoes added that bite. Even the truffle essence heightened
the flavors, bringing refinement to a rustic feeling dish. It would have
remained light had the butter sauce not become heavier, compounding salt and
richness with every bite. Though the initial moments still left a sweet memory
on the tongue.
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| JAR 9.7.13 |
Blue
Water also boasts a number of combinations with a mix of different fish and
preparations. When broiled the different fish are prepared with a panko crust
adding a light and crunchy layer to the succulent seafood. The three fat
scallops were just pink and plump while the cod was buttery and flaky but the
shrimp fell short, a little over done. The roasted potatoes were traditional
and simple and the mixed vegetables were even simpler allowing the seafood to
be the star.
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Even
the desserts were traditional and comforting favorites from chocolate cake to
tiramisu. The bread pudding was a healthy hunk of creamy custard, sweet and dense.
A delicate drizzle of strawberry reduction offered momentary relief of the
decadent pudding. Ice cream melted into the cube of custard adding another
layer of luxury. Thin sliced of almonds throughout the condensed pudding would
have played well to the sweetness and unified texture even a dash of citrus
would lighten the dessert and connect it to the seafood theme. Even the
simplicity of the desserts underlined the classic nature of many of the dishes
and the modern aesthetic.
RER
9.7.13
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| JAR 9.7.13 |
