Bluewater Grill's mission is to provide their guests with the highest quality seafood, classically prepared, at a fair price, in a friendly, casual atmosphere. They source the globe for the highest quality fresh seafood, develop and maintain relationships with reputable seafood suppliers. They adhere to a daily ritual of controls and systems to ensure the integrity of our seafood. Situated in Southern California, they have two locations in Orange County ("the OC"), Newport Beach and "The District" in Tustin, and one in Redondo Beach on King Harbor.
 
Bluewater Grill's newest restaurant in Tustin is now open at The District, in Tustin at the corner of Jamboree and Barranca at the former site of the Marine Corp. Air Station, where we recently had dinner.

When it came time to design the Tustin location, Jim Ulcickas (Founder) says the destination nature of Bluewater Grill – specifically the fact that many of his most loyal customers don’t live in Newport or Redondo – prompted the management team to consider taking the concept to non-waterfront locales like The District that offer a strong retail and restaurant mix. Other areas being studied for a Bluewater Grill include Pasadena, south Orange County, Woodland Hills and Santa Barbara. A Bluewater Grill operated in South Coast Village in Santa Ana for several years, and closed in 2007.

Bluewater Grill is the perfect spot for a casual afternoon or evening combined with a trip to the beach, a stroll along the boardwalk, or a day out shopping. Bluewater is casual, fun, owner-operated, offers a kid's menu, oyster bar, patio dining, and much more!

As part of this long-term expansion vision, Bluewater Grill also recently upgraded the Newport and Redondo locations, including remodeling the Redondo bar, and outfitting both restaurants with new furniture, china and interior appointments. Ulcickas says that, despite the changes, he and his team were careful to preserve the authentic “premium fish house” feel that Bluewater Grill regulars at both locations have come to expect. The team also introduced a new “Small Plate” menu, and expanded the Bluewater Grill calendar of regional seafood events, wine and oyster tastings at all three restaurants.

Making good on its promise to bring its premiere fresh seafood concept to Southern Californians that don’t happen to live at the beach, Bluewater Grill Seafood Restaurant opens a 7,250-square-foot restaurant today at The District at Tustin Legacy, the destination lifestyle dining, shopping and entertainment center that debuted in summer 2007 in central Orange County. Beyond its distinction as the third restaurant in the Bluewater Grill family, following the original in Newport Beach’s Cannery Village in 1996 and a second at King Harbor in Redondo Beach in 2001, the new Tustin facility has been intentionally designed as a more stylized prototype for possible future Southern California locations.

The striking “high style meets the beach” design theme represents a dramatic departure from the look and feel of the Newport and Redondo waterfront restaurants yet retains enough of the spirit of the original to make it an authentic Bluewater Grill.

We started our meal with a selection of drinks and appetizers. The menu is thoughtful and inventive in the way it continues this balance between the ethereal and masculine, the Coconut Praws and the Panko Fried Shrimp appetizers positions two large shrimps of each that is refreshingly cool against a sweet mango chili sauce dressing. The menu and decor offer a cohesive gesture of sophistication that may just leave you swooning.

Our appetizers arrive all at once, an artful collection of culinary presentation and they were simply fantastic without any exception.

We tried their magnificient Oysters Rockefeller served baked on the half shell with cream spinach bacon and romano cheese. Also the most amazing way to enjoy Scallops is the Ponzu Sashimi Sea Scallops in the shell topped with wasabi aioli seaweed salad and masago. I would say that it was the best way to enjoy Scallops, simply divine!

If you like meat, their Tenderloin Taster which consisted of tender cuts of beef pan seared with salt and pepper served with horseradish sauce. It was truly delicious and very tasty.

The service was outstanding our waiter Megan was simply one of the best servers we could ever asked for, she brough us a taste of their 3 amazing soups that would satisfy anyone, the Clam Chowder, the Lobster Bisque and the special Seafood Soup were truly outstanding.

Also, the Scallop Scampi made with brandy, sherry and garlic butter was another divine way to enjoy Scallops!

The wine list is an extensive multi-page assortment of predominantly California wines, with a smattering of Australian and European vineyards to round out the collection.

As far as our entrees, our server Megan gave us couple suggestions and we certainly followed her advice, the Baked Stuffed Maine Lobster with Buttery Bay Shrimp Stuffing and a touch of sherry with choice of two sides was a wonderful and new way to enjoy the amazing lobster meat.

I had the Australian Lobster Tail broiled to perfection. These both dishes revealed the unexpected complexities and sense of culinary opulence conveyed by high quality ingredients. The side dishes were also great I loved the sauteed spinach and the five grain rice mix served cool.

Despite the growing mountain of takeout containers we are accumulating, we can’t resist sampling one of their sweet confections. In the spirit of overindulgence that has characterized the rest of our meal, 4 fried bananas with caramel and vanilla ice cream arrives to the table, tempting us with its virtues, and sinful attractions. This is a delicious dessert that shows of the diverse possibilities of sweet tooth satisfaction.

Like its Newport and Redondo counterparts, the Tustin restaurant adheres to a number of time-honored Bluewater Grill traditions: print new lunch and dinner menus daily featuring up to 40 varieties of fresh seafood; make all of its chowders, soups, dressings and sauces from scratch in an open display kitchen; hand-shuck every oyster and clam to order; serve only fresh San Francisco Sourdough® bread; and tap eight draft beers using a state-of-the-art draft beer system that delivers 32-degree beer directly at the tap handle.

Collectively the three Bluewater Grill restaurants purchase more than $3 million in seafood annually directly and indirectly from fisherman, a sheer quantity guaranteeing that Ulcickas and partners Richard Staunton and Robert Hyman continually receive the very best quality. In fact, the three take pride in their close relationships with their seafood vendors – from their harpooned swordfish supplier aboard the Captain Hook to their local lobster fisherman in Redondo Beach to their shellfish growers in Washington’s Puget Sound.

Reflecting the global reach of Bluewater Grill’s suppliers, the Tustin Bluewater Grill serves such daily fresh fish as Mississippi Catfish, Idaho Rainbow Trout, Australian Barramundi, King Salmon from British Columbia, Ahi Tuna from Fiji, Alaskan Halibut, Golden Tilapia from Costa Rica and local Red Snapper and Broadbill Swordfish (seasonal availability varies). Other menu highlights range from Eureka Sanddabs, Mahi Mahi and Seared Jumbo Sea Scallops to San Francisco Cioppino, an Ahi Tuna Burger, signature Bluewater Fish Tacos and premium shellfish including Australian Lobster Tail and Alaskan King Crab. Free-range Chicken, Rib Eye Steak Filet and a Frenched Pork “Rib” Chop cater to the non-seafood lover.

The modern new restaurant has also given Executive Chef Brian Hirsty the opportunity to experiment with a number of new specialty dishes, including Crispy Skin Barramundi with fennel and olive reduction; Alaskan Halibut with a yam-tempura crust, sweet chili glaze and glass noodle salad; and a “Small Plate” menu listing sliders, oyster shooters with Absolut® Pepper vodka, and Salt and Pepper Shrimp.

Tustin’s circular Live Seafood Bar, situated at the front of the restaurant, boasts a constantly changing menu of oysters grown and harvested exclusively for Bluewater Grill and served on the half-shell, plus Sashimi, an “Ichiban” of Seared Ahi Tuna, Oysters Rockefeller, Mussels and Clams. Also featured on the menu are appetizers, including Smoked Albacore and Salmon, Crabcakes, Calamari Fritti; entrée seafood salads; Bluewater Grill’s signature Clam Chowder and Lobster Bisque, a kid’s menu; specialty desserts; a full bar and extensive wine list, including California and French varietals by the bottle and glass.

For Tustin, that local integrity means a design theme by Bitton Design Group of Agoura Hills that is noticeably more cosmopolitan.  The partners call it more “current” than the Newport and Redondo locations.

The Tustin Bluewater Grill seats 280, which is similar in size to the Redondo restaurant and slightly larger than the Newport Beach location. Chris Rock is the managing partner. The restaurant officially opened to the public on April 28, 2008, following a week of grand opening festivities including preview events for existing customers, the media and local VIPs.

The restaurant is now open daily for lunch and dinner. Operating hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The address is 2409 Park Avenue at The District at Tustin Legacy. Complimentary valet and self parking are available. The phone number is (714) 258-3474. Reservations are encouraged.