Blue Water Grill
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Even when it’s filled to capacity, the humongous 320-seat BLUE WATER GRILL doesn’t feel crowded. Opened in late March in Spago’s old space by out-of-towners B.R. Guest Restaurants (they own numerous seafood restaurants in New York, including the original Blue Water Grill, as well as assorted eateries and hotels all over the country), the place is gorgeous, with orange mirrors on one wall, abstract acrylic fish on another, and a spiral staircase that leads up to a jazz bar. Executive chef Dirk Flanigan (formerly of Meritage) likes to layer palate-pleasing flavors: his quickly seared halibut T-bone comes with tender asparagus wontons and sweet tomatoes; his plump, perfectly browned Maine sea scallops are served with finely diced vegetables and a rich foie gras sauce over a slice of creamy semolina cake. The highlight of the raw-bar menu is an enormous three-tiered platter of chilled, raw, and steamed crab, lobster, oysters, and mussels. The entree list, heavy on steaks and chops, includes a Colorado rack of lamb with Swiss chard, hazelnut sweet potatoes, and horseradish jus and a dry-aged New York strip with smoked-cheddar potato gratin. Former Blackbird pastry chef Ellisa Narow uses lots of fruit in desserts like a macadamia tart with rum ice cream and cooked golden pineapple, and a refreshing wildflower-honey semifreddo with pieces of rhubarb and apple and a honey crisp. Sommelier Laura Maniec offers a diverse by-the-glass wine list that includes esoteric gems like a 2001 Touriga Nacional red blend from Portugal ($8 for six ounces, $11 for nine) and a 2003 Moschofilero white blend from Greece ($7, $10). The extensive half- and full-bottle list travels from New Zealand to New Mexico with lots of stops along the way. There’s also a list of sakes and specialty cocktails like the Chicago Smash (Pisco, passion fruit juice, and Kaffir lime leaves), the Fizzle (ginger-infused Bacardi, maple syrup, grapefruit juice, and a twist of lime), and the Dolce Vita (Knob Creek, sweet vermouth, and amaretto). The only flaw is that the room, with all its hard surfaces, can sound more crowded than it feels.
VOLO RESTAURANT WINE BAR, 2008 W. Roscoe, 773-348-4600. Tapas-style American food from the owners of Kitsch’n.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photos/A. Jackson.
