Blue Water Grille

126 East State Street, High Point, N.C.
bluewatergrillenc.net
Two Thumbs Up

Jason's Take
Since we haven’t posted in quite a while, we decided to go all out for our next review.  While Jon and I have both drank the occasional cocktail at Blue Water Grille, we have yet to enjoy a meal at this High Point favorite.  Blue Water Grille is located off State Street and can be difficult to find.  As a result, the restaurant is rather intimate and a quiet dinner on the patio is possible.

When we entered the restaurant, the host greeted us and asked if we wanted to sit in the dining room, at the bar, or on the patio.  We chose the bar; the dining room is somewhat formal  and I was in shorts and sandals while the pollen was a little heavy outside.  When offered drink,  I opted for a greyhound (Pinnacle Vodka, $6.50). 

After perusing the appetizer list I settled on the lobster mac and cheese ($12).  Pete, our waiter, brought us this delicious multigrain bread and a mix of oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.  Some soft music was playing in the background and the tone was set for an enjoyable dining experience.  I was very impressed with my appetizer, the pasta was perfect, the blend of gruyere and cheddar creamy, and the lobster meat perfectly cooked and in large chunks.  The flavor and the large portion of lobster meat justified the 12-dollar price for this appetizer. 

I also ordered a Caesar salad ($7), and was impressed with the uniqueness this sometimes ordinary salad.  The lettuce had a nice amount of dressing and the salad came topped with real anchovies.  What makes the salad unique is the deep fried artichoke hearts that come on the plate, a unique and quite tasty replacement for croutons.  One can learn lots about a restaurant based on the quality of its Caesar salad.  This one was top notch and I would come back for the salad alone.

After learning about the night’s dinner special, I had to try it.  The special was a tuna steak, wrapped in prosciutto, deep-fried and served with baby spinach and fingerling potatoes.  The tuna was topped with a jumbo shrimp and served with a sauce of brie and bacon as well as a cherry, hazelnut compote ($28).  The rare tuna covered with the crispy prosciutto was a unique combination and the sauces went perfectly with the fish.  The only flaw I found in the dish is that the potatoes were slightly undercooked.  However, the spinach was great and the dish made me my stomach very happy.  I enjoyed a glass of A to Z Pinot Noir (2007, $9) with my dinner after tasting 3 wines recommended by Pete.

For dessert I had the crème brulee ($7.5) and a makers on the rocks ($9).  The crème brulee was good and topped with fresh berries.

What impressed me about Blue Water was the quality of service.  Pete, our waiter, was very knowledgeable about the menu and made sure we were well taken care of.  Pete allowed Jon and I to taste several wines before I chose the wine for my meal, and the ambiance of Blue Water is quite charming.  While I don’t normally spend $91 plus tip on dinner for one, if you need a great place to take a date place or important clients are in town, I highly recommend Blue Water Grille in High Point.  Blue Water is a true gem in the High Point dining scene and should be experienced by all that appreciate food.

Jon's Take
This out-of-the-way restaurant offers what's arguably the finest dining experience in High Point. I'll say right up front that you'll pay for that experience as well; bargain hunters won't be pleased but if you're really looking for a fine dining experience, Blue Water Grille won't disappoint. You've got three options upon entry: dining room, bar or patio. The dining room was a little formal for what we were doing, so we gravitated to the bar, which offers the same menu in a little bit more casual of an atmosphere.

There's a large beverage selection. Our waiter promised they make "killer drinks" but the Blue Water wasn't offering any drink specials. Most beers were $3.75 or $4 and I settled on the Highland Gaelic Ale. If you like the specialty stuff, there were 13 different types of Martinis on the menu ranging from $8.25 to $11.

The food menu isn't too extensive and everything on it looked interesting (which I actually prefer -- concentrate on some great items and don't make me wade through a million choices). I started off with the Crab Bisque, added a house salad (you pay separate for that) and went with Shrimp Linguini for the entree. The quality of the beer as well as the bread with oil and vinegar had me eagerly anticipating the arrival of our orders.

The crab bisque was great. It was really flavorful -- creamy with a good amount of crab and spices. This was also the cheapest appetizer on the menu for $6. The salad featured a great presentation. I usually don't go with a house salad because I find them uninteresting, but this one wasn't your typical lettuce with a few other vegetables on top. This house salad offered a few things like cheese, nuts and cranberries wrapped in thinly sliced cucumbers that held it all together.

I was already pretty satisfied by the time the entree arrived, which was good because I was a little underwhelmed by it. Don't get me wrong, this was really high quality and it was good, but I just wasn't blown away by the Shrimp Linguini. I lost track of my receipt but I think it was in the mid-$20s. The plump shrimp were plentiful but overall it was a little plain, the sauce was thin and didn't add a lot of flavor but maybe that's how they intended it. The dish really relied on the main ingredients and you got the flavor from that, it wasn't particularly spiced up or anything like that. It was solid but I was feeling pretty jealous of Jason's mac&cheese and his entree special. His choices definitely were the clear-cut winners.

I followed Jason's lead and had a Maker's Mark on the rocks after dinner, and had a taste of his crème brulee, both good calls. My tab initially came in at $51.72 because they forgot one of my Highland Ales, but to my chagrin they made the correction and it ended up a few dollars higher. Overall I thought this was a great overall dining experience, I wasn't blown away by my entree but I think I may have enjoyed some of the other menu items a little more. Due to the hefty prices, Blue Water Grille isn't a place I'll be frequenting, but I'd highly recommend it if you're looking to go all-out on a special dinner.

As an aside, I'm sorry to note that the first restaurant we reviewed on this blog -- DJ's -- has closed. From what I've heard it had to do with some investor issues and they are considering re-opening in a new location. And sorry about the major delay between reviews!