On my first ever visit with ND we started with two appetizers, and now whenever we go we always order them... the Asian inspired fried calamari and the goat cheese salad. The calamari is INSANE. Perfectly fried and then coated in a sticky, delightful Asian sauce... its sweet, spicy, and tangy all at once. I'd like to say there is some sort of fruit in it... perhaps orange or apricot... something sweet and thick, and then red pepper flakes and sesame seeds round it out. There is also a fruit based sauce for dipping, but there is hardly ever any need for extra flavor. I LOVE this dish, and while it's not technically on the menu it has been featured on the specials list every night for the last two years, so it seems as though it's here to stay! The goat cheese salad has changed several times over the past years, but the core ingredients are the same: pan griddled goat cheese, roasted tomato, beets, and apples over a bed of greens. On my most recent visit with ND there was an addition of grilled fennel. YUM. The goat cheese is crispy crunchy on the outside, and warm and melty on the inside. It's so tangy that it makes the beets seem sweeter, the apples taste more tart, and the lettuce fresher. It's a rare occasion that I don't get one of these to begin my meal (hell, it's rare when I don't get both!)
I usually don't order salmon in restaurants... I don't always care for it, and so many people tend to overcook it and make it way too dry. This changed on my last trip to BWSC with Mom. She adores salmon, and when I saw her dish come out I couldn't help but try it.... and once THAT happened I couldn't keep my fork off of her plate! Their house preparation of salmon is something I've never seen before; a gorgeous slab of Scottish salmon crusted in a horseradish and potato mixture, served over asparagus, with a creamy mustard sauce. OMG. So delicious. The fish tastes downright sweet under the crunchy, salty potato crust which is mixed delightfuly with spicy horseradish. The contrasting flavors and textures really capture the attention and focus the brain. This house specialty (and Mom ordering it!) has made a salmon lover out of me. Truly.
ND is Italian, and while I don't want to stereotype, the girl loves her pasta, loves her red sauce, and loves a little kick of heat. Enter seafood Fra Diablo. This pasta dish packs a ton of seafood into a slowly simmered, spicy marinara sauce. The portion is huge, and the dish is insanely filling. There are shrimp, clams, scallops, calamari, and mussels all stuffed into this one entree, and they're each cooked to perfection. The marinara can be served sweet, mild, or spicy, but ND usually goes for mild. She'd rather taste the seafood than the heat, and I don't blame her. The sauce is delicious on it's own, well seasoned and authentic tasting, but pairing it with the various seafoods gives it a little extra oomph. The flavors all compliment each other very well, and since there is just so damned much of it, she always has leftovers to take home for the next day!
Over the last ten years I have tried basically everything on the menu. Some other notable dishes include the pan seared Yellow Fin tuna, which is crusted in sesame seed and served with an Asian stir fry, the Chilean sea bass in a delicious mango sauce, and the spicy Buffalo style scallops. I adore everything I've ever had here, and I have yet to go home unsatisfied. The open style of the kitchen allows you to watch some of the action upon entering, the space feels inviting but not intimidating, and the staff is always friendly and attentive. It's a little on the pricey side, but there are ways to keep it cheap... order the lobster bisque and a dozen oysters and you'll be able to get out for about 20 bucks. In a town where the only other notable seafood joint is a chain restaurant, Blue Water Seafood Co. is an exceptional find.Blue Water Seafood Co.
http://www.bluewaterseafoodco.com/
1126 Route 18
East Brunswick- 08816
732 967 9220
While I have been to Laguna for lazy breakfasts, fancy dinners, and late night drinks, on this particular visit we were there for lunch. Matt and I were joined by J and M and we were just interested in finding somehwere to eat where we could all grab something fast but good. There was snow on the beach and J wanted to get a better look at it, so we couldn't beat Laguna's location... it's right on the water and has huge windows, so you can see the whole shoreline. Matt and I both ordered sandwiches... a grilled veggie panini for Matt and an Italian style one for me. Matt's was great... loaded with lots of the standard grilled sandwich vegetables (ya know, zuchinni, eggplant, roasted pepper) and topped with melty mozzarella cheese and a pesto mayo. Mine was stuffed with sliced mozzarella, fresh tomato, prosciutto, pesto, and roasted pepper. Both were pressed perfectly and were nice-n-toasty. The pesto sauce on each of them really brightened up the flavors of the respective veggies, and the salty ham on mine was the perfect balance against the creamy, mild cheese. Throw some crunchy waffle fries onto each plate, and call it a day. Very satisfactory lunch fare.
M went with a burger, and it looked insane. It was a giant burger, literally smothered in bacon and cheese. While I did not try this bad boy, I could tell that M was really enjoying it. He said it was cooked perfectly and from the looks of it, I believe him!
J ordered a personal sized buffalo chicken pizza. I don't know what person this was sized for, but the pizza was bigger than we expected it to be... two people could absolutely share one. The well done crust was adorned with a generous helping of spicy, breaded chicken. Both bleu cheese and cheddar made an appearance on the pie in their natural states, and of course there was bleu cheese dressing for dipping. There was just the right amount of heat, the crust was chewy and delicious, and the chicken was tender. A totally successful pizza, indeed.
The other friends we were with ordered similarly to Matt and I. MR ordered a burrito and MS ordered ground beef tacos. They were all enjoyed, as were the homemade chips and salsa, as well as the pitchers of margaritas. Good food with good friends always equals good times in my book.