Restaurant Review: Blue Water Market & Grille

Near El Indio and Saffron, at 3667 India Street, is a "fast-food" seafood restaurant recommended by Patty Lucy of my book group. So an intrepid band of Navy wives set forth to enjoy (5 of us), escape (3 of us, our kids), and write about it (1 pathetic soul, this blogger).

First of all, the blue paint selection for the interior was spot-on. Plentiful seating, surprisingly easy parking (TIP: 5:22 p.m. on a weekday is MUCH better than 6:30 p.m. on a Friday or Saturday), and stand in (quick-moving) line to leave your order which is then brought to your table. No numbers or cards, just "Kathryn! Kathryn!" as your plate meanders around the seating area.

The crab and artichoke dip in a sourdough bread bowl was scrumptious. As an ice-water afficiondo at present, the ice was particularly satisfying. Ballast Point and Yellowtail Pale Ale were on tap; wines are also available by the plastic cup.

Two of our party enjoyed the fish and chips. As Patty Kiki remarked, "I'm usually very pleased with a beer batter...this, though much lighter, really highlighted the freshness of the fish." Patty Jenny-Across-the-Street concurred that it was quite pleasant. Patty Grace and I had variations on a theme of grilled shrimp. I'd selected the Lemon-Garlic-Butter marinade and the PLATE option; Patty Grace, in her health-conscious and pre-class-reunion mode, opted for the SALAD option. The plate included a very hearty portion of rice and a salad (bleu cheese dressing, natch, just to up those calories...for LLGA of course). Huge and plentiful shrimp. Patty Lucy, our recommending Patty, was a bit more adventuresome and chose the "Buffalo Sandwich": red snapper with chipotle, avocado, cheese, and other seasonings on a torta. It looked awfully tasty and I am applying for credit for holding back and not smelling it/asking for a taste. Extra credit, please, as I was immediately next to Patty Lucy and a quick nose dive in would have been almost-too-easy.

We had a highbrow pre-book group meeting discussion (er, they discussed and I mowed my overflowing PLATE) about Julia Child's book. I haven't started the book so hopefully my mum status was perceived as having nothing to contribute vice being Miss Piggy's stunt double. Of course, we also had some fiesty exchanges about reunions, shopping via catalog, lady-scaping (mercifully, the consensus was we're all to cheap, old, and lazy-about-yard-maintenance <--that last one, a horribly-unintended double-entrendre comment from me -- leading to extra glances by Patty Grace at my hair as if looking to see whether that box of hazelnut she applied on Friday had given me blonde roots!), hairstylist weddings frocked in Armani, and my appalling admission (drinking only ice water with the ice of the gods) that the highlight of my St. Louis Arch visit as a child was the movie about how the elevator system works. Clearly, the kind of dining spot where you can sit and chat and not feel like anyone's going to overhear you. And, the kind of acoustics where one's tablemates can hear every word uttered by their dinner companions. How'd they do that?

But for the best part: with that hallowed, earned-in-tears-and-loneliness military ID card, we got ourselves 15% off our dinners. Now that's the way to encourage customer loyalty!

We came, we moo-cow-piggied, we laughed, and we toasted Patty Lucy's recommendation.