Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar Awards

Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar Restaurant Review:

Executive chef Frank Pabst is a leader in regard to responsible seafood practices. He created the annual Unsung Heroes dining festival to spotlight often under-appreciated yet bountiful regional seafood. His inventive menus have included sea cucumber chowder and periwinkles served in their shells with saffron aïoli. Make the main bar your first stop at this 100-year-old converted warehouse to sample a wide array of oysters while sipping a skillfully crafted cocktail. Move on to the raw bar to savor wild sockeye salmon sashimi or a Dungeness crab roll. Finally, settle into a plush banquette and indulge in the famous three-tiered eponymous seafood tower, or one of Pabst’s ocean underdogs. Don't miss the miso saké-glazed sablefish with baby bok choy, edamame, quinoa, shiitake mushrooms and yuzu dashi. Northwest seafood fans often opt for Alaska king crab or local spot prawns from the live tanks. Carnivores will discover that the kitchen also knows its way around meat, with Wagyu and Okanagan beef tenderloin, plus Kobe-style beef short ribs braised in coffee ancho chile sauce. Desserts are knockouts, particularly the sticky brioche pudding with apple, cranberries, maple crème anglaise and maple bergamot ice cream. An extensive wine list has a comprehensive selection of British Columbia’s best wines, plus notable Californian and Italian bottles. Service is gracious and professional.