15 EAST CABRILLO BLVD.
SANTA BARBARA
805.845.5121
BLUEWATERGRILL.COM
Bluewater Grill is the newest addition to Santa Barbara’s sustainable-fresh-seafood dining scene, and co-founders Richard Staunton and Jimmy Ulcickas are serious about their mission. Staunton works local waters in his fishing boat, the Pilikia, and the restaurant occupies the old lighthouse building that formerly housed legendary Castagnola’s Fish House, which also featured fresh fish caught by their fleet. Bluewater’s seafood is sustainably caught and managed, and the fish-origins chart will tell you exactly where it came from. As for vegetables and produce, think local, seasonal and farmers market. Chef Chanel Ducharme’s kitchen stocks a full raw bar with super-fresh oysters and local sea urchin (uni), whole oven-roasted fish, seasonally available halibut and white seabass; swordfish caught individually from the Pilikia, and a rotating collection of six seasonal specialties including bouillabaisse, seafood paella and New England clambake. At the inspiring and educational Second Tuesday Tastings, Ducharme pairs seasonal seafood with sake, beer or a local wine - the list is a deep dive into the grand cache of great Central Coast seafood accompaniments. It’s all served in the historic building at the foot of State Street, now a beautiful, airy, two-level restaurant with an upstairs bar and outdoor patio that serves up some of Santa Barbara’s best ocean views all day long.
