BluWater Bistro - Leschi

After our weekly trip to the farmers market, Dan & I headed down to the lake to the Leschi neighborhood, to try out the BlueWater Bistro.



Not to be confused with the similarly named Blue Water Taco Grill (essentially a fast food taco place*), BluWater Bistro is a nice waterside restaurant with mid-ranged prices and great views. This time of year, they've got outdoor seating available - including outdoor seating at the bar, which I've not seen in Seattle before. Given the gorgeous sunny day we had, Dan & I went for an outdoor table - though we were thankful for the heat lamps when the wind picked up.



Our meal started with complimentary bread & oil for dipping, which wasn't anything to write home about, but set a nice upscale tone for the meal.



We both reviewed the menu and, not having been here before, weren't sure of the portion sizes, and since I was going or tacos we decided to get an appetizer as well. Worst case scenario we'd have plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow.



We ordered the Flat Bread Appetizer ($11.50) which turned out to be HUGE in and of itself. It was six pizza-slice sized pieces of flatbread with a balsamic reduction drizzled on them, paired with roasted red peppers, roasted garlic cloves, a soft cheese, and an olive tapenade. This was definitely an appetizer that could satisfy a half-dozen people, so we tried to restrain ourselves and not fill up too much.



Dan's eyes spotted Dungeness Crab Mac & Cheese ($16.50) on the menu and he was locked in - and it didn't disappoint.

There was a lightness that came from the seafood that almost compensated for the fact that it was in a sea of tasty, gooey, cheesey sauce, elbow pasta and buttery breadcrumbs, tricking Dan into commenting that it wasn't very heavy - until he got through about half of it and had to stop. I tasted it and am pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to restrain myself as well as he did. I would've likely devoured the whole dish, as it was really great.



But I had my own mighty portion of food to get through: the Mahi Mahi tacos ($15.50)



Served in a make-your-own format, they came as a plate of components - flour tortillas, cilantro-cabbage slaw, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and a grilled slice of mahi-mahi topped with green onions. The salsa featured a mix of pineapple, tomato and perhaps jicama(?) that was crisp and sweet, giving the tacos a great texture.

We both really enjoyed our meal and think this might be a new happy-hour hangout as the sunny days of Seattle summer finally begin to make appearances - after July 5th.





* For Wendy: Blue Water Taco Grill isn't a spot I'd necessarily consider a destination, more the type of spot you'd grab a quick bite on your lunch hour. The locations I've been to were akin to other fast food spots in terms of ambience - though the Queen Anne location appears to have Margaritas, so may be a little more of a sit down kinda place.