How Bluewater Grill elevates seafood with its monthly tastings and chef-driven menus
Originally established by partners Rick Staunton and Jimmy Ulcickas in 1996, Bluewater Grill has since transformed into a family of seafood restaurants. Situated in resort communities, each location is committed to serving guests delicious, fresh seafood that is sustainably sourced and prepared with either classic techniques or a modern twist. Jimmy Ulcickas, Co-Founder and Co-Owner, retraces the company’s history.
“Bluewater Grill began with a single restaurant on the Lido Peninsula in Newport Beach at 630 Lido Park Drive. This location had been a well-known seafood destination for decades, originally opening as the Sea Shanty in the early 1960s before Francis Delaney founded the first of nine Delaney’s there in the following decade. Once the space became available in the 1990s, my business partner, Richard Staunton, and I knew we had a tough act to follow in impressing a discerning local clientele that already had many choices for seafood. To differentiate ourselves, we developed a unique approach by taking the fresh fish conversation and dining experience up a few notches, with a strong focus on sustainable seafood. We were at the forefront of the fresh, sustainable seafood conversation back in 1996, a time when people were not used to sourcing hyper-fresh seafood and shellfish in their own neighborhoods and the question of fish origins was just starting to gain traction,” he opens.
Today, Bluewater Grill remains a leader in sustainability, on track to practice 100 percent sustainable sourcing. The founders work closely with Anderson Seafood in Orange County and even operate their own fishing boat, resulting in greater control over the fish served to customers, which is a difference they can taste. Since its founding in 1996, the company now operates eight Bluewater Grill locations across California and Arizona, including Redondo Beach, Coronado, Carlsbad, Santa Barbara, Temecula, Catalina Island and Phoenix. Every restaurant serves delightful fresh seafood and shellfish dishes.
“We serve up to 40 varieties of fresh fish annually, either simply prepared or crafted by our chefs into creations that reflect some of the most popular regional seafood traditions in the US,” Jimmy elaborates. “As we only serve fish at the peak of freshness, our menu is constantly changing. Each restaurant offers extensive happy hours, small-plates menus and seasonal specials and tastings, ensuring that we continuously introduce new foodies to the wonders of fresh, sustainable seafood. Additionally, we offer restaurant-specific features and services such as sushi and shellfish bars, fresh fish markets, special event spaces, outdoor patios and dining over the water.”
Tasty seafood selections
To come up with exciting new dishes, Bluewater Grill embraces a research and development process that combines local and brand-level efforts, ensuring that all locations maintain the high standards of quality while also offering their own specials. “Albert Serrano, our Newport Beach-based executive chef, collaborates with Rick and me to create most of the menu. Our menu features grilled fish alongside special dishes and preparations exclusive to Bluewater Grill, such as our Chipotle Swordfish. Together, we identify the latest fish and preparation trends and explore how we can leverage them for our customers. Furthermore, our Second Tuesday Tastings, which are monthly celebrations that pair the freshest seasonal seafood and shellfish with red or white wine, beer or sake, play a key role in our research and development process. These events allow us to experiment with new dishes, techniques and regional seafood traditions before they make it onto the menu. From there, our eight general managers offer their own specials and promotions to cater to local customer preferences. This enables us to offer the best of both worlds: a brand-level commitment to quality, sustainability, and freshness, along with offerings localized for each Bluewater Grill community,” Jimmy informs.
Passionate about sharing its passion for seafood, Bluewater Grill is proud to host several dozen opportunities each year for seafood enthusiasts to indulge their passion and for newcomers to develop an appreciation for fresh, sustainable fish. Its Second Tuesday Tastings, held on the second Tuesday of every month, feature chef-prepared two-course meals that include a starter and a seafood main course, paired with two hand-selected local or international wines. The seafood selections typically follow Bluewater Grill’s seasonal menu specials, designed to provide customers with a continuous cycle of new culinary experiences with seafood and shellfish.
With many of these tastings priced as low as $55 per person, the company is committed to making them as accessible as possible. In addition to the monthly seafood and wine events, Bluewater Grill offers special deals on food and drink during various holidays, from National Clam Chowder Day to crab, lobster, and oysters on the Half Shell Days, as well as National Wine Day and St. Patrick’s Day.
Committed to coastal communities
Later in 2026, founders Jimmy and Rick are also launching a new seafood cookbook, Flavors from the Shore, bringing their regional seafood dishes to home kitchens. Drawing on their 30-year careers, the book features several recipes from the Bluewater menu, and it will be a key part of the company’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Flavors from the Shore is currently available to pre-order, with its release in early May coinciding with National Seafood Month and Bluewater’s anniversary celebrations. “The Flavors from the Shore book will be featured prominently as part of our 30th events at each restaurant, and as an extension of our ongoing commitment to introducing more folks to the taste, nutrition and lifestyle benefits of fresh seafood,” Jimmy shares.
From its commitment to sustainable sourcing to its ever-evolving, chef-driven menus, Bluewater Grill continues to redefine what fresh seafood can be. Through monthly tastings, localized creativity and new concepts like Mia’s, the company remains deeply connected to both its coastal roots and communities, inviting diners to explore seafood at its freshest.