In the midst of Avalon’s Centennial celebration the Bluewater Avalon opened on Monday to fanfare and anticipation, offering what some call “the seafood of the future.”
The Bluewater’s co-founder Jimmy Ulcickas, who also helped Bluewater Grills in Newport Beach, Redondo Beach, Tustin and Phoenix, has made a reputation for himself and the restaurants for spearheading the movement toward serving sustainable seafood, prepared to the highest standards of the restaurant industry.
In the midst of Avalon’s Centennial celebration the Bluewater Avalon opened on Monday to fanfare and anticipation, offering what some call “the seafood of the future.”
The Bluewater’s co-founder Jimmy Ulcickas, who also helped Bluewater Grills in Newport Beach, Redondo Beach, Tustin and Phoenix, has made a reputation for himself and the restaurants for spearheading the movement toward serving sustainable seafood, prepared to the highest standards of the restaurant industry.
In fact, during March of 2012, Ulcickas was chosen to give a presentation on the subject as a seafood expert during the International Boston Seafood Show, which is billed as “North America’s largest and most prestigious seafood trade event.”
Sustainable seafood is that which is either caught or farmed in ways that consider the long-term vitality of harvested species and the well-being of the oceans. It was first promoted through the sustainable seafood movement, which began in the 1990s. It highlights overfishing and environmentally destructive fishing methods, the effects of which have been shown to be reversible when people become better stewards of the marine environment.
“To date, more than 90% of the seafood and shellfish we serve at Bluewater Grills in California and Arizona is sustainably caught or certified by respected Seafood Industry NGOs. Despite this, our goal is to have 100% of our menu certified by the end of 2012,” Ulcickas said. “At Bluewater Grill, we created a Five-Step Seafood Sustainability Roadmap to guide the process. In addition, we were one of the first Southern California seafood restaurants to apply a full-disclosure menu philosophy and publish a Fish Origins Chart showing the specific farmed or wild source of every item on the menu.”
This means that every seafood or shellfish item on the menu is certified by the Aquarium of the Pacific Seafood for the Future program, is designated a “Best Choice or Good Alternative” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, or adhere to strict Marine Stewardship Council best-practice standards for sustainable harvesting. Ulcickas said this last 10% of the menu is the most challenging.
“To be sure, seafood sustainability is an uncertain and inexact science,” he said. “It is difficult to properly evaluate the biomass of fish species. Even widely recognized experts disagree about a range of topics. In addition, there is no single best way for a restaurant to become sustainable. The only real absolute is the need for a custom-designed seafood sustainability plan that fits the restaurant, owner and customers. And the starting place for all of it is research.”
The Bluewater Avalon is the fifth member in the Bluewater Grill family, which began in Newport Beach’s Cannery Village in 1996.
The new 6,900-square-foot restaurant was built from the ground up on the site of the historic Avalon waterfront building that once served as the arrival and departure point for the SS Avalon and SS Catalina steamers.
Its arrival is considered part of the Santa Catalina Island Company (SCICO)’s ongoing renaissance of the Island that includes new hotels, restaurants and visitor attractions.
The move to the Island represents a homecoming of sorts for local seafood restaurant owner-operators Ulcickas and Rick Staunton .
“We’ve been fishing off Avalon for years and as avid boaters, we see the move to the Island is a natural,” Ulcickas said. “We look forward to working closely with the Santa Catalina Island Company to become an even closer part of the local community.”
Bluewater Avalon has an indoor/outdoor atmosphere, with more than half the restaurant’s 250 seats on the 3,000-square-foot waterfront patio. The working clock tower, historic black-and-white photos of the local fishing and boating scene and other touches are meant to pay homage to Avalon’s history.
Shawnene Hill, a longtime Catalina resident and former Island Company executive, is Bluewater Grill’s General Manager.
“She brings decades of restaurant experience and close ties to the local community,” Ulcickas said.
Randy Savoie, formerly of Avalon’s Descanso Beach Club is the Bluewater Avalon’s executive chef. He will offer a daily chalkboard menu of up to 25 varieties of fresh seafood and shellfish plus salads, pastas, chicken and steaks.
“I am excited to show locals and visitors just how amazing the absolute freshest, sustainable seafood and shellfish can be,” said Savoie, a seven-year Island resident who used to serve banquets in the Catalina Casino and even lived for a time in an apartment on the Casino’s top floor.
Meanwhile, as part of the restaurant’s commitment to sustainability, Staunton operates the fishing vessel, Pilikia, in the waters off Avalon. Pilikia Captain Sean Burke targets only mature fish without the use of nets or long lines, harpooning the freshest most humanely harvested local swordfish.
The new Bluewater Avalon is located at 306 Crescent Ave on the Avalon waterfront. The phone number is (310) 510-3474 (FISH).
The restaurant will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Lunch is served weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and dinner from 4 to 10 p.m.
Bluewater’s brunch is served weekends from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Seating is upon arrival.
For more information, go to http://www.bluewatergrill.com/locations/catalina_island.php.
