Best Waterfront Dining

Sometime ago, USAToday posted a list of the 10 best. They said that in general they don't like waterfront as most are overpriced and not that great. The special 10 places were an exception. Last Sunday for the second time in a month we went to the number 1 place, The Back Eddy, at the end of Rt 88 in Westport Massachusetts. The season is almost over so we were seated without a wait at table with a great view. The food was excellent, and the service friendly. This is not a white tablecloth restaurant, but it is upscale with many offerings in the $25-$30 range. The specials change often to take advantage of local produce. My favorite so far is a cod loin with local little neck clams and Peruvian lima beans.

We went there again yesterday. The blackboard that might usually show specials noted that they were in the Oct Gourmet magazine. We had a quart of very nice softshell clams before the meal that were priced at "market". It was my fault for not asking but I thought $15.50 was a bit much for them, even though they were perfect. My pulled pork sandwich at $8 including fries and a great cole slaw was a much better deal. It was as good as those that I remember from living in North Carolina. The service was as usual quiet and efficient, and the view was great. My wife had a tasty Japanese style salmon in the mid $20 range.

I just ate at 2 fantastic waterfront rstaurants in VA Beach this week. 1)The Dockside Inn. right on the water and the boats pull up and the premesise (sp?) consists of a very nice wine shop, seafood shop, and restaurant. Neat restaurant, decor would fit in with a roadfood type establishment, certainly not formal, and food was incredibly good.
2)Lynnhaven Fish House,
Literally on Chesapeake Bay and the view is fantastic. Food was extremely good and quite pricey, for fish that I thought was no better than night before at Dockside, and selection was sames as night before even though the maitre'd assured me thery had the broadest selection anywhere. Felt like I was paying for the decor. They we listed on "The World's Best Seafood" list though I have no idea who makes up that list. If anyone knows, join in.

carl reitz

A chilidog at Red's Java House--next door to SBC Park on San Francisco Bay.

I wouldn't be into this site so much if I didn't beleive that you should go find a beautiful view, look at it -- and then go get some good food.

One of my favorite places for steamed/broiled/fried seafood, right on the water is J's Oyster on a small pier in Portland, Maine. The oly hitch is their only windows are almost not at eye level. I don't know why.

There is a place up the street with a nice view, but, why eat there when J's is nearby.

Atmosphere or food. There are exceptions to every rule (see above) ... but, a rule is a rule.

My fav is the Snug Harbor in Grand Haven Michigan. I always seem to get their burrito which is really nothing to talk about, just one of my habits... But they do have a great dinner menu! It's right on Lake Michigan, with boat parking at the pier. But in the summers they have a kick arse Hot Dog cart that sets up and sells some awesome dogs... Bring your beer, chili dogs and sit at the wall... Nothing more relaxing then sitting back and watching the sunset or freighters in the distance that seem like they're hardly moving...

Knoxville has a Calhoun's restaurant on the Tennessee River. Does that count as waterfront? We also have another restaurant downriver a little bit, it's home of the UT rowing team as well and it is quite good also. That's a bout as close as we get to the water.

carl reitz

quote:

Originally posted by pdxyyz

Peruvian Lima beans. Does that count as local produce in Mass?

I have no idea. I don't know if they are "Peruvian" because they are FROM Peru, or they are Peruvian STYLE as in "English cut roast beef". There are a lot of small produce farms in Westport, Mass, and the Back Eddy says that they support them. I don't know if the local growers do lima beans or not. Maybe I can remember to ask next time I go.

I haven't been there for several years, but Ray's Boathouse in Seattle was the place where I had 2 of the best seafood/waterfront dining experiences of my life.

"The Best Waterfront Dining?".............. how funny
tmiles..... goes to the no# 1 seafood joint and has a pulled pork sandwich
BT ..........goes to a shack on SF Bay for a chilly dog
UncleVic .. goes out to the Great Lakes and has a burrito

What do you boys do............... meet once a year in Omaha Nebraska for fish and chips?

quote:

Originally posted by fpczyz

"The Best Waterfront Dining?".............. how funny
tmiles..... goes to the no# 1 seafood joint and has a pulled pork sandwich
BT ..........goes to a shack on SF Bay for a chilly dog
UncleVic .. goes out to the Great Lakes and has a burrito

What do you boys do............... meet once a year in Omaha Nebraska for fish and chips?

Omaha have some good fish n chips? I'm game!

quote:

Originally posted by fpczyz

"The Best Waterfront Dining?".............. how funny
tmiles..... goes to the no# 1 seafood joint and has a pulled pork sandwich
BT ..........goes to a shack on SF Bay for a chilly dog
UncleVic .. goes out to the Great Lakes and has a burrito

What do you boys do............... meet once a year in Omaha Nebraska for fish and chips?

You make an interesting point. I usually get seafood at a waterfront restaurant. I got the pulled pork only because some famous people at the next table were raving about it a few visits ago. This is the type of place where famous folks can go, and the other patrons pretend not to notice. My wife had a pork sandwich the next time and I liked it. My original post, if I made it easy enough to read between the lines, was to comment on the foolishness of making a short list of the best anything. Even in our self selected group of foodies, how many of us have been to even half of any "best" list to comment? Good, bad or great are term that I understand. "Best", even though I have used the term myself, is perhaps overused.

Well, I like my Mexican food, so even at the Waterfront I'll enjoy it. Of course I enjoy a decent seafood dinner also, but nothing caught in Lake Michigan, maybe other then the perch, lands on the local menus. Just like the inland restaraunts, everything comes in frozen from either Gordon Food Service or Sysco around here... So am I still a bad roadfooder?
(If I really wanted a fresh seafood dinner, I'd be in a boat and fetching my own inventory... Not to mention I can bake, smoke, fry or grill it to my tastes!)...

Mexican on the water ???

That reminds me of Las Brisas in Laguna Beach -- very viable choice. View: A+ ... Food: A-

I've mentioned this place in an earlier post but will mention again, because it is so good and so much fun. It's the Dockside Inn in Va Beach, VA. It's on the same street as Chick's Oyster Bar which I-95 had highly recommended but I had opted for Dockside, a co-worker and I had really enjoyed it, so I took my boss there last night. This place is so interesting and a true roadfood seafood place. I call it a "place" because in addition to the restaurant, you can also buy a ful range of fresh fish (the boats dock right outside), an extensive wine shop, and a deli as well. You can also charter a fishing expedition there. it's not fance, but it has a real cozy neighborhood type feeling to it and the food is just delicious.

My favorite,for today,waterfront place if at Geiger Key Marina about 8 miles up from my winter home,Key West,Fl. Geiger Key is a funky little place where you can fish from your barstool. They have a fish fry once a week as well as a BBQ one night and a cuban dinner too. The best part is that it is a place that you really have to look for and once you do,you find some really nice people as well as great food.