Skaneateles, N.Y. — For a village so revered for its bucolic waterfront, it’s ironic that only one restaurant is actually located along Skaneateles Lake.
That waterfront location, extending into the lake parallel to the pedestrian pier, has made Blue Water Grill a popular spot for visitors and locals alike.
While open tables in the main dining room and adjoining covered patio and bar areas might be harder to come by on a busy Saturday night in summer, we found no wait in the main dining room for an early dinner on an unseasonably warm early spring day.
The bare wood tables adorned with fresh flowers and plate settings with rolled cloth napkins embody the restaurant’s casual, but refined vibe. The large windows in the main dining room overlooking the water are painted a shade of aqua blue reminiscent of the nearby Sherwood Inn, one of several affiliated properties in the village.
One could call the menu varied, a nice way of saying that a lot is going on. There are about a dozen soups and starters, ranging from Buffalo wings to seared sesame-crusted tuna. Entrees include burgers and sandwiches, a trio of different tacos, protein-topped entree salads and several larger plates, including steaks and seafood.
That doesn’t include the separate sushi menu, the length of which rivals any dedicated Japanese restaurant. Where else can you find barbecue eel and a Nashville chicken sandwich on the same menu?
In the spirit of throwing the rules out the window, we started dinner with a shared platter of sushi nachos ($15 to market price, depending on protein choice). A platter of warm, crispy wontons was topped with avocado, cucumber, black and white sesame seeds, a lightly spicy ranch dressing, our choice of diced raw tuna, pico de gallo and eel sauce. Yes, the same pico de gallo found in the conventional cheese-topped tortilla chip nachos and yes, we were asked if we wanted eel sauce or balsamic glaze for our sushi nachos, a question I had never pondered until that moment. Deciding we were fusing enough cuisines as it was, we opted for the Japanese eel sauce.
Sushi nachos with tuna from Blue Water Grill in Skaneateles.Jacob Pucci
The cumin-spiced pico paired well with the avocado and ranch. Still, it clashed with the tuna and more importantly, pushed the dish from being firmly in the Japanese flavors in a novel presentation camp into a kind of Japanese/Tex-Mex mashup with competing elements vying for attention and leaving the more subtle tuna behind. I’d love to see the cumin left behind and some added scallions, a dash of furikake and maybe a little wasabi in that dressing to further support the idea that this tastes like sushi.
But don’t get me wrong. We still cleared the platter.
The Blue Fondue burger ($18) was dressed with a housemade blue cheese fondue, bacon jam and fried onions. The earthy tang of the cheese was a nice complement with the sweetness and smokiness of the bacon jam. The burger, cooked to a desired medium, was served on a toasted, wonderfully light brioche bun. The side of fries was fine, though it needed salt.
The Blue Fondue burger from Blue Water Grill in Skaneateles.Jacob Pucci
The grilled salmon BLT ($20) was served on that same brioche bun. It’s a simple combo, but well executed nonetheless. The salmon filet was tender, the three strips of thick-cut bacon cooked to just the right amount of chew, the lemon-caper aioli added both richness and acidity and the lettuce and tomato were crisp and fresh.
From the plates side of the menu, the blackened mahi mahi ($28) featured a sizable filet perched atop a bed of short-grain sushi rice and finished with pineapple salsa and a zippy cilantro-lime vinaigrette. The fish — firm, if perhaps a bit overdone — was generously seasoned with a blackening spice that could have used a little more heat, but was otherwise flavorful and didn’t overwhelm the mild-flavored fish.
Sushi rice might seem like an unusual choice that I thought was born out of the convenience of using the cooked rice already on hand, but the starchy, slightly sticky rice maintained its structure. The vibrant green vinaigrette provided a welcome acidic punch, though photos of the dish shared by other diners in online reviews showed my dish was missing multiple garnishes and was served with a scant puddle of vinaigrette, far less than others were served.
When we asked about the difference between the 10-ounce strip steak and the Blue Room strip steak, our server said the only difference was that the Blue Room steak included a pat of shallot-thyme compound butter, which is otherwise listed as a $2 add-on. Never ones to turn down free butter, we opted for the Blue Room strip, served with Yukon gold mashed potatoes and a daily vegetable, which was broccoli that day.
The Blue Room strip steak from Blue Water Grill in Skaneateles.Jacob Pucci
The potatoes, creamy and buttery, were the highlight of the dish. The steak was cooked to medium rather than the desired medium-rare, which wasn’t a surprise as the steak was quite thin and lacked flavor. The compound butter, which was accidentally omitted at first, did little to save the steak.
Most of the desserts appear to be brought in, however, two of the desserts specified that they were made at Patisserie, the nearby bakery that shares ownership with Blue Water Grill and supplies the stretch bread that begins each meal at the restaurant.
The Patisserie tart ($9), available in apple or tri-berry, is like an individual pie, served warm and finished with a fruit syrup, whipped cream and two generous scoops of vanilla ice cream. The Patisserie chocolate bomb ($9) was a seasonal offering, with a core of Irish cream mousse surrounded by a dome of chocolate mousse, dipped in chocolate ganache and served atop a rich flourless chocolate cake. Both were wonderful, just as everything I’ve had from Patisserie has been. My only question is why more of the dessert menu isn’t sourced from Patisserie.
Chocolate bomb (left) and triple-berry tart desserts at Blue Water Grill in Skaneateles.Jacob Pucci
Presented alongside the sushi menu was a lengthy drink list, including an entire page of bottled/canned beer and another for the more than 20 beers on draft, about half of which are sourced from CNY breweries. Perhaps not coincidentally, it’s the burgers and sandwiches — quintessential beer-friendly foods — where Blue Water Grill shines brightest. Don’t forget about Sunday brunch, where weekly live music complements one of CNY’s best bloody marys.
I’d advocate for the restaurant to pare down the menu to improve the consistency of what it does best. For me, that best looks like a seat on the patio on a warm summer’s day looking out onto the lake, with a burger and a pint of local craft beer — or maybe a few $3 cans of Utica Club.
The Details
The Restaurant: Blue Water Grill, 11 W. Genesee St., Skaneateles. 315-685-6600
Takeout/Delivery? Yes, takeout is available via phone or online order.
Reservations? Yes. Call 315-685-6600
Credit cards? Yes, with no added surcharge.
Noise level: Quieter during the off-season, but will get busy and louder during summer and peak season.
Accessibility: The entrance, dining room, bars and covered patio all at street level.
Parking: Paid street parking.
Special diets? Vegetarian and gluten-free options are marked on the menu.
Children’s menu? Yes. Options include pasta, chicken tenders, a Hofmann hot dog, Kraft mac and cheese, grilled chicken, grilled cheese and grilled salmon. Prices range from $7 to $10.
Hours: Open during winter Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hours expand to Mondays and dinner on Sundays for the summer, starting April 14.
Cost: Dinner for four, with shared starter, four entrees, two shared desserts, non-alcoholic beverages, tax and 20% tip was $185.32.
Jacob Pucci is a food and restaurant critic for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Facebook, Instagram or BlueSky. Sign up for our free weekly Where Syracuse Eats newsletter here.
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