Blackwater Grille

Dinner out on Valentine's Day has its fans and its naysayers. I don't commit fully to either party, but am simply a fan of eating out. Therefore, Valentine's Day is as good as any for us to be "out and about" for a festive meal. The naysayers feel that because restaurants are packed to the gills on holidays (this one being no different) that its service and food may suffer from being pushed to maximum capacity. A valid argument, I suppose, but is it any different from a restaurant's challenges on a busy Friday or Saturday night? A philosophical discussion for another blog perhaps... Anyway, the short version of this is that we decided to spend our Valentine's Day dinner this year at Blackwater Grille (www.blackwatergrille.net) and yes, it was busy, but we had a great time!

Blackwater Grille is in an unlikely location of a strip mall, but don't let that dissuade you. It has a nice, dark interior with a water feature near the entrance, a warm fireplace burning in the colder months, and a very nice deck with shade trees for the summer months. My only suggestion on improving their ambiance is to put up some half shutters or cafe-curtains on the windows to block the view of the parking lot. Why mar a perfectly lovely atmosphere with headlights of cars driving by and parking?? It would seem to be an easy improvement.

There have been some write-ups and opinions of Blackwater Grille over the years that vary, most of the negative ones stating that the food can be uneven. But Fat Kat and I have eaten at Blackwater Grille numerous times over the last four years and they have rarely missed a step. Maybe we have just gotten lucky - maybe we have just ordered items that they do well, but in any event, we have always been pleased overall.

Since they do not take reservations except for larger parties, we wandered over about 5:30pm knowing we might have to wait. They have a nice, albeit small, bar and were happy to sit there over a glass of wine if necessary. One year, we also went there on Valentine's Day and were treated to a free glass of champagne while we waited - a great surprise! We did end up at the bar this time, which was fine, and ordered drinks (no free champagne this year) and looked over the list of specials for the evening. We also decided to go ahead and order an appetizer to enjoy while we waited. We had the Appalachian Egg Rolls ($7 for two good-sized rolls) which were crispy, flavorful and delicious. They were filled with slow roasted pork and collard greens, and were served with two sauces - spicy mustard and sweet garlic. All came out quickly and we were just finishing them up when we were told our table was ready - maybe a 20 minute wait. Not bad for a busy night.

For entrees, I chose the Surf and Turf ($26) off of the specials menu, which came with a small beef tenderloin filet, a nice piece of halibut and two sides. For the sides, I decided on the cheese grits (which I LOVE there) and the molasses sweet potatoes. Fat Kat ordered the 5 oz Heart of Ribeye steak off of their regular menu ($19.75). They also offer a larger 10 oz size for $26.75. He chose the sugar snap peas and carrots and the garlic mashed potatoes for his sides. The rest of their regular menu offers many Southern Highland influenced dishes including pastas and grits, wild game and more traditional meats, and a nice variety of fish. Prices for regular portion entrees range from $17.00 to $26.75 (for the aforementioned 10 oz ribeye). Smaller portions of several dishes are offered at a reduced price, typically at about $4.00 off of the regular price. Each entree is listed with a suggested wine and beer pairing. Their menu changes seasonally, but has a several favorites that are always on it.

Their wonderful warm and hearty bread came out immediately and was served with butter. We both love their bread and polished off our basket while waiting for our entrees. Despite the busy night, the entrees came out quickly. There were two errors during the evening. The minor one was that my entree came with the sugar peas and carrots instead of the molasses sweet potatoes; but I like those too, so I didn't bother to send it back. Now, if those cheese grits hadn't shown up, there would've been hell to pay!! I'm not a southern girl, so don't know how grits are "supposed to be", but all I know is that I love theirs. The other, more serious error, was that my filet came out cooked a tad more than medium-rare. But, I let that slide too since it was a busy night and I was ready to eat. If the filet was not quite up to par, the halibut more than made up for it. It was fantastic. Buttery, moist, and flaky - perfect. And, I was in my cheese grits coma and thoroughly enjoyed my sugar snap pea error. I tried a bite of Fat Kat's ribeye and it was done perfectly and delicious. I also scored a few bites of the garlic potatoes which were great.

Normally, we get dessert at Blackwater Grille, but we had a huge cake waiting at home, so opted out of dessert this time. BUT, they do have a great collection of desserts, my favorite being the warm Oatmeal Pie, which is served with pastry, caramel sauce, and vanilla ice cream. It also comes in two sizes - yes, I get the LARGE and I don't share well. :-) It is a dessert not for everyone as it has an unusual texture with the oat texture being similar to what you'd find in an oatmeal cookie. But, mixed with the pastry, gooey sauce, and ice cream - it's just, well, really, really good! They usually also offer a changing flavor of bread pudding, a warm brownie with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream, some version of fruit cobbler and a few other choices. They also now offer the Tasting Sampler, which I have suggested to restaurants for years. For $8, you can choose smaller portions of three different desserts. A perfect thing when you can't decide! And although we didn't order dessert, we received two complementary delicious chocolate truffles to finish off the evening - a special treat for the Valentine's Day crowd.

We withheld one fork simply because of the occasional misstep with the food and the parking lot view. But, otherwise, our meals and service have been wonderful. That, combined with a pleasing atmosphere, an interesting menu and reasonable prices all add up to a great "date night" out. We have taken many friends and family there and they always request to go back on their subsequent visits.

Blackwater Grille has recently started "Monday Wine Splash" where they offer free splashes of wine all evening while you enjoy your dinner. This sounds like a great way to try some different wines, all while enjoying great food.