Anywhere in America, a seafood restaurant that has survived for thirty years is quietly remarkable. Living in Arizona, which is landlocked, baked in the desert, and hundreds of miles from the closest coastline, seems like either a stubborn act of faith or proof that something truly remarkable is taking place on those plates. Most likely both. Founded in 1996 by partners Jim Ulcickas and Rick Staunton in Newport Beach, Bluewater Grill is a seafood institution that has spent thirty years demonstrating that passion for what comes from the ocean is more important than being close to it.
The two founders’ first cookbook, Flavors from the Shore: Nostalgic Seafood Recipes from Our Coasts & Waterways, was published by Skyhorse Publishing and distributed by Simon & Schuster to commemorate the anniversary. It reads more like something the two men truly needed to write than a restaurant cash-in when it first appeared on shelves on April 28. This distinction is more important than it might seem.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Restaurant Name | Bluewater Grill |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founders | Jimmy Ulcickas & Richard Staunton |
| Headquarters | Newport Beach, California |
| Total Locations | 8 (7 in California, 1 in Phoenix, Arizona) |
| Cookbook Title | Flavors from the Shore: Nostalgic Seafood Recipes from Our Coasts & Waterways |
| Publisher | Skyhorse Publishing (distributed by Simon & Schuster) |
| Release Date | April 28, 2026 |
| Total Recipes | 100 |
| Book Pages | 352 |
| Available At | Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Bluewater Grill restaurants |
| Anniversary | 30th year in business (2026) |
Ulcickas said it plainly himself: “We’ve been fortunate to be able to share our love for fish and the sea with our Bluewater Grill customers for 30 years — so this book is our thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey.” When it comes from a PR department, that kind of statement can seem staged. It lands differently coming from someone who co-built eight sustainable seafood restaurants from a single location in Newport Beach.
The 100 recipes in the 352-page book are organized geographically, which gives the entire thing the feel of a road trip rather than a recipe index. From the shores of California, you travel through the Pacific Northwest, across lakes in the Midwest, to the Southern Gulf, and finally to Australia and beyond. Foods like Maryland-Style Crab Cakes, Garlic Butter Australian Tiger Prawns, and Blackened Pacific Swordfish are served with drink pairings and anecdotes. The format may be effective because it reflects Ulcickas and Staunton’s long-standing perspective of seafood as a location rather than a product.
The Bluewater Grill Phoenix location has long carried an intriguing cultural weight for Arizona in particular. In a desert city, obtaining fresh, high-quality seafood necessitates having faith in the sourcing, the kitchen, and the staff. Over years of consistent quality, the restaurant has gradually gained that trust, dish by dish. In a sense, the cookbook is a continuation of that same discussion: this is what we know, this is where it comes from, and this is how you do it at home.
It’s difficult to ignore the fact that the book comes out at a time when restaurant culture and home cooking seem to be more entwined than ever. On a Tuesday night in Phoenix, people want to know what they’re eating, where it came from, and how to make something they love without taking a plane to Maine. Flavors from the Shore appear to be designed specifically to satisfy that craving. It’s unclear if it will find a wider audience than the current Bluewater devotees, but the recipes seem authentic and the foundations are sound.
Australia native Staunton offers a unique viewpoint on seafood that goes far beyond American beaches. The later chapters of the book demonstrate this global instinct. Thirty years later, the entire endeavor—two fishermen, one restaurant, and a cookbook that encapsulates everything without seeming overly ambitious—remains somewhat remarkable. It’s not as common as it seems.
