Blue Marlin Restaurant - Bradenton Beach, FL
A restaurant review of the Blue Marlin Restaurant in Bradenton Beach, FL
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| Blue Marlin Restaurant - Bradenton Beach, FL |
Just days after our last storm, snow is in the local forecast again. The accumulations aren't supposed to be significant, only about 2-4 inches, but it looks like the morning commute might be on the messy side. To give myself a break from thinking about bundling up in layers and trying to prevent my feet from going numb, I've decided to share my review of one of the restaurants that Stephen and I went to while on vacation in Florida back in September -- the Blue Marlin Restaurant in Bradenton Beach.
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| Steamed Edamame - Blue Marlin Restaurant - Bradenton Beach, FL |
Even though we showed up during the dinner rush without a reservation, the restaurant was able to seat us at a quaint and romantically-lit table within minutes of our arrival. To tide us over while we looked over the menu, we snacked on the complimentary Steamed Edamame with Seasoned Salt. Stephen and I both love edamame, so those were gone in no time.
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| Southern Scallops - Blue Marlin Restaurant - Bradenton Beach, FL |
It didn't take long for us to decide to share the Southern Scallops appetizer ($15). A play on the concept of "surf and turf," these pan-seared scallops are served over a pile of slow-smoked pulled pork flavored with house-made barbecue sauce and topped with dollops of sweet onion jam.
In short, this dish was amazing! We didn't really know what to expect since the combination of scallops and pork isn't one that Stephen and I encounter too often, but the more we thought about it, the more it just made sense. Especially given the fact that people pair scallops with bacon all the time. Why wouldn't another part of the pig taste good with scallops?
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| Blackened Fish Alfredo - Blue Marlin Restaurant - Bradenton Beach, FL |
As for our entrees, I ordered the Blackened Fish Alfredo ($25). A heaping bowl of linguine is tossed with lusciously silky house-made Alfredo sauce and then topped with fresh cuts of local blackened fish and a spoonful of basil pesto. I can't praise this dish enough -- the pasta was perfectly al dente, the Alfredo sauce was rich without being heavy, and the addition of the blackened fish really helped balance all of the flavors even though I thought it would overpower everything else. I forced myself to eat more than I probably should have just so I could eat as much of the sauce as possible.
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| Thai Snapper - Blue Marlin Restaurant - Bradenton Beach, FL |
Stephen ordered the very last Thai Snapper ($25) in the kitchen. A generous piece of snapper is lightly breaded and pan-fried before being covered with a sweet citrus habanero sauce and served with an oriental vegetable "noodle" salad. Stephen offered me a bite of fish, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the sauce wasn't as spicy as I expected it to be. Sure, the heat from the habanero was there, but it was in the background, accentuating the sauce's sweeter notes. Another great choice!
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| Blue Marlin Restaurant - Bradenton Beach, FL |
In fact, we had such a good meal, Stephen actually let me take his picture afterwards. I'm one lucky lady to have him as a dinner date!
I have a feeling that we'll be back to the Blue Marlin Restaurant the next time we're in the Bradenton area. And we'll definitely be starting with the Southern Scallops... though, next time, we'll order a plate for each of us. ;-)
Blue Marlin Restaurant
121 Bridge Street
Bradenton Beach, FL 34217
(941) 896-9737 | Map
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