Ocean Blue, with a menu inspired by the islands be it Hawaii or Manhattan, is now open! Located in the Cascades Overlook in Loudoun County. Operating Partner John Kushner, who began his restaurant work as a teenager working for Chef Patrick O’Connell at The Inn at Little Washington and who forged a career working with Bobby Flay in New York and Las Vegas, has returned to his Northern Virginia roots to fulfill a dream of creating an Island-themed restaurant. The 4,866 square-foot restaurant is situated in the Cascades Overlook part of a horseshoe shaped plaza filled with restaurants and retail.
My husband and I had the pleasure of visiting Ocean Blue and we loved the total experience. First off, it is a visually stunning restaurant. There are two towering 3,000-gallon ocean reef aquariums encircled by a 150-foot water canal with more than fifty skiff boats that carry selections of sushi and sashimi directly into the dining room. The lighting fixtures, the colors and decor, all make for a beautiful upscale island theme!
Now for the food… The sushi, Regatta Style, were not only plated perfectly, they were delicious. I stuck with the familiar California Roll (it is a favorite of mine!). They have a fantastic selection of fresh sushi.
For our main course, I ordered the Surf N Turf. My steak was cooked perfectly, fries were golden crispy delights, and the shrimp were huge. I was very satisfied with my meal and ate every bite of it.
My husband enjoyed the Hanger Steak with mashed potatoes. Again, steak perfectly cooked. The potatoes were creamy and flavorful. Nothing left on his plate either 🙂
Last, but certainly not least, we enjoyed the Crispy Banana with chocolate sauce… fried chocolate goondness, so scrumptious!
Although we only enjoyed a few things from the menu, everything coming out of the kitchen not only looked beautiful, but we heard the guests singing the praises of their meals as well.
Don’t forget the kids! Kids are welcome and they have their own fun menu to choose from. In addition to kid friendly choices and island inspired foods, you can earn a really cool prize! Complete the quiz on the back of the kids menu and turn it in for an island necklace! How cool is that?
Fun facts about Ocean Blue’s amazing aquariums:
The two aquariums are being maintained by marine biologist James Karanikas. Beginning in September, Karanikas will conduct Ocean Blue informational field trips for area elementary schools.
The aquariums currently have a total of 150 fish and invertebrates with approximately 50 different types in each aquarium.
A majority of the fish are either captive bred or raised in captivity from a small size.
There are 3 different species of clownfish in each aquarium. There are 5 different species of starfish. There are several types of marine angelfish in adult and juvenile coloration.
The aquariums and filter system combined hold approximately 1500 gallons each. Empty of water, the aquariums weigh 2600 lb. and have acrylic sheets that are over 2″ thick.
The water in each aquarium weighs over 11,000 pounds for a total of more than 13,000 pounds for each aquarium
The coral reef in the aquarium was manufactured by Andy Post of Ocean Aquaria His coral is featured in the National Aquarium’s “Black Tip Reef” aquarium exhibit in Baltimore, Md.
Ocean Blue is great for date night or for the family. Be sure to visit them at the Cascades Overlook in Loudoun County for a fabulous meal!
A special thanks to Ocean Blue for inviting me out for a complimentary meal. All opinions are 100% my own.
