Deepwater Seafood (CT)

Article by Stavros

The Farmington Valley’s own freshest seafood spot is perfect for a quick sit-down or take-away lunch during a busy work day. Located right on route 44 in Avon, Connecticut, next to the William Raveis realtor’s office, Deepwater Seafood is easy to access by hopping on and off the busy Main street that runs through the heart of Avon. Coming up to the restaurant your eyes catch the brightly colored wrought iron tables on the covered porch and a lobster hanging on the soffit. As you enter the store your senses are overtaken by the delicious smell of the freshly prepared seafood dishes and your eyes get drawn to the waitress’ hands as she passes by you with a basket of crispy clam strips and a fried fish sandwich.

Then comes the awe of all the prepared dishes neatly stacked in the double door refrigerators ready to be enjoyed immediately. Top to bottom the shelves of the fridges are filled with lobster salad, seafood salad, tuna salad, and black bean salad. Then there are the unique but just as delicious options like the cedar plank salmon salad, smoked whitefish salad, and seaweed salad. Next are the jumbo shrimp cocktail which sit right next to the sesame crusted ahi tuna and the smoked salmon. The bottom shelf of the main fridge contains full meals like shrimp scampi, linguini in clam sauce, and lobster asparagus pasta. Now don’t forget, these are just the prepared meals.

On the other side of the restaurant, next to the register is the big glass display case which features massive cuts of Arctic Char, Atlantic Cod, whole Rainbow Trout, Chilean sea bass the size of a small park bench, both Atlantic and Pacific salmon and of course meaty tuna steaks. On the top shelf of the display case, you can order ready to cook crab cakes, soft shell crab, and jumbo shrimp. Behind the counter are the ever-friendly staff waiting to take your order for either fresh seafood to go or a sit-down meal.

I visited Deepwater Seafood with high expectations after seeing so many pictures of their food online and I left the restaurant very satisfied and happy with my meals. My lunch of choice included a jumbo shrimp cocktail as a starter, the fried oyster Po’boy, and the fried calamari platter. All three dishes were served with a refreshing wedge of lemon which always pairs so well with any fresh seafood.

The shrimp were very meaty and sweet and dunked perfectly in the tangy cocktail sauce. Deepwater Seafood knocked the Po’boy out of the park. The plump fried oysters were served on a crunchy French bread that had a light tangy spread, a crisp leaf of lettuce, and juicy tomato. Every bite was just delectable which made it impossible for me to put the sandwich down.

Next, was the big basket of fried calamari that literally fell apart in my mouth because it was so tender. The basket had both rings and tentacles which I greatly appreciated because I think the tentacles are just as delicious. The tartar sauce was light and accented the calamari well and the coleslaw was refreshing for a summer day. I paired the meal with a Nantucket Nectars Squeezed Lemonade to complement the perfect summer seafood lunch.

Recommendation: Any of the fresh seafood from the display case is highly recommended because it’s perfect for grilling or cooking at home. The prepared meals in the refrigerators also look too good to pass up. On my next visit to Deepwater I will indulge in one of the many seafood salads and order a fresh piece of seafood. I also could not be happier with the lunch I had at the restaurant and I am eager to try more items on their menu.

Perhaps the best part of visiting is knowing that the store covers all the bases very well between the seafood counter, the ready-made meals, and the sit-down restaurant. My recommendation, visit and try everything that draws your eye.