Red Marlin Restaurant

A profile on The Main Dish

With San Diego’s warm July days and cool evenings, dining alfresco is a summer delight. Red Marlin Restaurant, Bar and Terrace, located at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina, makes summer dining even more enjoyable thanks to its harbor and bay views and resort surroundings.

While it may be on the property of a hotel, Red Marlin has been working hard to establish itself as an entity all its own since its April opening, catering to hotel guests and locals alike. Chef de cuisine Danny Bannister, in his first head-chef role, focused on fresh, seasonal ingredients to create his menu, which relies heavily on fresh seafood and Asian-inspired spices.

Highlights include the sautéed mussels appetizer, prepared in a uniquely flavored, subtly spicy yellow curry sauce for an interesting take on a shellfish staple, and the homemade blue crab cakes with a preserved lemon aioli, which perfectly blend the richness of the crab meat with the lightness of summer.

Bannister’s favorite entrée item, the Kurobuta pork chop served with sautéed apples and baby potatoes with smoked bacon, is an extremely hearty, thick-cut chop that evokes comfort on a plate. Other popular main dishes include the seared ahi tuna, a gorgeous, meaty piece of fish served with Asian slaw, spicy aioli and ponzu dressing; the smoked salt and chili-dusted scallops, deliciously seasoned and served creatively with a fava bean and edamame mash—a dead ringer for guacamole in appearance, but a surprisingly tasty standalone side dish; and the miso-marinated sea bass.

While Red Marlin’s menu does offer a few beef dishes, including a tempting and tender grilled filet mignon with garlic red onion jam and sweet potato mash, and a 20-ounce boneless rib eye for two served in a pan with roasted root vegetables and heirloom marble potatoes, a recent surf-and-turf special that included a grilled New York sirloin, peppered shrimp and bleu cheese mashed potatoes was not a menu highlight. With the restaurant’s proximity to the water and fish-friendly moniker, it may be best to stick to the abundant, fresh and always-inspired seafood selections.

Red Marlin is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 1441 Quivira Way, 619-221-4868; www.redmarlinrestaurant.com.

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