Don’t let this fish get away. Whether you call the beach home for a week or a lifetime, you’ll want to catch the new Red Marlin restaurant’s vacation vibe and flavorful fare.
Launched in late January, Red Marlin benefited from the $65 million renovation of the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina, formerly known as the Hyatt Regency Islandia, at 1441 Quivira Road.
The redesign capitalized on what are arguably the restaurant’s best features, its bayfront location and harbor views. Now the restaurant can make the most of its rooms with a view, accommodating up to 311 guests. With a variety of casual to more elegant seating options within the same restaurant, any diner drifting by will be hooked. Patrons can choose from open-air terrace, indoor and outdoor bars, a see-and-be-seen communal chef’s table with a built-in fire pit near the wine wall, more upscale indoor dining or two private party rooms for business or pleasure.
“We’ve got this amazing location right on the harbor, and we want guests to be able to enjoy the view from wherever they’re seated,” said Alexander Willow, director of sales and marketing.
When it comes to Danny Bannister, chef de cuisine, he plans for guests to find the food as captivating as the view. “This is beautiful food that we present simply, with an emphasis on sustainable, organic ingredients,” he said.
Bannister is quite a catch for Red Marlin. He could be called “the one that got away” from several well-known San Diego restaurants, including Laurel, 3rd Corner, Island Prime and Pamplemousse Grille. Now that he has taken the helm at Red Marlin, he is excited about setting its course.
“I have a lot of creative control and a lot of ideas, so I want to keep our guests coming back to try something new,” he said.
Bannister received his formal training at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, where he studied and worked with Jacques Pepin, Alain Sailhac and Andre Soltner. But he returned to his roots in Southern California, creating a menu of California modern cuisine based on locally grown produce and environmentally responsible ingredients. According to the chef, these flavors are “pure, simple and health-conscious.”
For salad and starters, Bannister recommended the roasted beets and Humboldt fog goat cheeses, with candied walnuts and balsamic reduction. He also suggested the homemade blue crab cake with preserved lemon aioli and micro green salad.
Bannister doesn’t have to fish around when it comes to flavor combinations. For fish and seafood lovers who tire of their entrée being accompanied by rice, the chef complements his smoked salt and chili dusted scallops with a fava bean and edemame mash. The seared Ahi tuna catches the flavor of Asian slaw, spicy aioli and ponzu dressing. He garnishes the jumbo grilled asparagus with truffle oil himself to make sure the amount is just right.
In addition to surf, turf can be the catch of the day. Bannister said he was especially pleased with the tenderness and flavor of his Kurobuta pork chop with sautéed apples and baby potatoes with smoked bacon. Guests hooked on steak can choose from the 100 percent natural corn-fed 20 oz. boneless ribeye for two or a grilled filet mignon with sweet potato mash.
All hands come on deck for dessert, from Fuji apple and mixed berry cobbler to a cheese platter served with dried fruit and toasted fig bread.
The bar features smaller bites with an Asian flair, including seared tuna tataki, fresh steamed giant prawns, vegetable spring rolls with tofu and Shitake mushrooms and peanut sauce.
In his free time, Bannister doesn’t stray far from the kitchen. He, like many people who love food, is hooked on cooking channels. He also actively supports and participates in Chef Celebration Foundation of San Diego, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to young chefs. Every October, the group sponsors a series of dinners with each course created by a different chef, with proceeds benefiting the scholarship program.
Meanwhile, Bannister and the Red Marlin will keep attracting locals and guests with their menu. Kim Laramie, a San Diego native, had not been to the Hyatt for years until she recently stepped aboard Red Marlin. “I wouldn’t have recognized it, except for the harbor,” she said. “Everything I had was beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious. Even though it’s a Tuesday and I worked today, I feel like I’m on vacation.” Sounds like Red Marlin has hooked another one.
Red Marlin is open daily for breakfast from 6:30 to 11:30 a.m. during the week and on weekends, 6:30 a.m. to noon. Lunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the week and noon to 3 p.m. weekends. Dinner is served from 5 to 10 p.m. daily.
The bar is open from 11 a.m. to midnight, and with an extra hour on Sundays, 10 a.m. to midnight.
For more information, call (619) 224-1234 or visit www.missionbay.hyatt.com.