Growing up in San Diego, years of hard work at his parents’ popular coffee shop, Harry’s in La Jolla, helped 35-year-old John Rudolph acquire the necessary know-how to open a restaurant of his own. The newly opened Newport Yacht Club is located at 5060 Newport Ave. in Ocean Beach, below Ace Tattoo, filling the space left by the Mexican restaurant El Rodeo. Newly remodeled, with new equipment and under new ownership, the Newport Yacht Club opens daily from 11 a.m, to 9 p.m. The menu offers a variety of fresh-grilled fish and seafood items, fish tacos and sandwiches, tortas and fresh salads. The restaurants’ unique specialty is cioppino soup, a mix of fresh fish (salmon, mahi-mahi, halibut and other seafood) and fresh vegetables in a hearty tomato-base broth. “We try to have a different fresh-fish-selection available every day,” said Rudolph. “We let the customer choose the type of fish and the flavor of fish marinade before we grill the fish to their liking.” To stay with the healthy trend, none of the fish is fried. “We serve fresh, healthy food,” said Rudolph. Prices range between $4.50 and $10 per dish. Rudolph said he noticed that the majority of restaurants on Newport Avenue tend to cater to a clientele of 21 and over. “The Newport Yacht Club welcomes families with children and has no age limit,” he said. Also dog friendly, the sunny, non-smoking patio sports solid wooden benches, seats and tables; two big orange umbrellas provide plenty of shade. The wooden nautical-themed indoor seating area reminds of a boat interior, featuring portholes in the walls and a big panoramic window overlooking Newport Avenue. “It’s [the interior] all made of redwood — and the portholes are there to allow our customers a glance into the kitchen,” Rudolph said. Kat Dillenback, one of the managers, agrees. “It’s perfect for kids, they just love to peek through them [the portholes]. Kids always want to know what’s going on everywhere,” Dillenback said. After two years of looking for the perfect spot, Rudolph said he now feels confident and comfortable with the location of his restaurant. “When this spot became available, I immediately jumped on it,” he said. Rudolph said he wants his restaurant to look and feel completely different from El Rodeo. “I’d like for my guests to know that this place is totally different — different menu, different atmosphere, different dining experience,” he said. Rudolph said he is also planning to cater to the late-night crowd in the near future. “We’re looking to stay open until 2:30 a.m, Thursdays through Saturdays.” A grand-opening party at the Newport Yacht Club is scheduled for April.