Por Frank Sabatini Jr.

Shortly after hotel developer Doug Manchester opened his high-profile Manchester Grand Hyatt on Downtown’s waterfront in 1992, he added to the property Sally’s Seafood on the Water, named after one of his daughters.

The sleekly designed indoor-outdoor restaurant triggered a wave of similar establishments within the urban core that began focusing exclusively on classic and contemporary oceanic fare.

Now, at more than two decades old, and with formidable competitors operating a stone’s throw away — The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Water Grill, and the soon-to-reopen Top of the Market (in late September) — big changes are underway.

Sally’s is slated for a complete renovation by Host Hotels & Resorts, which acquired the twin-tower hotel nearly two years ago before upgrading its guest rooms and event spaces. Near completion is a refresh to Top of the Hyatt, the 40th floor lounge due to reopen Sept. 23.

Though in preparation for a potential two-month remodel and shutdown to Sally’s, which begins Nov. 30, the company has brought onboard Chef de Cuisine Jay Payne, a San Diego native and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. His introductory menu, partially in place during our visit, will ultimately correspond to a stylish makeover that does away with the ’90s feel of polished wood and brass accents.

“We’ll be using a lot of natural elements seen in hipster restaurants like Ironside Fish & Oyster,” said marketing manager Hanna Bankston, adding that the patio will double in size and an interior wall will be replaced by glass. “It will look completely different.”

In the lead-up, diners can partake in a revised selection of sushi rolls, which Payne mastered as executive chef of Café Japengo in La Jolla.

The “half & half” is a citrusy construct stuffed with snow crab, avocado and cucumber. Served in a light puddle of yuzu sauce, the roll graduates in color from pale pink to soft-orange because its outer layer starts with fresh yellow tail before verging into succulent salmon. Thinly sliced lemons and limes in the scheme factored perfectly.

Blue fin is about to land in the volcanic roll accented by habanero pepper, lime and spicy mayo, while a growing number of species appears within the sashimi category: mackerel, freshwater eel, red snapper and albacore.

Payne is keeping the king crab salad, but using different seasonal melons to complement it, as well as citrus-infused ricotta cheese harboring an unnecessary hint of sugar. The salad was otherwise everything we wanted on this humid afternoon, offering supreme flavor pairings such as sweet cherry tomatoes with watermelon, fresh tarragon with the crab, honeydew melon with the ricotta, and lemon-herb dressing providing dash to all of the ingredients.

We proceeded to chicken spring rolls in delicate wonton casings, and jazzed up with shiitake mushrooms and peanuts. Their hoisin dipping sauce, we were told, will soon be replaced with cilantro aioli.

A mound of rock shrimp in tempura followed. Payne dredges the shrimp in coconut milk, which was lost in translation. But in terms of fried seafood, the crustaceans were tenderly cooked and plentiful. Their saccharine touch stemmed mainly from the sweet-and-sour aioli on the plate.

My companion opted for the “simply grilled” catch of the day, a generous fillet of Hawaiian snapper cut on the bias and smeared with lemon-basil pesto. The thicker, bottom portion of the fish was expectedly flakier, although both pieces offered a fresh, buttery flavor. And the bedding of par-cooked baby veggies — squash, carrots, artichokes and tomatoes — tasted garden-fresh.

A similar riot of produce was incorporated into my choice of roasted garlic and chive pappardelle pasta, a meatless and lunch-friendly dish crowned with fried fennel rings and laced with excellent romesco sauce.

Sporting the classic rosy hue from roasted red bell peppers, Payne swaps out the traditional, Spanish use of pureed almonds in the sauce for pine nuts. The difference was subtle, yet noticeably earthier.

Other newcomers to the menu feature progressive Asian dishes such as togarashi seared ahi with pickled red onions, edamame and spicy kimchi sauce; and seared diver scallops with curried rice noodles, oyster mushrooms and misoyaki (charred) carrots.

Payne said he has revised 20 percent of the lunch menu and 40 percent of the dinner menu.

Also newly introduced is Sally’s “fish from the dock” program, which affords diners the opportunity to buy whole, finned species on Saturdays from the nearby Tuna Harbor Fish Market and have them cooked any which way at the restaurant that same evening. Priced at $2 per ounce, the family-style meals include a choice of two sauces and two sides.

With a firm cocktail program in place and a wine list spotlighting reliable Napa labels such as Frank Family and Duckhorn, the restaurant is just inches away from entering the new century in an approachable style that modern-day consumers have come to demand. And that advantageously includes three hours of free, indoor parking with validation.

—Frank Sabatini Jr. es el autor de “Secret San Diego” (ECW Press), y comenzó su carrera como escritor local hace más de dos décadas como miembro del personal del antiguo San Diego Tribune. Puedes localizarlo en [email protected].