Courtesy photo The crispy skin-on Pacific salmon at Seagrass Restaurant in Santa Barbara is served with saffron and salsify Israeli couscous, gingered carrot julienne and beurre noisette.

You can't quite sniff the sea, but the new Seagrass restaurant in Santa Barbara does its best to remind diners that the ocean is just a few blocks away. With a primarily local seafood menu, "seagrass" wall coverings, an artistic "seagrass" arrangement by one window table and servers wearing serene aquamarine shirts, the restaurant whispers with a sea siren's allure.

Attention to detail should come as no surprise to those familiar with Seagrass' sibling, bouchon of Santa Barbara, an established upscale restaurant with wine-country leanings. It shares the same proprietor, Mitchell Sjerven, and chef, the young but exceptionally talented Josh Brown.

Brown graduated in 2000 from Santa Barbara City College's respected culinary program and soon went to work at bouchon, where he was promoted quickly to sous-chef, then put in charge of running the kitchen.

Seagrass swept in at the end of 2007 to the space on Ortega Street formerly occupied by Sage & Onion. Seagrass looks larger than its predecessor, partly because a small bar was removed to leave room for tables that can seat groups seeking a quieter, more private atmosphere. It's adjacent to a city parking structure, so you can park and walk around the corner to dine.

Seagrass' goal is to serve local seafood purchased from the Santa Barbara Fish Market, other fish and shellfish from sustainable fisheries, and produce from the farmers market. Wine selections are distinctive and chosen to complement fish and the restaurant's other dishes, which are seasonal; the March menu included chicken, veal and filet mignon.

First courses looked so appealing that it was difficult to narrow it down to two. It was hard to resist the Dungeness crab salad, scallop chowder, and crispy salt and pepper calamari, but I was drawn to the seared giant sea scallops. You can choose from three preparations at $11 per scallop, or select all three as an entree for $30. I chose the one-scallop appetizer with coconut black rice, green curry and spiced apricot chutney. The scallop, not "giant" but still substantial, was tender, juicy and perfectly seared, set in gently flavored rice redolent of coconut. The spiced apricot chutney provided a tangy accent.

A "giant" Australian prawn ($15), dominant on its plate of roasted squash puree, sage brown butter, organic mache salad and crispy prosciutto, had fine flavor, though it was cooked a bit beyond tender.

The citrus-glazed ahi tuna (from the Four Fresh Fish segment of the menu, all $28) was ambrosia. Large and plentiful slices of the exquisite tuna sat side by side with yam "batons" — rectangular cuts of the sweet vegetable — sweet corn-miso puree and buttery baby bok choy. A gremolata garnish, with its piquant garlic-parsley-lemon zest combination, added another layer of flavor.

My friend's lobster medallions ($32) came in a generous portion, with large chunks of lobster surrounded by a succotash of butternut squash, fava beans, leek and applewood-smoked bacon. It was a hearty, flavorful dish.

A Meyer lemon curd tart with whipped berry cream ($9) proved a heavenly end to our dinner.

Seagrass has an adventurous list of wines by the bottle and a smartly selected group of wines by the glass. We sampled the latter, beginning with 2006 Longoria Albarino and 2007 Peter Bruce sauvignon blanc, then added a 2006 Alma Rosa chardonnay and a lively glass of 2004 Terre Rouge Tete a Tete syrah, Sierra Foothills, a basic but pleasant blend of Rhone varietals: 58 percent mouvedre, 25 percent grenache and 17 percent syrah. Although Central Coast wines are front and center, wines are available from around the world.

The menu at Seagrass tends toward the pricey, but the restaurant doesn't stint on quality. The Seagrass experience is serene and satisfying, and for fans of fresh seafood, a happy discovery.

— Rita Moran visits restaurants unannounced and pays for her meals. If you know of a new, unusual or just plain good restaurant, please contact her at ritamoran@earthlink.net.