If the new tri-level Jack’s La Jolla were in full operation when I visited last week, I would’ve needed to medically induce my appetite and request a few extra pages to convey my indulgences.

By mid-January, two additional floors inside this Epicurean palace will spring into action with fine dining on the second floor and an “ocean view room” boasting a cocktail and oyster bar on the top of that. The finished scheme is due to rival in scope the culinary offerings seen in many single-structure restaurants around San Diego.

For now, Jack’s Grille and Wine Bar Lounge on the first floor serves as a splendid teaser, an airy space that was once the atrium to balcony offices that rose above it. A stylish bar and trendy wine lounge set the tone, along with a smartly arranged dining area that lends a feeling of being outdoors. Bisecting the circle of banquette seating is a fire pit and an elongated glass dining table illuminated by a narrow lane of water trickling beneath it – a reflecting pool of sorts that catches everyone’s eye as they walk in.

The bill of fare appears more casual than it tastes – salads, paninis, pizzas and pasta dishes, plus a smattering of sashimi, skewers and the like. By the time I sunk my teeth into an appetizer of lemony Japanese Snapper glistening in yuzu and olive oil, I realized this isn’t the hackneyed food we’ve all come to know at grill joints.

Chef and co-owner Tony DiSalvo exposes us to a world-class dining experience, having worked in the kitchens of New York’s Gramercy Tavern and the renowned Jeans-Georges in Trump Tower. His culinary style is distinctive, as he implants into his dishes tangy undertones achieved through citrus and vinegars where you least expect them. And his approach to fusion cooking pulls together Asian, Mediterranean and American flavors that skirt broadly across the menu rather than jangling any single dish.

The pickled mango accompanying an order of accurately crisped Thai Fried Chicken Wings, for instance, was a sensational accompaniment to the mildly spiced wings. And of the potato salad that partnered up to my ham and Fontina cheese panini, DiSalvo tosses the spuds in crème fresh, tarragon and a discernable dose of lemon juice. It’s a heck of a lot zippier than any potato salad our mothers ever made.

An appetizer of raw wild salmon spoke volumes for DiSalvo’s adherence to using market-fresh ingredients. The fish tasted pure and clean without competing with the horseradish and dill enhancements. No less superb was a salad of fresh mozzarella, black mission figs, lean proscuitto and basil. Who needs those Cobbs or Caesars at other grills when you can have this?

Though simplicity is key in DiSalvo’s tryst with a casual menu, there are plenty of gourmet underpinnings to keep it lively – a precursor for what’s to come when the second-floor opens to the fine-dining set.

From the Panini & Sandwiches section you’ll find an Angus burger with shiitake mushrooms and sweet onions, a chicken panini with roasted tomato, arugula and Asiago cheese and a grilled tuna sandwich swooped up with capers, niçoise olives and aioli. The ham and Fontina panini I shared with my dinner companion revealed nice thin slices of imported Italian ham and a judicial amount of the rich, buttery cheese. The bread was flawlessly toasted with every ridge evenly golden.

DiSalvo’s custom-made pizzas present some tough choices, too. One of the pies brings together potatoes, goat cheese and sweet onions; another shrimp, artichokes and basil pesto. Sized to share, we chose one topped with roasted eggplant, sweet sausage and Asiago that captured the rustic flavors of southern Italy, which are also represented in a few of the pasta dishes.

For dessert we forked through a chunk of carrot cake that was like no other. It was presented with an artsy skid mark of carrot puree on the plate. The cake was speckled with pineapple, and the caramel sauce underneath hid a faint tartness that jived wonderfully with the sugary puddle.

Jack’s La Jolla is the brainchild of local entrepreneur Bill Berkley, whose operation will surely become the new culinary beacon for downtown La Jolla. The property also includes a sidewalk café with covered seating and a street-level coffee bar. From a design, wine and dining standpoint, Berkley and DiSalvo cover all bases.