The sort-of-new Jsix restaurant in the Hotel Solamar tastes brand new again with the arrival of Executive Chef Christian Graves, who hails from San Francisco’s highly rated Farallon restaurant and replaces the equally talented Deborah Schneider. In what still remains a study in stunning interior design, Graves has completely transformed the menu with “boat-to-pan” seafood selections, organic and grass-fed meats and crafty spreads that make love to oven-baked breads and homemade potato chips.

The food theme is “coastal cuisine,” perhaps not so radically different from what Schneider implemented, except that Graves takes a more artisan “slow food” approach to his dishes, lopping off filets from whole fish, cold-smoking salmon in-house and tenderly roasting items such as Angus Short Ribs until the meat could fall apart from a sneeze. Those ribs, by the way, along with the accompaniment of ricotta-mashed potatoes have left me dreaming for more.

Graves’ also caters to various sizes of groups, offering “small plates,” “large plates” and “shared bites.” From the latter, my party of four nibbled from an item called Simply Raw – an elongated, sparkling arrangement of tuna, hamachi, scallops and halibut residing in various small puddles of ginger vinaigrette, crème fresh, lemon olive oil and orange pesto (my favorite in the lineup.) Perhaps it was the super-pure quality of the fish or the alchemy of oils and sauces Graves drizzles upon the raw seafood, but the dish even won the approval from a person in my group who at first kept his fork away while declaring, “I’m not into that.”

From the same menu category we also sampled the Chips & Dips, a casual come-on to cocktails and wine when three or four people are gathered. The dips are hummus in its classic form, a savory roasted pepper puree and a smooth onion dip that wasn’t too pungent. The tools for dipping are all homemade – grilled breads and fennel-coriander water crackers along with Yukon potato chips we had leftover from the Simply Raw presentation. Those were as light as helium, delicately crisp and expectedly addicting.

The more dramatic option under “shared bites” is a Chilled Shellfish Platter, which seems like a steal for $75. It comes with crab, prawns, cockles, mussels, two types of oysters and a one-and-a-half pound lobster.

Kumquats and cucumber were perfect embellishments to the House Smoked Salmon, a “small plates” starter that tasted particularly striking when the ingredients hit my mouth in unison. Other choices on that list include Citrus Cured Lobster Salad, Black Pepper Scallop Ceviche, Steamed Manila Clams with spicy pork sausage and Sweet Pea Ravioli. Compared to my last visit a year ago, the menu tilts joyfully toward the sea and reels in only whole fish from which Graves filets upon ordering.

The Grilled Hawaiian Ahi, for example, was thick, fleshy and ultra-fresh, and cooked to a white opaque color – a nice change from the omnipresent seared preparations all over town. Artichokes and bits of smoked bacon matched up well to the fish, and the red wine gastrique was used sparingly enough so as to not overwhelm the fine combination of flavors.

Another in our group vouched for the Angus Filet Mignon after it was sent back for a reheat. Once sizzling hot, the dish proved excellent, allowing the bleu cheese crumbles on top to soften and turn creamy. Caramelized onions and a robust cabernet sauce further elevated the meat. And the accompanying Parmesan potato gratin, made with cream and steamed under foil, was delectable and magically non-gooey.

Other main courses include Roasted White Bass or Alaskan Halibut, Half Chicken Cooked Under a Brick and Seared Sea Scallops served with homemade ricotta gnocchi and corn fondue. Given the established connections Graves has struck with top seafood purveyors, he plans to eventually add whole fish to the dinner menu. There aren’t enough contemporary restaurants in San Diego that do this.

The motif at Jsix is no less appealing than its food. An open kitchen with stainless steel accents and an illuminated bar bisect the fiercely stylish dining room, which depending on where you sit shows off everything from stone walls and metal grillwork to lofty sheer curtains in rust, copper and navy hues. Five sharp rows of red Moroccan fez caps perched on a back wall add a curious twist to the eclectic motif, while clusters of flower-shaped plaster relief work along the ceilings strike whimsical contrasts.

The restaurant was and still remains one of my favorite downtown destinations.