SHERMAN OAKS—On August 10, the Marlin & Ono Grille, a new Southern Italian seafood restaurant, will open its doors to the dining public.

According to the restaurant’s official website, their menu is “inspired by the Capania region of Southern Italy, where the Mediterranean Sea influences their fabulous seafood creations.” The menu offers options for land-based meats like lamb and certified angus beef, but the primary focus is seafood.

Marlin & Ono is owned and operated by Chef Martin Colman, who asserts that their seafood is of the highest possible quality. The sushi grade seafood is “flown in daily from Hawaii” and is obtained in compliance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s guidelines on sustainable seafood.

Patrons can order seafood both cooked—like the caramelized scallops, which are wrapped in Italian pancetta and served with linguini cremini carbonara—and in raw crudo preparations.

Guests may order items like this assorted crudo platter at Marlin & Ono's crudo bar
Guests may order items like this assorted crudo platter at Marlin & Ono’s crudo bar.

In addition to the more traditional bar, which will serve “creative cocktails,” there will also be a dedicated “crudo bar,” which will serve fresh fish. From the crudo bar, patrons can order raw preparations of seasonal fish, seared or charred variations and fully cooked clams, scallops and shrimp.

The restaurant currently offers crudo dishes featuring big eye tuna, yellowtail, black sea bass, and red snapper, among others.

The selection of fish is subject to change upon availability.

This will be Colman’s first time as a restaurant owner, but not his first as an executive chef. From 2005 to 2008, Colman worked as corporate executive chef and consultant on new operations for the El Dorado Ranch, a privately owned resort in Baja California. During his time there, Colman opened the Pavilion Restaurant, which won the distinction of “best restaurant in the area” from 2005 to 2008 by Golf Magazine.

Marlin & Ono Grille is located at 13730 Ventura Boulevard, the property formerly known as Señor Fred, a longtime Valley landmark.

The restaurant will be open from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays, and from 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. on weekends. Reservations may be made through the restaurant’s OpenTable page, or by calling (818) 849-5585.