We had a thing at the VMAArts &CulturalCenter, so we were scratching our heads about a nearby place to eat beforehand. Sometimes it’s easy to overlook the obvious, but this time there were simultaneous finger-snaps: the Bluefin Grille. Ah-ha.

The place fades into the woodwork by being in a hotel, the Marriott. Although we hadn’t dined there in years, we’d been impressed by our experience with the difficult specialty that its name suggests, seafood. Our prior experience with their "Taste of the Bluefin" prix fixe menu, which they no longer offer, had been quite good.

The atmosphere is nautical, but not so much as to make you queasy. A few portraits of sailboats and America’s Cup winners are hung here and there like family members, and a big gold-painted compass rosette hangs above a divider. No game fish trophies turn this into a rec room. The color scheme where we sat was burgundy and muted yellow on banquettes and chair backs. There is cloth on the tables and cobalt-blue water goblets that match the oil lamp glowing before you.

The appetizers mostly stay close to the sea, from oysters through lobster bisque to chilled prawns. The signature Bluefin calamari ($9.50) is batter-fried and tossed with frisée and a soy-wasabi vinaigrette, for some bitter-hot-salty activity to wake up your taste buds. A single pizza is offered — chicken and wild mushrooms with an onion confit ($9.50) — to give their flame grill further use.

I chose a favorite starter, baked onion soup ($6). The classic gratin was nicely varied by containing, instead of Gruyére, Swiss cheese bolstered by a little provolone and aged Parmigiano-Reggiano. Johnnie had the chèvre salad ($8). Odd but welcome was the goat cheese coming alongside the mesclun instead of on top, in two buttery pastry triangles. The pear vinaigrette was a sweet taste of non-wintry times, accompanied pleasantly by dried cherries and bits of pecans.

Low-cholesterol and low-carb items are flagged on the menu, for those more conscientious than myself. (Olive oil just wouldn’t have worked on those hot and crispy partly whole-wheat rolls we were served.) But for those dining Heart-Rite though grumbling, there are plenty of red wines among the 16 offered by the glass, and surely another study from France insisting that we sip is overdue. Four wines are available in half-bottles, a practice we’d all like to see more of.

The dozen regular entrées are evenly divided between seafood and other stuff, giving permission if not encouragement for my grilled pork tenderloin ($19). As with other described items on the menu, a good choice of complements was presented. My thick, pink loin chop was sprinkled with paprika and served with garlic-accented braised escarole. Garlic cloves were also detectable in the mashed potatoes, which were yellow not from butter, apparently, but probably from their being Yukon Gold. A sweet cranberry chutney on the side was a brightener.

Speaking of sides, there are eight to choose from, and they are sensibly differentiated by price — $3 for that escarole and even for baby asparagus, and $5 for choices such as sautëed wild mushrooms or three grilled shrimp.

Johnnie had the one seafood dish of our meal, lobster gnocchi al forno ($20), which came with unannounced baby green beans on a side plate. The lobster was bountiful but overcooked. On the menu, the potato gnocchi were described as "fluffy," and while hardly that, she did like them. Mysteriously, some were not as light as others. There was purŽed parsnip in the cream sauce, a marvelous touch that provided both earthiness and sweetness. Some asparagus tips were mixed in, and the breadcrumb topping contained herbs and crushed walnuts for a well thought-out recipe.

Such intriguing entrée designs, which we’d appreciated before from executive chef Franco Paterno, are still a feature. Hudson Valley duck ($21) comes with green-apple risotto, and its pomegranate molasses is a novel tart-sweet combination. The miso-glazed salmon ($19) is flavored with lemongrass bonito broth — ingenious. Chef de cuisine Rebecca Lentrichia is in charge of executing these.

Except for the $8 artisanal cheese plate, the kitchen-made desserts all are $6: crème brûlée, hot-caramel apple cobbler, and warm chocolate lava cake. We could not pass up the Bluefin "Berried" Treasure, however, and ended up rewarded for our curiosity. A dark-chocolate treasure chest was spilling over with several kinds of fresh berries, even blackberries, and whipped cream. Beneath that were pieces of yellow cake soaked in ("Yo-ho-ho . . . ") rum. The "sand" beneath it all was simply golden turbinado sugar. Clever and yummy.

Having another good experience at Bluefin Grille was encouraging. Exploring past their seafood looks promising.

Bill Rodriguez can be reached at bill@billrod.com.