Silver Tide Bar & Grill opens with new look, colorful menu.

The most striking thing about the $17 million renovation of Seaside's Embassy Suites ("by Hilton") has to be the contrast between the new neutral decor scheme—the feel is somewhere between spartan and clean, with lots of trendy neutral tan and brown tones—and the vibrant colors and flavors leaping off the Silver Tide Bar & Grill menu.

Chef Chris Elser, who’s been devising fresh dishes there for a decade (and some very good clam chowder), is crafting things like cedar-plank salmon with roasted tomato-red pepper chutney ($26) and honey-kissed southern fried chicken with kale-and-fennel slaw ($19).

Many of his plates employ several primary colors, including the tasty 7-inch naan flatbreads like the pork belly with roasted tomatoes, arugula, pineapple, grilled onion and mozzarella and asiago cheese ($17) and the braised beef short rib with blackberry-dried chile hoisin sauce, carrots, red bell peppers and scallions ($15).

The West Coast salmon cakes ($16) are fresh stacked with fish, with some of that kale-fennel slaw that proves an excellent side.

Other items include Del Monte Beach tacos in chicken or shrimp ($10-$16/two, $15-$24/three), The Hot John Montagu with Black Angus beef, Swiss, au jus on a French roll ($17 with fries) and the half-pound Silver Tide Burger served on a brioche bun with a steak knife through its center ($17).

From the bar come new inspirations like the Flamed Bird for Two ($23), the smoked Memphis Margarita ($13) and the crushed ice martinis, which include the Cannery Row ($10) and the Pacific Octopus ($9).

I tried the Rodeo Rita ($9), which combines Pendleton Canadian whisky with sweet and sour, orange liqueur and fresh lime juice. Its balanced weight and roundness speaks to the intuition of Restaurant Manager Tim Muse.

Scrimshaw, English Ales 1066, Goose IPA, Big Sur Golden and Bud Light flow from the tap.

Hours are 11:30am–1:30pm and 4pm–11pm daily.

For those who have gone hunting for late-night restaurant food in Seaside (and most of the Peninsula), that last number is a beautiful (and potentially night-saving) one.

Note: The debut is a soft one; the restaurant sign is not yet in place. That means staff is finding its tidal rhythm, so don’t be that guy on Yelp if everything isn't 101-percent dialed in.