There is a wealth of experience behind a new seafood spot in Pacific Grove.

Certain dishes evoke a quiver of astonishment – cherries jubilee, for instance, or steak Diane.

“You should see their faces,” says Miguel Ponce. “It’s unexpected.”

Even more surprising, the owner of La Côte Bleue is not referring to a tableside flambé. Instead, the plate that raises such a stir is snapper.

The fish is fileted and portioned, but served whole. Ponce anticipates this presentation to be one of the restaurant’s signatures, pointing out that trends have moved away from plating the head and tail.

“The head is deep fried,” he points out. “The cheek, the collar – those are good.”

La Côte Bleue opened in Pacific Grove recently, filling the old Max’s Grill location. The menu is dedicated to seafood: salmon on a puree of green peas, herb-crusted cod in a mushroom-butter sauce, swordfish sparked by peppercorns, oysters shucked fresh or flame grilled.

The dishes can be both simple and thoughtful. A crab tower – offered as a recent special – explores the role of seasoning. Mango brings depth to the sweetness of the shellfish, with an added peppery sparkle. The salinity of the meat in turn shakes avocado from its opulent repose. Olive oil teased with citrus gives lean, ruddy ahi crudo an herbal zing.

But Ponce is quick to explain that seafood restaurants must cater to other tastes. Care is evident with these dishes, as well. The roasted chicken, for example, is a two-day preparation, one spent in brine, the next allowing the skin to dry. Short ribs braise for up to six hours.

“Last week we added paella,” he says. “It’s been really popular.”

Ponce was introduced to the restaurant world as a child. His father Juan Ponce has helmed the kitchen at the famed Old Fisherman’s Grotto for decades and Miguel grew up watching him (“That’s where I spent most of my time,” he notes), and later working alongside. One lesson his father imparted was the importance of winning diners over, repeatedly.

“Every day is a new day,” Ponce says. “You start all over again.”

The surname should ring a bell. Miguel’s brother Rudolfo turned his namesake Pacific Grove restaurant – and its Sunday Nashville hot chicken pop-up Heatwaves – into a destination, becoming the subject of a documentary in the making. And there is a familiar face running the kitchen at La Côte Bleue.

“My brother Juan Carlos,” Miguel Ponce says. “He’s very talented working with fish.”

While his brother prepares seafood and other dishes, Ponce ensures that guests don’t overlook dessert. His background includes stints at Paris Bakery and on the pastry team at Pebble Beach’s Peppoli.

The finishing touches are equally deft. The natural sweetness of apple is all that is needed to bring bread pudding to life, with the fresh bite from a drizzle of mango sauce and the cool, friendly tone of vanilla ice cream as bonuses.

Despite his experience, which includes three years at Rudolfo’s, La Côte Bleue is Ponce’s first restaurant as an owner. He was drawn to the Max’s space for its manageable capacity, proven kitchen and downtown location.

“You look down the street and you can see the ocean,” he says. “Pacific Grove is a good city to be in.”

He did consider the challenge of replacing an acclaimed restaurant. Chef Max Muramatsu spent 22 years treating guests to comfortable fine dining before retiring in January. But he was also confident in the Mediterranean-inspired seafood concept.

“They’re giving us a try,” Ponce says, referring to Max’s regulars. “I’m feeling pretty good.”

Ponce plans to add to the menu gradually. But whole fish – whatever is fresh – is a mainstay. And once it arrives at the table, the snapper becomes its centerpiece. Eyes are drawn to the plate, hands to the calm, nutty flesh with its wisp of ocean breeze, grounded nicely by chimichurri.

He believes it will start La Côte Bleue on the same path as Old Fisherman’s Grotto, Rudolfo’s and Max’s. Besides, during his time working with his brother Rudolfo, Miguel would break for lunch and go find grilled salmon or fried cod.

“I love seafood,” he says.

LA CÔTE BLEUE, 209 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove.