Big Changes in Store for Oceanique

When the owners of Oceanique return from their annual summer vacation next week, they'll be reopening the restaurant with a new look and menu.

“In hindsight, I think we should have done this five years ago," chef and owner Mark Grosz said. "It’s our 25th year and we’re doing well. We’re just trying to keep everything fresh and hopefully attract new people.”

The French-American fine dining restaurant is getting a new floor, ceiling and sound system. They're also changing up the seating, adding a new bar with tables nearby. The dining areas will be getting more booths and all the tables and chairs will be replaced with cozier versions.

“Our dinners are usually about two hours long, so it’s important to be comfortable,” Grosz said.

The restaurant is also adding some new dishes to its menu, such as lamb T-bone with local mint and heirloom tomatoes, and Costa Rican bluefin tuna with maple-glazed turnips, bacon and eggplant. Sommelier Philippe Andre, Grosz and Andre's son, is supplementing Oceanique's 700-bottle wine list with a seasonal cocktail menu using trendy spirits like St. Germain and Veev Acai. He's also currently studying wine in Oregon with the plan of bottling his own wine for the restaurant.

Oceanique is also adding a bar menu that will offer dishes including oysters roasted with Pernod, parmesan and spinach, a lobster sandwich on brioche with an aioli made from saffron and Japanese hot peppers, and chocolate soufflé with lemon balm ice cream.

“We always try to entice people to come in to try an appetizer or a pastry," Grosz said. "We think with the new bar they’ll be more comfortable. I think it’s a good way to try a restaurant, to just come in and have a bite. If you like it you can stay or come back.”

The bar menu will also be cheaper than the dinner offerings, which is something that Grosz said he's seen demand for since the 2008 recession.

"It just made us refocus and look at things like cost," he said. "Revenues are down, so you have to adjust, and like many restaurants cut staff here and there. But things have been getting better and we’re still open, so that’s a good thing. It’s been tough.”

Grosz said the restaurant's long success is based on having a great team, a little luck and a desire to constantly improve.

"I travel a lot around the world and the states and try different cuisines and different restaurants, not only for cuisines but for service and wines,” he said. “Every day we try to be better than what we did yesterday. It’s like live theater. Every day we have to perform.”