It’s easy to get caught up in L.A.’s urban hamster wheel, so every now and then, it’s nice to jump off and find something new. Terranea recently invited me to the ritzy cliff-top community of Ranchos Palos Verdes to experience Mar’sel, the new resort’s signature restaurant. Mar’sel’s patio offered stunning views, revitalizing seaside air and a high-end meal that was even more satisfying than the similarly appointed Studio, minus the obscene price tag.

In June, Destination Hotels & Resorts opened Terranea in the former home of Marine Land, a primitive precursor to Sea World that closed in 1987. Terranea features a number of more casual dining options on the spectacular resort’s 102 acres, but Mar’sel is their culinary beacon, named for the mar (sea) and sel (salt). Chef de Cuisine Michael Fiorelli is “guided by principles of sustainability” and showcases modern California cuisine using seasonal ingredients, including herbs that are grown out in garden boxes near the restaurant’s entrance.

During dinner, we spotted a blue whale offshore. Manager Neil Hedin said it’s common to spot dolphins. Dozens of people walked past on the clifftop walkway, and there was a constant view of Catalina Island in the distance.

According to our waiter, Julie Wood developed the SIGNATURE COCKTAILS list before moving to Mendocino. Now the resort-wide lists are ushered by sommelier Cameron Russell and bartender Blake Donaldson. It’s hard to say how the cocktails would have tasted during Wood’s tenure, but under Donaldson’s direction, both cocktails were wel -balanced, and the high-quality ingredients probably justified a $14-per-cocktail price tag. My favorite drink was the Ginger Peach, made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, fresh peaches, briottet crème de peche de vigne, fresh ginger and Fever-tree ginger ale. The spiciness of the ginger really accentuated the bourbon’s spice, and it was a nice touch to have a sweet peach garnish on the glass’ rim.

Blueberry Cucumber Caipirinha had a milder liquor in Sagatiba Cachaca (a Brazilian sugar cane liqueur), but packed more pop. The drink also hosted muddled blueberries and cucumbers, plus fresh lime. The drink had a good balance of sweetness and acidity.

To start, we received hot green olive bread and mini baguettse, both served with ramekins of rich Plugra butter, Marcona almonds and sea salt.

Our Amuse Bouche consisted of a rosy slice of lamb carpaccio wrapped around a jammy Calmyrna fig grown in a nearby backyard, plus yellow heirloom tomato and a dab of saba.

We repeatedly saw the sommelier circulating around the patio. Strangely, he didn’t once stop at our table, so we were on our own to navigate the sprawling wine list. The section that jumped out at me was devoted to BIODYNAMIC, ORGANIC, SUSTAINABLE, a healthy 21 bottle selection that’s designed to help “ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy them as well.” The glass of 2007 La Vendimia Rioja was a pretty good match for the peach and duck salumi appetizer, with a nice berry sweetness.

My first choice typically involves an ingredient I haven’t heard of, if possible. As a result, my appetizer was the Crudo of Pacific Hiramasa ($17), a silky pink fish that also goes by yellowtail amberjack. Each slice was paired with a different salt – British, Australian Maldon, medium grey flake and black Hawaiian lava. Unfortunately the British salt was swamped with California olive oil, so it was hard to get the flavor, but the salts were all unique. Each slice of fish also sported a sweet cube of Ruby Bliss watermelon and a spicy disc of Fresno chile.

Grilled Sugarlip Peaches ($16) were sweet and absolutely of-the-moment, paired in a good salad with rich cross-sections of duck salami, bitter dandelion greens, a shower of crushed Marconas and razor-thin shavings of Manchego.

“Vitello Tonnato” ($34) was a novel play on the classic Italian dish, involving two massive cuts of ruby-red ahi wrapped in whisper-thin prosciutto. The silky fish came with a juicy torpedo of breaded, pan-fried sweetbread, a rich medallion of ricotta pudding and minced eggplant caponata. This was a very good entrée with more than enough points of excitement, but it couldn’t compete with the devastating Wagyu ribeye cap.

Grilled Mishima Ranch Wagyu Ribeye Cap ($42) featured the well-marbled top part of the ribeye. The luscious meat was marinated in a blend of soy, salt, pepper and a little bit of cumin, then grilled until it sported a great char. Nothing else on the plate matters when beef is this exceptional, but we also received an oozing creamed chard tortelloni and Alex’s baby carrots served “Sicilian lifeguard style,” which I guess means roasted with a liberal helping of golden raisins.

The entrees were outstanding, particularly the ribeye, but there was major falloff with our desserts. Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta ($11) was tangy and creamy enough, but the rosemary shortbread base was soggy. There was no textural contrast on the plate. That Calmyrna fig in the amuse bouche was jammy and sweet, but these black Mission figs weren’t even ripe, and there was so little pistachio coulis that it barely registered.

Mar’sel’s Lemon Olive Oil Cake ($11) wasn’t as much of a letdown as the panna cotta, but it was basically just an unnecessarily complicated strawberry shortcake. The marinated strawberries were sweet, but the cake wasn’t moist enough, and the almond milk ice cream wouldn’t have tasted richer (and better) with cow’s milk.

To finish, we received two good mignardises: chocolate éclair and tart green apple.

By the time our meal ended, it was dark out, but we still explored the grounds of the resort, walking past the multiple pools and down to the beach along a moonlit path. In the distance we could see the mouth of a sea cave, but it was too dark to traverse the rocks safely. Next time, it would be great to make a day of it, get to Terranea in the afternoon, park in one of the free lots and wander down the clifftop paths to build up an appetite for another dinner at Mar’sel. As manager Neil Hedin said, “It’s an hour away, but it’s like a vacation.”

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