Paul Fleming of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and P.F. Chang’s opened Paul Martin’s American Bistro with partner Brian Bennett on February 25 at the base of an El Segundo office building. On February 21, I had a chance to preview the restaurant, and even though it was Paul Martin’s first day of service, chef-partner Paul Muller’s food was polished, which bodes well for the concept and for South Bay diners.

This is the second Paul Martin’s American Bistro. The first is located in Roseville, which sits just north of Sacramento. The décor is similar to the original, with brick, wood and polished concrete floors. Nelsen Henrich Interiors designed the sprawling 7,200-square-foot space. Thanks to Henrich’s natural design and soft lighting, you’ll soon forget you’re eating in a business park.

The market-driven El Segundo bistro primarily relies on local purveyors, featuring seasonal seafood and produce and free-range meats. The Paul Martin’s credo runs along the left edge of the menu: “eat ORGANIC. believe in SUSTAINABLE. buy LOCAL. Love FRESH.”

We started simply, with a Whole Castroville Artichoke ($9.95), brushed with olive oil, mesquite grilled until smoky and served with a dish of pesto aioli.

Shrimp Scampi ($14.95) was clearly the best dish of the night, featuring sweet, gigantic Pacific prawns, toy box tomatoes and garlic bread that perfectly soaked up the addictive garlic lemon butter.

Crisp-edged fillets of pan-fried Petrale sole ($21.95) worked well with lemon-thyme butter. Paul Martin’s American Bistro doesn’t settle for standard pairings like mashed potatoes and al dente green beans. They take their accompaniments seriously, as evidenced by the cubes of roasted celery root and butternut squash.

Skirt Steak ($19.95) came with slabs of roasted maple-bourbon sweet potato and a mound of lightly dressed arugula. The steak could have used a more pronounced sear, and probably less arugula.

If you’re interested in imbibing, the bistro offers 50 wines by the class from a California-centric list “with touches of the Pacific Northwest.” Fleming offered us tastes of his wife Kelly’s mineral-rich Sauvignon Blanc and fairly well balanced red, both produced in Calistoga. You’ll also find craft beers and cocktails made with house-infused vodkas.

For dessert, the crème brulee was more interesting than normal, flavored with Meyer lemon and topped with tart citrus segments. The accompanying shortbread cookies could have used more shortening.

Overall, it seems like Paul Fleming and Brian Bennett might have a winning concept with Paul Martin’s American Bistro. The food could use a couple tweaks, but it’s already superior to most other concepts in the area and the price point is reasonable given the large portions.