Executive Chef Deborah Scott holds crusted ahi tuna with lobster mashed potatoes, wilted baby spinach with bacon and pinot noir reduction, priced at $34. (photo/alandeckerphoto.com)

Situated on the eastern tip of Harbor Island with a stellar view of the San Diego skyline and beyond, Island Prime is the latest of owners David and Lesley Cohn’s culinary debutants. I hesitate to mention it is located in the former Reuben’s space because this is an entirely new restaurant.

David and Lesley aren’t getting older, they’re getting better, baby. This is definitely the prettiest gem in the Cohns’ jewel-box collection of restaurants. (Easily the most expensive too — but that’s how it works, right? The older we get, the better the jewelry we can afford.)

The Hatch Design Group out of Orange County created a sleek, sexy, and thoroughly modern dining room, which is quite a feat given that it is a sprawling 8,000-square-foot space. Beautiful natural woods are masterfully mixed with super synthetic materials and bold-printed fabric booths to create an edgy, yet warm and comfortable feel. In the evening, the addition of well thought-out lighting and glowing candles gives this “Metro-Retro” dining room a sophisticated look.

The menu, which is mostly meat and seafood, is the work of executive chef and partner Deborah Scott. This is her third Cohn collaboration, following Kemo Sabe in Hillcrest and Indigo Grill in Little Italy.

Great starter choices are a tartare trio, fennel crusted diver scallops and my favorite, “A Study in Lobster” ($18). A petite grilled cheese and lobster sandwich is paired with a foamy cup of lobster bisque and a lobster “corndog.” It was a really fun dish. I would have liked some mayo for both my grilled cheese and the corndog (it was served with grainy mustard) but refrained from asking because I had already begun to dip it in the wonderfully viscous bisque instead.

The salads are generously proportioned so I would recommend sharing one as a middle course. “Iris’ Chopped Salad” ($8) is an interesting mix of greens, edamame, celery, cheddar cheese, and apple wood bacon. It is tossed in Maytag blue cheese and topped with pearl tomatoes.

The “Baby Beet Salad” ($9) is just gorgeous. On a plate lined with thinly shaved bright red beets, baby beets are combined with baby greens and candied walnuts tossed in a balsamic dressing. The salad is accessorized with breaded and deep-fried goat cheese.

The menu offers both “Composed Entrees,” which offers a potpourri of entrées such as lobster, Prosciutto ham and leek ravioli, Hawaiian ahi tuna, cedar plank roasted salmon or roasted chicken with Boursin and pine nuts, and “Turf,” from which you can order just about any cut of prime steak you wish and even pair it with crab or lobster.

Side dishes are fun and also made for sharing. The shaved corn with black truffle and herbs is a winner, as is the mashed potatoes with bacon, cheddar and scallions.

Those in the mood to go casual might just want to dine at the C-Level Lounge. A separate kitchen offering a bistro menu is part of the beauty of this establishment. One can sit at the bar or out on the huge covered patio over the water and munch on herbed parmesan potato chips, onion rings or fries along with the “famous” C-level burger or a spicy ahi tuna sandwich. Other more entrée-type dishes and a long list of specialty cocktails are available as well.

With this newest endeavor, the Cohns are definitely in “prime” form.

— Terryl Gavre