Leaving the ould sod far behind, Cendio chef - and Irish lass - Diane Stopford is plating Nuevo Latino cuisine like these ‘Sweet and Spicy Ancho-Crusted Scallops’ at the former La Jolla Moondoggies. (photo/alandeckerphoto.com)

Brett Miller, the man behind Moondoggies, Tower 23 Hotel, Jordan Restaurant and Gringo’s recently remodeled and re-concepted the La Jolla Moondoggies located on the south end of tony Prospect Street.

The new restaurant, Cendio, is a casual eatery featuring Nuevo Latino style cuisine. The name Cendio is derived from the words, incendio, meaning “fire,” and cenar, which translates as “to dine.” The design is modern Native American, which I am sure is not an actual genre, but the description certainly befits the look.

Bright colors and warm wood combine with the liberal use of stone and metal dishes — including metal sculptures depicting Native patterns and designs — to create an interesting dining backdrop. An oversized garage door opens up the dining room to additional seating on a sun-drenched outdoor deck.

Chef Diane Stopford, a real beauty, is a native of Ireland and holds a bachelor’s in culinary arts from the Dublin Institute of Technology. She has been with Miller since 2002, when she started out as general manager at the Pacific Beach Moondoggies.

The “Apertivo” section of the menu offers over a dozen small plates perfect as either a first course or for sharing. Many times I’ll order several small plates and have a smorgasbord of starters as my dinner. Here, I highly recommend the “Bacon Wrapped Medjool Dates” ($6.50) and the “Tamal” ($8.50).

The dates are stuffed with smoked almonds and Manchego cheese, wrapped in bacon and then broiled. They are presented over lightly dressed arugula. The sweet date, crunchy almond, creamy cheese and salty bacon combination is outstanding. The Tamal selection changes daily. They are housemade and good-sized with a perfect ratio of soft, gritty masa and moist filling.

I also loved the “Sweet and Spicy Ancho-Crusted Scallops” ($12). In my dining out experiences, scallops are overcooked nearly half of the time, but not here where Stopford has a light touch. Three diver scallops were perfectly seasoned and cooked and served atop sweet masa corn cakes. They are topped with fresh cilantro and finished with a squiggle of cilantro crema before hitting the table. It is a beautiful presentation.

Those considering a middle course must forget the calories and have the roasted corn chowder, even if it means sharing with your companion. It is a heaping bowl of heaven. I say “heaping” because it’s so thick it seems to overfill the bowl and yet it doesn’t spill.

Choosing just one entrée is hard with enticing dishes like “Dark Rum and Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon” and “Chili Braised Lamb Shank” on the list. I really wanted the “Cuban Style Paella” but it’s served for a minimum of two people and my dinner companion, Sam, was hardheaded about ordering the skirt steak. After much ado (and admitting to myself that I also was nearly sated from my starters anyway), I selected the “Puerto Nuevo Style Lobster Tacos” ($15). Pretty darn generous hunks of lobster are wrapped in good-quality corn tortillas with a nice creamy slaw and fresh cilantro. Spanish rice and Cuban-style black beans ride shotgun. This dish is an excellent value.

Sam was right to insist on the marinated skirt steak. It was tender, cooked medium rare as specified, served over lime-cilantro white rice and accompanied by Cuban black beans. If this were my entrée, I would have been tempted to ask for a side of tortillas to make little tacos, but since this was technically Sam’s dinner, I had only a few bites and didn’t mess with the presentation.

Desserts are all made in house. The Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding with Golden Raisins” ($6) was dazzling.

Cendio serves lunch and dinner daily starting at 10:30 a.m. The daily happy hour runs from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., featuring half-priced “apertivos” and drink specials. I still have a hankering for that paella. Meet me there?

— Terryl Gavre