Great Bay   

The arrival of Great Bay in the Hotel Commonwealth signaled a sea change for the fast food-oriented Fenway neighborhood, offering BU students an upscale place to take their parents and giving Red Sox fans a glitzy bar in which to celebrate and commiserate. The latest production in the rapidly burgeoning restaurant empire of Michael Schlow and Christopher Myers (the team behind Radius and Via Matta), Great Bay offers fresh-caught and flown-in fish in a space that's the antithesis of the "Summer Shack" concept favored by Jasper White. With its lofty ceilings -- rounded to mimic the keel of a ship -- and oceanic color scheme, the main room resembles an underwater cathedral, complete with a wavering stained glass window (an illusion created by aquamarine patterns projected on the wall). The circular bar is an island toward the front of the room, attracting a crowd equally split between hotel guests and stylish locals. As for the food, Schlow and Myers accomplished the culinary equivalent of hitting it out of the park when they hired the Maine-raised, California-trained Jeremy Sewall to be their chef. He addresses both coasts -- along with Japan and the Mediterranean -- on his pitch-perfect menu, where crisp Duxbury oysters and the standout chowder co-exist happily with house-cured hamachi and striped-bass ceviche. Standouts among the entrees include exquisite grilled wild-ivory salmon (with baby beets and fingerling potatoes), local halibut (rendered less humble with heirloom tomatoes) and an Asian-inspired, line-caught swordfish (with wild mushrooms and bok choy). Those who stay for dessert will be rewarded with several outstanding options, most notably cookies and chocolate milk and butterscotch pudding with whipped cream.