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The recall of 143 million pounds of beef last month didn't drive our decision to try a seafood restaurant for dinner. But it didn't hurt.

Bluefin Seafood Bistro, as it turns out, was a fine choice.

The restaurant, semi-hidden in a corner at Casas Adobes Plaza on the southwest corner of North Oracle and West Ina roads, is an elegant bit of Northwest Tucson where the food met expectations and exceeded anticipation.

The two-story restaurant has an approachable atmosphere — not too stuffy and not too casual — thanks to the San Francisco/New Orleans-like bistro décor. The open ductwork, painted black, helps lend the second-floor dining room an airy, comfortable feel. Patio dining is offered on both floors.

Owners Jim Murphy, Jeff Azersky and Tim Ivankovich also own Kingfisher, which also specializes in seafood.

We started with the requisite appetizers. One was the field greens with warm, herbed goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and toasted hazelnuts ($8.50). The nuts were crunchy and plentiful. But it was the creamy, warm goat cheese that turned this appetizer into comfort food.

The cured olives in the panzanella salad ($8) were small and tangy, a far cry from the mass-produced variety we find in supermarkets. They were paired with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, croutons, fresh mozzarella and red wine vinaigrette.

Another appetizer, the blue crab cakes ($12), turned out to be one of the night's pleasant surprises.

The cakes, sitting in a remoulade sauce, were an instant hit. The tangy sauce hit the palate first, then meshed with the flavors of the light crust on the outside and the sweet crab filling on the inside. It was a pleasing mouthful of tastes, textures and warmth.

And the two cakes were the perfect size for diners who like to share.

We expected to be impressed by the entrees, and we were not disappointed.

The ahi tuna ($24) arrived grilled to order with a char outside and rare inside. It was the kind of preparation only someone with plenty of experience at the grill can accomplish.

The tuna was served with chickpea alioli, basil pesto over roasted potatoes and sautéed spinach — all designed to complement the tuna. The only complaint — a tiny one — is that the fish seemed a little thinner than the steaks we have gotten elsewhere.

The cashew-crusted mahi mahi ($23) also was expertly prepared. Its mild flavor was enhanced with a crust of cashew nuts and a hint of ginger butter. It came to the table with Texmati rice, sautéed spinach and thin, light sweet potato chips.

While most people normally think of fish as a healthier alternative to red meat, diners should note that the nuts and butter also make for quite a rich entree. Nonetheless, this is definitely a signature plate for Bluefin.

But neither of those two dishes arrived with the drama and appeal of the Bluefin bouillabaisse ($28) — the stew that ruled the meal. To be honest, we ordered it because there were so many appealing items on the menu that we couldn't make up our mind. With the bouillabaisse, we sampled plenty of the offerings.

It was also the prettiest meal of the night. Several different vegetables floated on top of the orange-tinged broth served in a simple, white, oversized bowl. The eyecatcher, though, was the crimson lobster claws artfully towering over the bowl. If it's true we eat with our eyes first, this presentation was a feast.

The base was a vegetable-saffron broth that did not overwhelm the lobster, cod, shrimp or scallops. Although the lobster was a tad chewy, the bouillabaisse was good enough to have us scraping the bowl.

Our waiter was readily available and knowledgeable about the lengthy menu. He also was discreet, wordlessly delivering the dessert menu without interrupting our conversation.

Chocolate for dessert is hard to ignore, so we didn't. We shared a sizable hunk of a German chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache made in-house by pastry chef Marianne Banes. The cake, served with ice cream, was moist, and the ganache dark and rich. There may have been a few crumbs left when we were done with it. Or maybe not.

The vanilla bean crème brûlée with ginger snaps ($8) disappeared in a whirl of spoons cracking the caramelized sugar, then dipping into the rich and creamy dessert.