The Scorpion king

Dave Brooks

Jonah Marucci grew up immersed in the nightlife of Huntington Beach.

Now he’s hoping that Huntington Beach nightlife is ready to grow

up with him.

The son of a former Surf City police employee is putting his money

and reputation on the line in a $500,000 concept-restaurant he hopes

will fill a needed niche in Huntington Beach’s dining community.

If that wasn’t enough, the 31-year-old promoter is doing it in a

space at Beach Boulevard and Adams Avenue, an area thought to be all

but cursed because of its propensity to churn out failed restaurants

and nightlife duds. His chef, Nicholas Garcia, and general manager,

Jonathan Bloomfield, are both leaving successful careers in the

restaurant business to join him.

Maybe it’s because they share his vision for an upscale restaurant

and ultra-lounge in a city without a lot of fine dining, he said.

Or maybe they’re just afraid of his scorpions.

“It’s pretty safe to say that none of us play with them,” said

Bloomfield, referring to the handful of scorpions housed in a

wall-mounted aquarium that separates a VIP room from the restaurant.

Marucci admits he named his restaurant Scorpion because he liked the

way animals glow under black lights, but the subtle coolness of the

insect killer is captured throughout the innovative design of one of

Surf City’s only independent steakhouses.

On Friday, Marucci opened his doors to a thumping throng of Orange

County hipsters. Decorated in dark rustic woods from old railroad

tracks and canoes with dozens of innovative lighting techniques,

Marucci immerses visitors in shadowy trance of industrial chic.

Common bar elements such as a overhead liquor cabinet made of

recycled cage material transform the most utilitarian pieces of the

restaurant into sophisticated design accomplishments. He even took

culinary license when writing up the menu, mixing his pension for

perfection and micromanagement to craft the tiniest details of

Scorpion’s culinary offerings.

“It took 36 hours of yelling to get these carrots right,” he said

over a plate of filet mignon and coconut flavored rice.

Marucci makes no apologies about the clientele he seeks. A veteran

of events booking in Huntington Beach from the old punk rock Rec Room

events at Old World Village to the now defunct Ibiza nightclub,

Marucci said he’s pursuing a more upscale approach to nightlife.

“We want this to be a nice place where everyone in Huntington

Beach can come for the evening and feel comfortable enough to really

have a nice time,” Marucci said.

On any weekend night, he and partners Eric Niccole, Gengus Sanborn

and Sparky Wilbur envision patrons coming into his doors, enjoying a

$23 steak over a solo jazz or blues performance and staying the

evening for dancing.

“I view this place as a three-business venture with the restaurant

being the backbone. The reason this location struggled is that

everyone tried to turn it into a bar,” Bloomfield said, adding that

he hopes that Scorpion’s ultra lounge concept and catering business

take off.

There was also a problem with past police complaints said Marucci.

“I already had someone call me who lives next door and tell me

that she had gotten all of the other bars that had been here closed

down and we were next,” Marucci said.

Not missing a moment, chef Garcia offered Marucci a little

management advice. “Sounds like we better invite her over here for

dinner,” he said.