After years with a restaurant focused on local wines, the Redmond Marriott Town Center hotel at 7401 164th Ave. N.E. in Redmond Town Center is now home to a new steakhouse.

With the popular Beck’s Steak & Seafood Restaurant now closed, assistant general manager for the hotel Derek Wyckoff said they saw an opportunity to fill a void in the community, adding that they also wanted to do something different from other local restaurants.

“The wine has been done in this area,” he said.

Sear, Fire-Inspired American features various cuts of steak including a 16-ounce grilled ribeye, 12-ounce New York strip and 10-ounce hanger steak. Additionally, the menu boasts fresh wild salmon and salmon chowder, a 14-ounce pork chop, a Northwest salad made from local ingredients as well as a number of sides including creamed spinach, sweet potato fries and sea salt baked potatoes.

Executive chef Steve Scaia, who attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York, has also integrated a few of his family recipes such as his grandfather’s homemade Italian sausage. Scaia grew up in upstate New York and worked at Marriott Hotel restaurants up and down the East Coast for 14 years before moving to the Northwest a few years ago.

He said he loves his adopted coast and in creating Sear’s menu, wanted to include local items and ingredients because it brings pride to the area and gives the restaurant a hometown feel.

Wyckoff said while the steak will be the focus of their menu, they will still feature local wines like they did when the restaurant was Meritage. He added that just being given the opportunity by Marriott’s higher-ups to break the corporate mold and change the menu — especially during a down economy — was a gift. He said Sear is more of a restaurant in a hotel than a hotel restaurant.

The restaurant has been open for about two and a half months and actually was not called Sear until a few weeks ago. Wyckoff said the restaurant was just referred to something along the lines of “the restaurant in the Marriott” until Sear was approved by the company. He explained that they needed to make sure there weren’t other restaurants with the same name.

To go with the new menu and name, Sear got a new look as well. The lounge area is more open now with all possible walls knocked down, Wyckoff said, and there is also a fireplace in the restaurant. In the bar area, which is a Peet’s Coffee & Tea during the day, there is a three-sided entertainment screen similar to those in sporting venues, which Wyckoff said has been popular.

With all of these changes, the restaurant’s ambiance has shifted from cafe to casual elegance. Wyckoff said the style of service will be more intimate than before, with more attention on the dinner service.

“We don’t want (customers) to not come because they’re in jeans,” he said. “We will treat them like they’re in a tux.”

Just as Sear’s menu will feature local items and ingredients the cafe/bar will also have a local twist. The pastries in Peet’s are from Alki Bakery in West Seattle. The bar offers beers from two Redmond-based breweries, Mac & Jack’s and Black Raven, on tap year-round and rotates among other local beers such as Red Hook, and Men’s Room Red.

Wyckoff is proud that they have also been able to double their tap handles from four to eight. Although many changes and additions have been made to Sear, there is no doubt what his favorite part is: the steak.

“I am a ribeye fan from the get go,” he said.