Another seafood-focused restaurant has landed on the grid, but there’s nothing else quite like it downtown.

Station 16 (118 16th Street) is softly open in the former Sapporo Grill space, specializing in crab and other shellfish. It comes from chef/owner Minnie Nguyen, who also operates south Sacramento’s Firehouse Crawfish, an Asian-Cajun seafood boil spot. Station 16’s concept is pretty different, though, focusing on the seafood of your choice—mild or spicy—prepared in a cast iron skillet.

But there’s also an oyster bar, cioppino, clam chowder, lobster rolls and lobster mac ‘n’ cheese, for example. For the ocean-averse, there’s a ribeye steak, fries with Korean short rib and a burger. But really, it’s about the shellfish here. Nguyen is aiming the price point at $12-$20 per person.

Nguyen expects to announce an official opening date sometime next week. For now, Station 16 is open for dinner, with lunch and brunch still to come.

The name—and the prominent use of red in the modern interior—stems from Nguyen’s husband’s participation in the fire academy. Back when he was enrolled, she was searching for a name for her first restaurant, Firehouse Crawfish, which opened in 2011. She kept with the fire theme with “station” and “16” for its location.

Photo: Flickr user missbossy