Chip Roman's menu may not be big, but his culinary creations are over the top. At his new restaurant, Blackfish in Stone Harbor, his four appetizers, five soups and salads, and seven entrees are so painstakingly detailed, it's like creating a brand-new piece of art every time something comes out of the kitchen.

"The prep work is unbelievable for what we do," says chef/owner Roman, who describes his cuisine as progressive American gastronomy with a seafood focus. "No one has any idea how much work goes into every single dish. We do about 15 to 20 items in the dining room every day, depending on what's available and what's fresh. But our goal is to knock it out of the park."

Roman's Stone Harbor location in the former Henny's spot is his second Blackfish, the first opening in Conshohocken, Pa., in 2005. After a one-year stint in a small space in Avalon - where he received a rare four-star review in The Press of Atlantic City's Corner Table - he was approached to move just a little farther south into a much larger space.

Walk into Blackfish and you realize this is certainly not Henny's, a Stone Harbor institution for more than 40 years. The 200-seat space, not counting its 75-seat bar and bistro, received a major overhaul with its black-and-white, upscale, modern motif that's similar to Chelsea Prime in Atlantic City.

"When you compare Blackfish in Conshohocken to here, it's like four times as many seats," Roman says. "So, it's a little bit of adjustment to get everyone on the same level. But it's a challenge, and I like challenges."

A James Beard finalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2008 and 2009 and Best Chef Mid-Atlantic in 2009, Roman came to Stone Harbor to give his Philadelphia-area fans a shore retreat while also hoping to grow his reputation throughout the state. He wisely surrounded himself with some amazing talent. It seems everyone you run into at Blackfish has his or her own following. General Manager Kipper Phelps owned Kipper'Z in Avalon. And server Karen Beiderman owned Fish Tales. Ashley Hess is food and beverage director for both locations. And Chef Dave Yanisko worked alongside Roman at a few places, including Georges Perrier's acclaimed Philadelphia institution Le Bec Fin.

Blackfish also has plenty of family connections, too. Roman's brother Alex and cousin Michelle Finkelstein take care of desserts and the garde manger station. He also has a few relatives who are servers, and Phelps' two nephews are expeditors in the kitchen. Even partner John Sprandio of Chestnut Hill, Pa., also has some relatives working there.

"We're very picky about who we hire," Roman says. "We try to hire people that essentially give (an expletive). "Service plays a big part in what we do. It's not just a meal, it's an experience."

"It's so important to have great family support and to find people that have the same goals and aspirations and dreams of what you want your restaurant and organization to be," Hess adds. "If your core people are on the same page as you, you can allow them to make decisions in your best interest. That's how you run successful restaurants."

Roman, by the way, isn't done. In fact, he plans to move Blackfish or offer another concept across the street to Shelter Haven, a boutique hotel that is expected to open in 2011.

"We haven't totally figured out what we are going to do there," Roman says. "It probably will not be a Blackfish, but we are looking at all of those options. We know there will be an outside deck with 100 seats and a different menu. We built a nice following in Conshohocken, and I'm pretty confident we can do the same at the shore."

Blackfish

WHERE: 9628 Third Ave., Stone Harbor

WHEN: Dining room open 5 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; bar and bistro open 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily with lunch served 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and bistro menu served 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.

SERVICES: Major credit cards accepted. Liquor license. Disabled access through front door. No printed kids' menu, but ask server for kids' offerings. Eat-in. Takeout. Catering. No smoking.

MORE INFO: Call 609-967-9100 or go to www.

blackfishstoneharbor.com.