QUITE A HANDFUL-Tim Tomlinson displays some of the live shellfish available at the OceanFresh Seafood Market, located at 2810 E. Los Angeles Ave. in the Ralphs market shopping center. The store opened on Tomlinson's 42nd birthday. Seafood fans throughout Ventura County are embracing the newly opened OceanFresh Seafood store, the only dedicated seafood market in the region. The selection of seafood, which is delivered fresh daily and never frozen, has been reeling in a steady stream of customers.

Located at 2810 E. Los Angeles Ave. in Simi Valley, the store contains more than 30 different types of seafood and displays its product on 24 feet of open, nonrefrigerated ice tables.

The fish is delivered six days a week to the store by suppliers from Seattle and Los Angeles.

"We strive to prove to the customer that seafood doesn't stink," said Frank Tomlinson, owner of the specialty shop.

With his brother Tim, who worked in the Seattle fish market for 12 years, Tomlinson is aiming to bring the freshest, healthiest fish available to Simi Valley, his hometown. Tomlinson's parents have lived in the community for 35 years and the two brothers attended high school in the area. The market's three other employees are from Simi Valley and Agoura Hills.

GOURMET SELECTION-Brothers Tim, left, and Frank Tomlinson help first-time customer Paulette Clemens of Simi Valley with her choices of fish at their OceanFresh Seafood Market. "We were looking to open up shop in Westlake or Oak Park, but we really wanted to add to the business health of the community we grew up in," Tomlinson said. "It's also great seeing a lot of people that you haven't seen in a while."

Tim's experience in the Seattle fish market has provided him with an ocean of knowledge concerning seafood. A number of products available in the store, ranging from salmon and crab spreads to cocktail sauces and tuna salads, are prepared in the shop using Tim's recipes.

"People constantly come in here and tell us that it isn't just good seafood, but that it's great seafood," said Tomlinson.

OceanFresh Seafood also carries a number of sashimi-grade fish, including ono and ahi. So far, the most popular products include Chilean sea bass, high-grade ahi and high-grade halibut. The majority of fish available is wild caught, but the store also offers farmed products to customers who enjoy that particular taste.

"We encourage our customers to try our wild caught products, and once they do, they find out how great it tastes. The stuff is really flying, people just love it," Tomlinson said.

The store also features a number of unique fish products, such as salmon sausages, and customers are enticed to buy new foods by trying cooked samples.

"There's a lot to be said about the social aspect of enjoying a meal with friends and family, but we want to add to that by providing gourmet food," Tomlinson said.

The brothers are also trying to draw a lunch crowd by offering daily prepared sushi.

Peak hours are generally between 4 and 7 p.m., but the store enjoys a healthy flow of customers all day long, according to Tomlinson.

Even though the store's square footage is less than that of chain grocery stores, the brothers make up for size with excellent quality and customer service. Tim is ready to answer any questions re

garding seafood and is happy to provide all customers with mouthwatering recipes.

The brothers also plan to add cooking videos and recipes to the store's website, which can be found at www.oceanfreshsimi.com.

OceanFresh Seafood has been open for only a couple of weeks, but the brothers are already thinking about eventually expanding throughout Ventura County as well as supplying local caterers with fresh fish and seafood platters. For the time being, however, the Tomlinson brothers are just testing the waters.

For more information, call the store at (805) 813-1058.