SEASIDE – I’m told Richie B’s was hummin’ on Super Bowl Sunday (Jan. 26). Unfortunately, the phone at this new Seaside pizzeria and sandwich shop was temporarily kaput, so I couldn’t get a pizza before kickoff. Of course, even if I had been able to call in an order, drive to Seaside and pick up a pie, my pizza probably would have been semi-warm at best by the time I got back to Astoria.

Know what? I would’ve ordered it anyway. Cheese-bubbling hot, lukewarm or even cold, Richie B’s pizza is a tasty treat and among the finest to be found locally.

For me, the Richie B’s experience began a couple days earlier with an eggplant Parmesan sandwich. The first bite brought me back to the storefront Italian joints in northern New Jersey where friends and I would grab a snack after school let out. Places like Tony Baretta’s in Passaic, a funky but favored corner hangout for meatball and sub sandwiches, cheese sticks served with a zesty marinara for dipping and some mighty fine pizza. The boys and I would ogle Tony’s good-looking daughter behind the counter, all the while wary about Tony’s fiery temper (we had seen him blow up at unruly customers) and the fact that he generally had a well-honed chef’s knife or a sharp pizza cutter in his hand.

Richie B’s is like that, minus the daughter and the threatening vibes, but boasting hot-car posters and a playful macho-Italian attitude. The eatery oozes ethnicity and no wonder: Fast-talking, broad-shouldered Richie Brose, a transplant from Westchester County, N.Y., a short drive north of the The City, is the owner-operator.

And usually the center of attention. Chatty – with a New York accent, of course – Brose is humorous and skilled with a chef’s knife, a spatula and other kitchen implements. Customers are drawn inside his small restaurant with a few tables by the scent of oregano, garlic, basil, fresh-baked dough, onions, peppers and a host of other alluring aromas. They return for the food and to watch Brose ply his trade.

His Philly cheese steak ($6.95) is an exercise in efficiency. A handful of onions and sweet peppers (for the New York version) are spread on the hot flat-topped grill. As they hiss and sizzle, Brose sorts them now and again with his spatula and tosses a thin slice of beef on top. After a few minutes, he flips the fixings, adds cheese and slides all the ingredients inside a hoagie roll resting on a paper plate. But the show isn’t over yet. Brose wraps the sandwich in wax paper, slices it in two, then rewraps and hands it either to his counter helper or the customer.

It’s super-simple fare, artfully prepared by an experienced grill man. And boy, does it taste good. So does the eggplant Parmesan ($6.95) built with freshly sliced eggplant (rather than a pre-fab cutlet) and finished in the pizza oven. Equally gratifying is a pleasingly messy meatball “Wedge” ($6.95) crammed with cue ball-sized meatballs awash in a tangy marinara that showcases less garlic than a standard East Coast sauce.

Sub fans should consider a cold Italian sandwich ($7.25) stuffed with six meats and a couple of cheeses. Whether hot or cold, the sandwiches are a welcome departure from the turkey and Swiss variations so prevalent elsewhere, although Brose purveys a ham or turkey hero ($6.50). A sole complaint is the bread — fresh but undistinguished. Still, all the sandwiches are soulfully satisfying and darn big, to boot – a foot long or larger.

But back to the pizza. For those who never have savored a pie from east of the Appalachian Mountains, here’s a primer: This is the requisitely gooey, gloppy and doughy pizza the New York area has made famous, and that pizzerias everywhere have tried to emulate. Riche B’s pies are thicker-rimmed and not as oily as some of their New York brethren. And the mildly seasoned sauce is concentrated around the edges, rather than spread evenly over the entire pizza. Which means the ample amount of three cheeses – provolone, mozzarella and Locatelli Romano – are less likely to slide off.

Compared to West Coast pizzas, toppings are used as accents instead of center pieces. Roasted chicken sausage, shrimp and other garnishes popular on “designer” pizzas are unavailable at Richie’s. And forget Thai peanut-sauce or taco pizzas. In a concession to Northwest palates, a pie bedecked with Canadian bacon and pineapple is on the menu, along with a three-cheese pizza enhanced with romas and basil but no sauce.

Heck, if you crave something different, opt for a white-sauced pizza redolent with roasted garlic or a thick-crusted and square-shaped Sicilian pie (sometimes called Chicago-style pizza). Thick or thin, all large pizzas ($17.95 to $24.50) are over-sized.

Normally, I wouldn’t review an eatery open less than a month, barely long enough to allow the ink to dry on it menus. But if, like me, you can’t turn down a good pizza and you’re eager to try authentic New York-style sandwiches, you need to know about Richie B’s. Get there soon; before long this place will be overflowing with customers. Including me. Without exceeding the speed limit, I’m hoping to one day whizz back to Astoria with a pizza that’s still hot.

Contact the Mouth at The Daily Astorian, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 or phone (503) 325-3211 or e-mail mouth@dailyastorian.com

Richie B’s,

300 S. Roosevelt Drive, Seaside;

(503) 738-7700

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day but Wednesday (closed)

Prices: Moderate. Sandwiches cost $6.50 to $7.25, pizzas $11.95 to $24.50

Superior selections: Philly cheese steak, meatball “Wedge,” eggplant parmesan and Italian sub sandwiches and any of the pizzas

Atmosphere: Live from the East Coast, it’s Richie B’s!

Service: Ultra friendly, but be prepared to wait when the place gets crowded.

Kid-friendly: Yes, but not much room to hang out

Vegetarian options: Salad, a couple sandwiches and pizzas, one pasta

Alcohol: None available

Access: Tight quarters, but accessible to those with disabilities

Credit cards: Mastercard, Visa

Personal checks: OK

Reservations: Not necessary, but phone ahead for speedier take-out

Smoking: Not permitted