Call it the Statue of Liberty syndrome: We sometimes don’t appreciate what we have in our own backyards. Want proof? When’s the last time you toured the Columbia River Maritime Museum, strolled the beach past Haystack Rock or marveled from atop Cape Disappointment at the swells rolling in from the Pacific?

Or ate dinner at Astoria’s Red Lion Seafare restaurant? In the 1970s, this sprawling portside establishment was considered Astoria’s premier high-end eatery. So try to recall when you last consumed a meal there. Been a while, hasn’t it?

There’s a reason, of course. During the last decade or more, the Seafare’s food has been mostly mediocre. Diners wondered why they should settle for high-priced “corporate” cuisine when superior restaurants awaited nearby.

Times change. Management at the Red Lion, part of a Spokane, Washington-based lodging enterprise called WestCoast Hospitality Corporation that owns 90 hotels in 16 states, wants to woo you back with a revamped menu and a cheerier atmosphere. Forget the pale iceberg-lettuce salads, the over-breaded deep-fried seafood and the sometimes surly service. Now a smiling wait staff will take your order for broiled and baked rosemary salmon or sauteed raspberry pork loin.

I hadn’t stepped inside the Seafare for five years. There’s a fresh-scrubbed feel, but the establishment still sports a retro nautical look. Decorated with wood-relief carvings of dolphins and seagulls, half-cask lamp shades and mirrored glass painted with colorful fish, the dining area remains Astoria’s most expansive. More than two dozen tables and a wall of windows overlook the Port of Astoria’s West Mooring Basin, affording sensational views of fishing boats, pleasure craft and, out in the Columbia’s channel, tankers and freighters traveling the river.

Initial impressions count, and at first glance the ambitious menu appears equally inspiring, and servers are certainly friendly. A decent house salad lightly dressed with a straightforward vinaigrette is a good sign; so is the prawn cocktail complemented by a zesty sauce. Encouraged, I break one of my cardinal restaurant rules and order a platter of razor clams. The dictum isn’t because I don’t like razors, mind you; in fact, they’re among my favorite briny delights. But razors should be eaten the same day they’re harvested, lest they turn tough.

Sure enough, mine are heavily breaded and almost too rubbery to cut with anything but a sharp knife. A couple of oysters served alongside are likewise so smothered in bread crumbs that it’s difficult to differentiate between the bivalves. Worse yet, a string bean and carrot combo arrives mushy and flavorless. A fine batch of roasted red potatoes drizzled with olive oil and kissed with herbs isn’t enough to rescue my meal.

Next time, I’m ready for prime rib, menu-advertised as the coast’s finest. But it’s Thursday Theme Night at the Seafare and Spicy Thai Beef and Prawns Flambe sounds too enticing to pass up. I’m not disappointed. Silken and spicy strips of beef highlight an ambrosial pastiche of snap peas, broccoli, chunks of red bell pepper, sliced onions and garlic. And prawns – a half dozen beauties paired with a red-chile-pepper dipping sauce that literally induces beads of sweat on my brow. And if the meal isn’t a perfect meld of the hot, sour, salty and sweet essences Thai food is renowned for, it’s darn tasty nonetheless.

Now I’m intrigued. What other gastronomic delights can the Seafare’s kitchen, under the direction of Executive Chef Robert Brech, purvey? Surf and turf – prime rib and salmon – get the nod. My dining companion, a red-meat expert whose dad was employed in the packing industry, rates her fork-tender, juice-dripping slab of beef B-plus to A-minus, even tough it’s cooked slightly more than the requested medium-rare. My cranberry salmon, a delightful blend of fish and fruit, spends too much time under the broiler, in the oven or both, because the wonderfully flavored filet is more pulpy than firm. This time, accompanying vegetables are fine.

Desserts, on the other hand, need work: Double chocolate cake is dry. Only faint hints of the promised espresso and brandy are evident in the tiramisu cake. Frankly, what’s with the “cake” version of tiramisu, anyway? The real deal is almost always superior.

As mentioned, Seafare servers are super friendly and help make a meal here a pleasurable experience. Still, some may be too young to appreciate the nuances that can upgrade a repast from very good to splendid – say, understanding the ins and outs of the menu or ascertaining when they’re needed, without hovering.

Instead of the well-chosen selection expected in a tony restaurant, the wine list is disappointingly standard. Overpriced too: Washington’s Columbia Crest Grand Estates chardonnay, a sumptuous sip that normally retails in wine shops and supermarkets for $10 to $13 a bottle, fetches $29; King Estate, oft-times a premier Oregon pinot noir, is listed for $50 without mention of a year or the vineyard of origin, crucial information for diners ready to dig deep into their wallets for a fine wine. And there’s no excuse for the undersized red-wine stemware, especially when some wines-by-the-glass cost upwards of $8.

Regardless, Astoria’s Red Lion is making strides toward respectability in the restaurant world, but currently is akin to an unfinished jigsaw puzzle. If management can put more pieces in place – continue to upgrade the menu, feature more vegetarian fare, better train the staff, ditch the vinyl table coverings, buy better wine glasses – a picture of a first-flight eatery might emerge.

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

Astoria Red Lion Seafare Pacific Grill and Chowder House, 400 Industry St.; (503) 325-3551; 2 stars (out of four)Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. The lounge is open later.

Prices: Moderate to expensive. Appetizers cost $5.95 to $15.95 (for the sampler platter); entrees $13.95 to $22.95; desserts $2.25 to $4.95. Dinner for two with drinks, tip and desserts will cost $60 or more. Sunday brunch costs $12.95 for adults, $6.95 for children (ages 4 or younger eat free).

Superior selections: Prawn cocktail, House Chopped salad, spicy Thai beef and prawns, prime rib

Atmosphere: Retro-nautical look with fabulous views of the West End Mooring Basin and river traffic

Service: Youthful and friendly

Kid-friendly: A breakfast, lunch and dinner Kid’s Menu includes all the favorites.

Vegetarian options: Caesar salad, 5-Cheese Baguette appetizer, vegetable primavera

Alcohol: Full bar. The wine list is standard-issue.

Access: The entrance and restrooms are accessible to those with disabilities.

Credit cards: All major cards

Personal checks: OK

Reservations: Recommended

Smoking: Permitted in the lounge only

Goings on at the grillePainted, carved and cut-out salmon appear throughout the Silver Salmon Grille (1105 Commercial St., Astoria; (503) 338-6640). You can take inspiration from the fish while participating in the restaurant’s Second Anniversary Coloring Contest, scheduled for Feb. 25 from 3 to 9 p.m. The winning entrant will receive $200; gift certificates will be awarded to second- and third-place finishers.

Also on tap at the Silver Salmon is a five-course dinner featuring wines from Oregon’s Adelsheim Vineyard on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. Cost for the repast is $65 per person, and reservations are required.