A recent evening stroll through Astoria was reminiscent of late November, but chronologically speaking, summer has arrived. Here’s a look at this season’s best bites, conveniently arranged by category. Remember that summer is overflow season for Columbia-Pacific restaurants; always phone ahead to inquire about hours and reservations.

Food with a view

Residents and visitors alike gravitate to Baked Alaska (No. 1 12th St., Astoria, (503) 325-7414, $$), Astoria’s consummate riverfront restaurant, to gawk at the passing ship traffic and savor the Northwest-oriented menu – campfire barbecued salmon, cornmeal-crusted oysters, a humongous Half-Baked Alaska dessert.

Beeline for the back dining room at Cafe Uniontown (218 W. Marine Drive, Astoria, (503) 325-8708, $$-$$$) where windows peek out at the Columbia River and the majestic span of the Astoria Bridge. Even better than the view is the Northwest-inspired menu: pecan-encrusted salmon, filet mignon wrapped with pepper bacon and pasta Uniontown, a melange of shellfish and mushrooms tossed in a creamy lemon sauce.

Perched atop pilings at the “foot” of Sixth Street, the Cannery Cafe (No. 1 Sixth St., Astoria, (503) 325-8642, $$-$$$) may be Astoria’s most recommended restaurant. Customers rave about pan-Asian salmon, the chowder, the bacon-wrapped ribeye and the signature crab-and-shrimp cakes, as well as the Columbia River vistas.

Patrons of the aptly named Currents (35815 U.S. Highway 101 N., Nehalem, (503) 368-5557, $$$) can watch the Nehalem River meander by while savoring seasonal cuisine that runs the gamut from a baked game hen plump with wild mushrooms and chestnuts to roasted portabello-potato lasagna.

Seafood supreme

So-Cal refugees Michael and Cameo Gilson have taken over the helm, but the picture-perfect locale and the much-acclaimed menu remain at The Ark (273rd Street and Sandridge Road, Nahcotta, Wash., (360) 665-4133, $$$). Wildly popular preparations such as Scotch salmon, sturgeon deglazed with sake and Willapa oysters every which way continue to wow customers, and the desserts are divine.

One of the longest-running culinary acts in town, The Bistro (263 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach, (503) 436-2661, $$-$$$) is reminiscent of a French country inn. The unfussy, understated seafood entrees (grilled halibut garnished with avocado salsa, for instance) are real pleasers, and the hip pocket-sized bar defines cozy.

Be bold. Step into the diminutive Columbian Cafe (1114 Marine Drive, Astoria, (503) 325-2233, $-$$) and request chef Uriah Hulsey’s seafood “Mercy,” a potpourri of the day’s finest fixings prepared in a choice of heat quotients (hint: “hot” means fiery). The next-door Voodoo Room is Astoria’s most diverse live-music venue.

Salmon, the Northwest’s signature fish, is front and center at the Silver Salmon Grille (1105 Commercial St., Astoria, (503) 338-6640, $$-$$$). Try it baked, broiled, blackened, poached, smoked, stuffed with Dungeness crab or encrusted with hazelnuts. Silver Salmon Cellars, an adjacent wine bar, features house-label vino produced by Washington’s Maryhill Winery.

Special occasions or any time

Bring a sense of culinary adventure to Blue Sky Restaurant (154 Laneda Ave., Manzanita, (503) 368-5712, $$$), a stylishly lit, low-slung eatery arranged with closely spaced tables and hung with avant-garde art. A changing menu might list Mediterranean couscous salad, truffle-scented rainbow trout or summer squash enchiladas.

It’s a special occasion at 42nd Street Cafe (4201 Pacific Highway, Seaview, Wash., (360) 642-2323, $$) any time chef Cheri Walker plays her harp, but her comforting cooking is a daily happening. Bacon waffles, jambalaya omelets and beignets served with French press cafe au lait are gratifying morning noshes, while halibut stew, pot-roasted beef, skillet-fried chicken and ahi freshened with watercress are p.m. pleasures.

At JP’s (240 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach, (503) 436-0908), $$-$$$), showman-chef Bill Pappas puts on a fine show (flaming fry pans and such) but the finished product – prawns swimming in a champagne-cream sauce, pasta primavera, a lusty top sirloin smothered with mushrooms and onions – ensures customer satisfaction. Diana Pappas’ sumptuous cappuccino torte will put a cap on any meal.

The New Orleans-inspired Lil’ Bayou (20 N. Holladay Drive, Seaside, (503) 717-0624, $$) dares to be different – at least in the Columbia-Pacifric region – with a lineup of Cajun and Creole specialties such as blackened catfish, muffuletta sandwiches and crawfish etoufee. The restaurant’s Magnolia Lounge is a sultry but not seedy setting that oozes deep-south noir and hosts live music on weekends.

Imaginative renditions of surf ‘n turf standbys (salmon-halibut skewers, rotisserie chicken) rule the roost at Kalypso (619 Broadway, Seaside, (503) 738-6302, $$), a spacious and gorgeously restored structure in the heart of Seaside’s Gilbert District. Try the back corner bar, a relaxing nook that overlooks the dining area, for libations and small plates.

Situated on the Nehalem River’s west bank, a scant distance above water level and within spittin’ distance of the Highway 53 bridge, is the Nehalem River Inn (34910 Highway 53, Nehalem, (503) 368-7708, $$$), a veritable culinary oasis in the heart of cow country. Here the gastronomic spectrum runs from roast quail with lentils to silver dollar-sized scallops bathed in a cauliflower-potato puree and a blood orange panna cotta for dessert.

Expect a heavenly repast at the Sanctuary Restaurant (U.S. Highway 101 and Hazel St., Chinook, Wash., (360) 777-8380, $$-$$$), a converted Methodist church showcasing angelic cherubs and sundry religious decor. Chef Joanne Leech’s cooking leans toward Scandinavian cuisine – think Swedish meatballs, prune-stuffed pork loin and pea soup and pancakes.

South Clatsop County’s finest dinners can be had in the dining room of the Stephanie Inn (2740 S. Pacific St., Tolovana Park, (503) 436-2221 or (800) 633-3466, $$$), an elegant oceanfront getaway that radiates luxury. Reservations are required for the lavish prix-fixe affairs presented by local food luminary John Newman. Porcini risotto, seared swordfish and rosemary-rubbed beef tenderloin are all possibilities.

Look for more of Summer’s Best Bites in next week’s Coast Weekend.

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