It makes perfect sense, of course, pairing fish markets with on-the-premises restaurants. Yet selling raw and prepared seafood (beyond shrimp cocktails and such) under the same roof is a relatively new concept in the Columbia-Pacific region.

Among the current crop, here are three establishments that purvey fresh ocean and bay bounty and sell some of their catch cooked, as well.

Bell Buoy of Seaside

1800 S. Roosevelt Drive, Seaside

(503) 738-2722

www.bellbuoyofseaside.com

Some Seaside old-timers have patronized Bell Buoy since they were kids, and with good reason – this Highway 101 roadside attraction with the big blue, white and red neon sign has beckoned seafood fans for almost six decades with its saltwater bounty.

What’s newer is the adjacent Buoy’s Best Fish House, a former employees’ lounge transformed two years back into a fish ‘n’ chips restaurant furnished with a couple of tables, small counters with high-backed chairs and a deck out back overlooking the Necanicum River. Oyster shooters, clam chowder and other standard fish market fare can be had, yet customers keep coming for the Buoy’s seafood baskets. Order them brimming with halibut, cod, oysters, prawns, clam fritters, grilled razors, crab cakes, a steamed half crab or chunks of wild salmon ($5.95 to $9.95). It’s the most diverse lineup around, and the deal includes a passel of fries, coleslaw spiked with Craisins and house cocktail sauce that offers a pleasantly mild afterkick.

Can any of the fish choices be ordered grilled rather than deep-fried, we wondered? Depends on how the fish is cut up that day and who’s preparing it, replied the cook on duty that evening, a former commercial fisherman who helps out wherever he’s needed at Bell Buoy. We lucked out and had our five pieces of wild salmon grilled with nothing but a thin sheen of butter, a tastier and heart-healthier way of enjoying the Northwest’s signature fish.

On the menu: Oyster shooters, clam chowder, seafood salads and melts, tuna sandwiches and nine seafood baskets

Not to be missed: Grilled wild salmon ‘n’ chips paired with coleslaw and tangy house cocktail sauce

Clemente’s Seafood

1335 Marine Drive, Astoria

(503) 325-1067

www.fishlanding.com

More than a few food aficionados claim they fancy Dungeness crab over lobster, a preference I’m hard-pressed to argue. Extracting meat fresh from the shell is the favored method of enjoying this choicest of shellfish, but feasting on crab cakes comes in a close second.

Coincidentally, Dungeness crab shaped into cakes is available at every seafood market I patronized during the past couple of weeks, including Clemente’s, a cheery corner storefront that’s a family affair. Formerly called Fish Landing, the place was opened by John and Sue Tarabochia in June 2003. John owns and operates (with his son Ryan) a three-boat fleet – St. John and Blue Sea, moored in Astoria, and Raygin T in Alaska – that supply the seafood. Fish Landing morphed into Clemente’s Seafood when Gordon and Lisa Clemente (Lisa is John Tarabochia’s sister) bought the business.

Because of its mainstreet location, lots of tourists come to Clemente’s; multiple tables and ample elbow room make it a comfy respite from Astoria’s bustling downtown traffic. Edibles prepared behind the counter range from halibut tacos (a recent special) to appropriately named “fish candy” – maple-glazed smoked salmon. In warmer weather, the covered open-air patio is a fine choice for outdoor dining.

But back to Clemente’s crab cakes. Light, flaky, incredibly rich and lusciously crabby, these gems are among the finest crab cakes I’ve eaten, including doubly expensive renditions I’ve tried in chichi restaurants. At Clemente’s, an order ($8.50) is paired with grilled garlic bread and extra-thick clam chowder.

On the menu: Crab and shrimp Louies, clam chowder, crab, shrimp, halibut and smoked-salmon melts, cioppino

Not to be missed: Dungeness crab cakes – light, flaky and lusciously crabby

Uniontown Fish Market Catering & Deli

229 W. Marine Drive, Astoria

(503) 325-9592

www.uniontownfishmarket.com

Yearning for something beyond clam chowder, fish ‘n’ chips and shrimp melt sandwiches? Consider a squid salad, hardly a mainstay on most fish market menus. Except at this expansive Uniontown seafood mart and deli, where squid is marinated in ginger and garlic, sliced into thin strips and prepared without breading, meaning it’s unlike what most folks are used to when they dine on fried calamari. Although the squid doesn’t pack much heat, it’s tender, slightly sweet and a hearty focus for the greens and all the usual crispy-crunchy veggies that are tossed into the salad.

The deli itself, decorated with a potpourri of nautical paraphernalia and photos, is even more vibrant than the squid salad. And the menu is extensive: another nine salads, a like number of meaty sandwiches, bagels with lox and cream cheese, steamers, even shrimp cheese bread and crab nachos. Or, you can order anything, prepared pretty much whatever way you like, from Uniontown’s seafood case next door to the deli (market price plus $7).

On the menu: Multiple salads, almost a dozen sandwiches, clam chowder, “seafood snacks” (oyster shooters, crab cheese bread, shrimp nachos), desserts (peach and mixed-berry pies, chocolate-raspberry cheesecake and more), Saturday evening all-you-can-eat seafood buffet

Not to be missed: Spicy squid salad – marinated but mild calamari kissed with ginger and garlic

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