Cold and dank November nights merit comforting, stomach-warming repasts. Food served at the following two Astoria mainstay restaurants will help take the damper off even the stormiest late-autumn evenings.

Pier 11 Feedstore Restaurant and Lounge

77 11th St., Astoria

(503) 325-0279

11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday

A leaf of lettuce seems a silly garnish, save for its bright green color on the plate, an ideal contrast to many seafood entrees. It’s edible, sure, but an accompaniment that’s easier to eat – say, julienned carrots, green beans or a bed of herbed rice – would make more sense. Furthermore, why do some restaurants use a vibrant leaf of butter lettuce or escarole to complement a fish filet, but choose wimpy pale-green iceberg lettuce for their salads? The practice seems akin to featuring fresh Columbia River salmon in a seafood chowder, then serving farmed salmon as an entree.

Thankfully, Pier 11’s kitchen fashions salads with a variety of greens, plus cherry tomatoes, grated carrots, sliced cukes, sesame seeds and stalwart croutons. The result equals a fine plate of veggies, although the dressing comes in a small plastic container, presumably so diners can choose how much they want to use. Problem is, tossing a salad tableside can prove a tricky proposition, even with tasty blue cheese or ranch dressings.

The salad might serve as a metaphor for Pier 11, a restaurant showcasing solid culinary underpinnings, yet sometimes lacking attention to detail. Public perception seems to reflect this ambiguity; ask a dozen locals about the place and you’ll likely hear two opposing camps of opinion. Some longtime Astorians consider Pier 11 the cat’s meow. Conversely, other residents old and new have written the place off as second-rate, what with the wave of topnotch eateries that have made Astoria the Oregon coast’s culinary epicenter.

Neither opinion, in my view, is consistent with what’s now happening at the “foot” of 11th Street. Under the leadership of owners George and Shirley Brugh, the Pier once again affords a first option for diners, precisely because the restaurant’s kitchen has parted from past ways. Heck, the Pier used to have a salad bar (a pretty good one, too), a dining option most restaurant owners now believe is as useful as handing out bowls of lemon water for finger dipping. Thankfully, the Brughs have removed the salad bar and revamped the restaurant’s offerings – the current menu extends from sesame-lemon chicken to seafood fettuccine.

Preparations we’ve enjoyed recently include a lightly seasoned, grilled hunk of Columbia River sturgeon, which arrived nestled atop a leaf of butter lettuce, naturally. Petite pan-seared Willapa Bay oysters lived up to the hype – the menu states they’re “pan-seared to perfection!”

And a New York strip steak studded with cracked peppercorns proved an admirable slab of beef. Plus, chowder is thick and chunky, and refreshingly sweet cranberry butter provides a splendid bread spread.

Desserts are superior to anything offered previously, particularly a layered chocolate “Decadence” that garnered raves for incredible richness.

“The food here seems dated,” my dining companion remarked after I wolfed down most of our shared chocolate concoction. No qualms about the meal, she explained, just that the food lacked inspiration. Guess that assessment depends on your point of reference, I replied, while enjoying a forkful of Southwestern-inspired rice laced with corn kernels and thinking that many restaurants offering tried and true preparations might be termed dated or old-fashioned.

Whatever. To me, what’s encouraging is that Pier 11 is moving in the right direction: from ho-hum food toward a solid, if not especially innovative, menu. Dated or not, there’s nothing wrong with a correctly cooked steak, juicy slow-roasted prime rib and seafood expertly grilled, sauteed or pan-seared – particularly when such food is served in one of Astoria’s finer venues, on pilings above the Columbia River and within easy sight of frolicking sea lions, waterfowl and passing ship traffic.

T Paul’s Urban Cafe

1119 Commercial St., Astoria

(503) 338-5133

9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Astoria knows no cozier venue than this long and narrow main-street cafe appointed with Chinese lanterns, reclaimed double-hung windows, plastic vines, live plants, attractive art and, seemingly, whatever else was on hand when the interior was decorated. The overall atmosphere is homey, pleasant and somehow avant-garde. Couples often rendezvous here, and many customers drop in for dessert and coffee following a movie or dinner elsewhere.

But the Urban affords many pervasive reasons for dining on premises. Sure, the place is known for its array of salads, sundry quesadillas and darn good clam chowder. But more substantial fare shouldn’t be overlooked. Cioppino, for instance, which has got to be the quintessential coastal comfort food. Sea scallops, tiger prawns, red snapper, wild coho salmon and Manila steamers highlight the Urban’s version, the seafood shebang simmered in a herb-infused tomato-based broth awash with carrots, red potatoes and button mushrooms.

Pastas can be compelling, even irresistible. Penne might come tossed in a pesto-cream sauce with spinach and tomatoes, while a host of garden goodies might enhance a plate of fettuccine. Grilled chicken breast, bay shrimp, Gulf Coast prawns and beef are optional parts of the mix.

And there are ample reasons those quesadillas are so popular – a recent one came stuffed with Dungeness crab, feta, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, jack and cheddar cheeses and a host of other enticements. The wine list is short but well-chosen, and every selection can be had by the glass. Desserts such as Lemon Shaker pie, Swedish cream panna cotta, carrot cake spread with a citrus-cream cheese frosting and chocolate this and that always warrant a nod. Adventuresome diners have been known to order one of the latter with a pint of Youngs Double Chocolate Stout, a British brew that goes down easy with even the most outrageous sweet treats.

Live music sometimes is on tap. A recent drizzly Friday evening saw Brownsmead Flats members Ned Heavenrich and Dan Sutherland team up on guitar and hammer dulcimer, respectively, and create what one appreciative patron described as downright heavenly melodies.

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