The past few times I’ve dined at Andrew & Steve’s Café in downtown Astoria, it has been raining – that cold, damp coastal rain that chills to the bone.

On days like that, I can’t think of anything more comforting than sliding into a cozy, well-worn booth (some offer a view of the Columbia River) to dine on delicious home-style food.

A lighted old-fashioned pie case near the front door rotates with freshly baked pies. Bar stools lined up at a friendly counter offer a place for locals to gather. This is a restaurant where people feel comfortable to dine alone – one elderly woman was in for afternoon tea. Another gentleman came in for pie and coffee with his Daily Astorian in hand. This is a place where the waitresses call you “hun,” even if they don’t know you. Old-time hand-painted pictures over the open kitchen, titled “Perk,” “Rattle,” “Toast” and “Shake” depict the good old-fashioned food served at Andrew & Steve’s.

The restaurant opened in 1916, when restaurant manager Stephanie Phillipakis-Dunagan’s grandfather Steve Phillipakis partnered with Andrew Cetina, both Greek immigrants. Originally, they used a coal stove for cooking and baking. Fruits and vegetables came from local farmers and local meats were all hand-butchered. The original restaurant burned in the Great Fire of Astoria in 1922, after which Andrew and Steve rented space in the Occidental Building, where they resumed business.

In 1951, Stephanie’s aunt and uncle, Pete and Harriet Antoniou, and her father, Gus Phillipakis, acquired the business. They later purchased the VFW Building, where the restaurant has been located for the past 33 years. Stephanie is part of the third generation involved with the restaurant. “On behalf of my entire family,” she writes, “I welcome you to the restaurant! Enjoy our food and our history!”

In keeping with tradition, cooks at Andrew & Steve’s still roast their own meats, bake their own pies and puddings and make their own soups, sauces and gravies from scratch. Breakfast (served all day) is my favorite meal at the restaurant. The classic breakfast – two large fresh country eggs with crisp hash browns, toast and jelly and your choice of bacon, ham, link sausage, Kielbasa or Gus Phillipakis’ homemade pork sausage patty is the classic diner breakfast. Three-egg omelets feature a Spanish omelet, a Denver omelet (with minced ham, onions and green pepper) and Andrew & Steve’s Country Omelet, filled with bacon, ham, sausage, mushrooms, cheese and hash browns and topped with homemade sausage gravy. Under “syrup delights,” look for hot cakes, blueberry pancakes, French toast and a Belgian waffle topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Hot coffee, espresso, cappuccino and other coffee drinks are made in-house.

One rainy afternoon, bowls of clam chowder and a hearty beef, barley and mushroom soup took the chill off. Both were richly flavored and delicious. A Greek spinach salad, topped with feta cheese, chopped tomato, onion and Kalamata olives, topped with an herb-infused Greek vinaigrette, was fresh and flavorful. Yeasty, hot butterhorn rolls on the side were very welcome.

The Fishwich sandwich, made with deep-fried breaded halibut, was served on a sesame bun with just tartar sauce, lettuce and a few slices of dill pickle. It was very good, but the plate looked stark and would have benefited by the addition of some French fries or chips. Seafood casserole, advertised as the restaurant’s “best seller,” was filled with halibut, scallops and shrimp tossed with the restaurant’s clam chowder base and topped with cheddar cheese. Baked in a boat-shaped ramekin, it comes with soup du jour or salad and garlic bread. From the description, I was expecting a seafood casserole, but it was more like a seafood chowder. When it arrived with a soup spoon, I realized that the soup I’d ordered to go with it was redundant. Much of the seafood in the casserole tasted fresh, but some didn’t.

Signature entrees include breaded veal cutlets, grilled center-cut pork chops and grilled beef liver and onions, among others. Authentic Greek cuisine features a Greek omelet made with spinach and feta cheese, a Greek gyro made with seasoned beef strips with vegetables and tzatziki sauce served on warm pita bread, and stuffed grape leaves topped with cream sauce.

Under “sandwiches & more,” you’ll find whole or half hot or cold sandwiches, burgers and specialty sandwiches, including the Stevedore, made with grilled roast beef and cheddar on sourdough and served au jus. Also look for classics, like beer-battered halibut fish ‘n’ chips, fresh Pacific fillet of sole and grilled Pacific oysters.

After enjoying a thick slice of tart homemade apple pie from the revolving pie stand and a cup of hot coffee, I was warm enough to step back out into the rain. A quick peek into the Chart Room, the restaurant’s bustling, dimly lit lounge, revealed that there was a lot more going on behind the scenes at Andrew & Steve’s on a dark rainy afternoon in Astoria.