When I find a restaurant of very high caliber that has not yet been quite “discovered,” I’m hesitant to write about it. I would love to keep it all to myself. But my job is to report on restaurants (good and bad), so I will share a little secret.

The Seaside Inn restaurant is a gem. The classy, sophisticated oceanfront restaurant is tastefully decorated and furnished with a mix of dark leather chairs and couches, bistro-style tables, cozy booths and oceanview tables. A welcoming bar, lit with overhead stained glass lighting, also works as the inn’s reception area. Seating in the restaurant is well spaced, so that you always feel privacy, and the sound-absorbing acoustics also provide a feeling of intimacy. On cool nights, the beach stone fireplace warms the room.

The Northwest-inspired food, prepared by Chef Gary Stevenson, is outstanding. I had the good fortune of working with Stevenson for a short time, probably 15 years ago, when he was hired as the head chef for the Wayfarer Restaurant in Cannon Beach (I worked as the pastry chef). Stevenson has worked at many other top restaurants on the coast, including the Salishan Resort and the former Blue Sky Café in Manzanita, which many still consider the Holy Grail of coastal restaurants. He was also chef/co-owner of the Tsunami Grill in Cannon Beach.

Fresh produce and local seafood, meats and cheeses provide the inspiration for Stevenson’s seasonal menus. Recently, a jerk chicken spinach salad tossed in garlic lime vinaigrette topped with Jamaican spiced chicken and a housemade mango chutney had a lovely kick of spice from the chicken and the chutney. Roasted beet salad (served warm) with fresh asparagus, garlic white cheddar, couscous and crisp greens was topped with honey balsamic vinaigrette. My only complaint was that the couscous was dry and bland.

For appetizers, grilled asparagus spears were perfectly cooked (not too crisp, not too soft). Topped with a garlicky whole grain mustard vinaigrette, they came with golden crostini and a delicious mix of roasted red peppers, capers and chopped egg. Steaming hot golden crab cakes were packed with huge chunks of fresh Dungeness crab (and no fillers). They were delicious dipped in dill aioli. A glass of Eola Hills pinot gris, with delicate notes of pear, apple and spice, offered the perfect counterpoint.

Plates of jerk chicken salad, foreground, and roasted beet salad await diners in the patio area of The Seaside Inn with views of the Prom and ocean waves.Caesar salad, made with chopped romaine and a light Caesar dressing, was topped with rye and sourdough croutons. A basket of warm French bread in a white linen-lined basket came with a tiny glass bowl filled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. Pan-seared prawns in black bean-basil sauce had the perfect amount of spice. A sip of HinmanVineyards pinot noir, a robust pinot with notes of cedar, smoke and dark cherries, brought the dish’s spice back to life.

Fresh Alaskan halibut, coated with a hazelnut crust and served with lemon-dill butter, was perfectly grilled and seasoned. All entrees are served with a choice of scalloped potatoes, couscous or buttered linguine, fresh vegetables and a choice of soup or house salad. Topped with butter and local cheese, Yukon gold scalloped potatoes were the ultimate comfort food. Fresh zucchini, skin on, was cut into chunks and perfectly seasoned and grilled. It takes a masterful chef to make zucchini taste so good.

Stevenson bakes all the restaurant’s desserts. His molasses-hazelnut pie (a recipe he adapted from his mother’s pecan pie) is one of the most delicious desserts I have ever tasted. A fudge-like chocolate silk torte was decadently rich and filled with the taste of pure bittersweet chocolate. Strawberry shortcake, made with feather-light biscuits and a barely sweet whipped cream filling, captured the essence of spring.

The Seaside Inn is dog-friendly, and Chef Stevenson (who has two Labs of his own) bakes dog biscuits for the restaurant. Look for them on the counter in a glass jar. I took a few home to my dog and he loved them.

With its stunning interior, a view of Tillamook Head and the ocean, and one of the coast’s top chefs, the Seaside Inn is a treasure.