Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula holds a treasure trove of restaurants – from high-end establishments to timeless classics.

I don’t often have a chance to visit the Peninsula, so when I do, I try to visit as many restaurants as possible. Here are some recommendations for your next visit:

Imperial Schooner Restaurant

133 Howerton Way S.E., Ilwaco, Wash.

(360) 642-8667

Owned by Clint and Laurie Carter, this cozy little dockside bistro with white lace curtains, green painted walls and a checkerboard floor specializes in grilled and deep-fried fish ‘n’ chips and seafood. Choose between six different oyster preparations made with buttermilk-soaked Willapa Bay oysters. Choices include cornmeal-dusted oysters, chicken-fried, angels on horseback and Cajun style, among others. Fish ‘n’ chips consists of three pieces of beer-battered, deep-fried cod. Theme-named seafood plates include the Crown Plate (with cod, clams and shrimp) and the LeBaron Plate (with cod, clams, oysters and shrimp). In place of fries, you can substitute onion rings or deep-fried cornmeal hush puppies – a Southern favorite. A selection of burgers, sandwiches and low-carb wraps are available any time, as is the homemade clam chowder. Fresh salads, made with homemade dressings, include a bay shrimp salad, chef salad and more. Desserts include ice cream sundaes, root beer floats and homemade pies. The Schooner is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

42nd Street Café

4201 Pacific Way, Seaview, Wash.

(360) 642- 2323

Nestled in a cheery, vintage yellow house just off U.S. Highway 101 in Seaview, you’ll find this popular eatery. I first met Cheri and Blaine Walker about 20 years ago, when Cheri worked as the chef for The Shoalwater Restaurant. I was greatly impressed with her talent. The first dinner I attended there was a Walla Walla winemakers’ dinner, organized by Tony Kischner. This was before Walla Walla had become recognized as a premier wine-producing region. One dish of Cheri’s that I still recall after all these years was wild Chinook salmon served with a minted cream sauce. It was brilliant.

The food Cheri serves at 42nd Street is less pretentious than that of the former Shoalwater, but it is still based on the freshest local ingredients she can find. As always, her creative dishes are filled with color and flavor. Under “appetizers, light meals and small plates,” look for tempting creations such as fried green tomatoes with cumin, orange and green chili mayonnaise, savory Dungeness crab beignets rolled in spicy apricot marmalade served on organic greens with a balsamic vinegar reduction, and Mediterranean lamb pizza with green chilies, mint, pine nuts and feta cheese. Dinners come with a green salad and house-baked bread with marionberry conserve and corn relish. Seafood is the house specialty. The menu features pan-fried or blackened fresh Willapa Bay oysters, classic fried razor clams and planked wild Chinook salmon with a smoked sweet bell pepper glaze, among many others. “Roadhouse” dinners feature eight-hour pot roast, made with hormone-free Oregon Country Beef, and iron skillet-fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. Don’t miss breakfast and Cheri’s housemade desserts. Dinner is served nightly starting at 4:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch are offered daily 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Port Bistro

235 Howerton Way, Ilwaco, Wash.

(360) 642-8447

Torchon of Foie Gras served with French toast, cherry vanilla gastrique and toasted walnuts is one of several unique appetizers at The Port Bistro in Ilwaco, Wash.Port Bistro overlooks the colorful fishing port of Ilwaco, where local fishermen return daily from the sea with their fresh catch of crab, salmon and halibut. Local waters provide steamer clams and Willapa Bay oysters. Wild mushrooms from the surrounding forests and cranberries from local bogs are all incorporated into the Bistro’s seasonal menus. Owner/chef Larry Piaskowy and his partner, Jennifer Williams, run this intimate bistro, where a sleek copper bar with retro stools serves as a gathering place for locals and visitors. Tables offer views of the local fishing fleet.

This year, when the flavors of spring started rolling around in Piaskowy’s mind, three ingredients surfaced immediately. “I was trying to do some creative thinking using fresh Dungeness crab,” explains Piaskowy. “For me, asparagus, roasted peppers and fresh crab are the spring trilogy.” With a kitchen full of fresh asparagus and sweet, just-cooked Dungeness crab from OleBob’s Seafood Market (located just a few doors down from the Port Bistro), Piaskowy combined the three ingredients to create asparagus pot de crème topped with roasted red pepper crème fraiche and huge chunks of freshly cracked Dungeness crab. Seasonal house specialties include butter-poached Alaskan halibut served over broiled fingerling potatoes with asparagus and herb aioli, Ahi tuna, seared rare over Dungeness crab polenta with sautéed spinach and roasted red pepper vinaigrette, and fresh Willapa Bay oysters on the half shell with Champagne mignonette. These are just a few of the dishes that illustrate the passion and creativity of Chef Piaskowy. Port Bistro is open daily for lunch (11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and dinner (5 to 9 p.m.).

High on my list to visit soon are Pelicano and Tuscany Café in Ilwaco – two restaurants that friends have raved about.

I did stop in at Pelicano, where I met Chef Jeff McMahon and his wife, Shelly Hedges. Their menu for July sparkles with items like roasted eggplant soup with peperonata, grilled quail with a sauté of corn, red onions, poblano peppers and Guajillo-sesame sauce. They also have a sophisticated wine list. Sadly, my last three visits were on days the Tuscany Café has not been open.

Other restaurants that I look forward to visiting are Café Akari in Long Beach, Raven & Finch in Ilwaco, and The Moby Dick Hotel, where Chef Brian Crow took the helm this spring.

I look forward to revisiting the Long Beach Peninsula soon, and invite readers to send in recommendations for restaurants to try.

– Lori McKean