Before I set foot in Charlie’s Chowder & Coffee House, I mistakenly assumed that it was no more than an ice cream shop with espresso drinks, Wi-Fi and, of course, chowder.

I’d always dismissed it as such (and although it’s considered uncouth to judge a book by its cover, I’ve found that I’m usually pretty accurate) until a couple of weeks ago. I was wandering around the neighborhood while waiting for a to-go order from Tokyo Teriyaki (located next door) when I noticed Charlie’s menu in the window. “This looks pretty good!” I said to my friends. “I’m doing this place next.”

I’m glad that I did. Not only because I enjoyed my experiences there, but because I’m able to recommend it to you. It’s truly a pleasure to get the word out about Charlie’s Chowder & Coffee House.

As much as I detest the word “funky,” it seems to be the best way to describe the décor and atmosphere of Charlie’s. It’s the kind of place where every table has different salt and pepper shakers and silverware. The items of bric-a-brac that hang on the walls and from the ceiling have no discernible connection to one another (but in a good way, not the corporate, calculated Applebee’s way). The menu is of the same distinction. There is no correlation that I can detect among the hodgepodge of items the restaurant offers besides the obvious: They are all dishes that Charlie (Holboke, also the owner of Godfather’s Books) loves.

While first perusing the menu, I was taken aback by the prices – nothing more expensive than $10. I was even more astounded by the quality of food for said bargains. Take, for instance, the Sauteed Blue Mussels. A plentiful mound of the fresh steamed bivalves in a delicious white wine, butter and scallion broth is every bit as good as I’ve had in fine dining restaurants, but at $7, almost half the price.

The Artichoke Chicken Salad is a large plate of mixed greens tossed with your choice of dressings and topped with a sliced chicken breast, artichoke hearts, plenty of kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese. Six dollars! Great food at a great value.

As a chowder house, Charlie’s needs to live up to its namesake … and it does. While a little thicker than I usually like, the New England clam chowder ($4 cup, $6 bowl) is absolutely first-rate. Made with steamer clams, not canned giant sea clams, the flavor is superior to that of restaurants that cut corners to widen the profit margin. Manhattan clam chowder costs a little more ($5 and $7), but delivers all the same. In addition to the steamer clams, bay shrimp, mahi-mahi and salmon were also present in my bowl. Charlie was running mahi-mahi tacos as a special, and routinely utilizes the trim of whatever fresh ingredients he has for his soups. I passed up an intriguing special of African peanut soup, but now regret it. Perhaps it will make another appearance someday. Buffalo chili ($4 and $6) is also a solid selection and worth trying.

Since spending $8 at Rogue Pub for a chewy, disappointing Kobe beef hot dog in January, I’ve been looking for a place to redeem my faith in a great dog at a reasonable price (though Costco has stayed faithful). I’m pleased to report that the Angus dog ($3.50) and the Bison dog ($3.75) alone are worth a visit to Charlie’s. Dogs and sandwiches come with chips (no fryer at Charlie’s).

A selection I can’t stop talking about and will certainly be returning for is the pan-seared Yellowfin tuna sandwich ($7.50). Half-inch-thick slabs of the sashimi-grade tuna are cooked to your desired temperature (medium rare is perfect for a sandwich) and housed in a grilled Kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce. A superlative effort, and highly recommended.

Another benchmark seafood dish is the Shrimp Creole ($7). Six plump, perfectly cooked prawns inhabit a slightly spicy pepper, onion and tomato sauce over steamed rice. I can’t think of any preparation at any restaurant where you get six prawns for $7, let alone in such a wonderful, flawlessly prepared dish. If that weren’t enough, it also includes a side dish of your choosing. Some of the sides include four bean salad, coleslaw (which needed a little more seasoning), potato salad (good, but not as good as Mom’s), macaroni salad and Kim Chee from Kim’s Kitchen (the best Kim Chee around).

While service is extremely friendly, it is a little uninformed. But Charlie has all the answers, and my servers were happy to fetch them for me when I inquired. Get down to Charlie’s and discover, as I did, that the little place on the corner of 14th and Marine is one of Astoria’s best lunch spots.

– The Mouth

mouth@coastweekend.com