As a Finn myself, I am well-familiar with the term sisu. I dont know that there is really one English word that equals it, but in a nutshell, sisu means bravery, grit and determination. Anyone who wants to open a restaurant probably does so with a hearty amount of sisu, and I applaud them for it. Such is the case with Finns Fish House in Seaside, where sisu is the order of the day, along with delicious seafood.

In the space that was once home to Pudgys Restaurant, the Utti family, who purchased Pudgys in 2005, has done an incredible job renovating it into a warm, sophisticated spot worthy of its location in the heart of Seaside.

I visited recently for dinner and began with the flash-fried calamari with dill aioli: a pleasing appetizer, incredibly fresh tasting, and with a delightful crunch. I thought the dill aioli was exceeding tasty and a nice departure from cocktail sauce, marinara, or one of the other sauces that are so commonly served with this dish.

A second appetizer of cheese bread was also toothsome, if a bit unexpected. Had I read the menu better, I would have noticed that the French bread was served coated with both marinara sauce and a blend of cheeses I dont know how I overlooked the marinara, as it might have deterred me from ordering it, but the blend of Italian flavors was an unbeatable combination, and Im glad I ordered it.

Rounding out the appetizers was a cup of good ol clam chowder. I have sampled so many cups of clam chowder in my time as The Mouth (since it is such a coastal staple, and since I am often asked to recommend the best chowder) that in my head, I have devised a sort of clam chowder spectrum. Each time I sample a new version I assign it a spot on the spectrum, considering various factors like consistency, quality of ingredients, overall flavor, etc. The chowder at Finns is a pleasing consistency, for my palate, anyway, which is to say neither too thick nor too thin, but there were no characteristics about it that made it particularly exceptional. Still, it was a tasty, traditional cup of chowder, and any out-of-towner in search of chowder would be pleased with it.

My mouth watered when an attractive rib-eye steak with garlic mashed potatoes graced my table. Grilled perfectly to my specifications and bursting with savory flavor perfection. The garlic mashed potatoes were more like smashed potatoes, rugged and with large chunks of potato. I dont normally mind this, as potatoes prepared this way are often done so without the copious amounts of butter, cream, and any number of other fattening dairy products, but the consistency of these potatoes was too sturdy; it needed loosening up with additional mashing, and more liquid: an easy fix.

I was excited to sample next grilled cod fish tacos with cabbage, pineapple-tomato salsa, feta and lime crema, served with jasmine rice and black beans. Although the portion size was quite ample with three large tacos, spilling over with cod, the fish itself could have used a bit more flavor. The predominant flavor present in the tacos was the sweetness of the pineapple, and the lime crema, rather than being piquant, seemed sweet as well. I would have much preferred to have the pineapple salsa on the side, so that I could control how much of it I would have wanted. Still, the tacos, overall, tasted incredibly light and fresh, and with a bit of salt were much improved.

The best dish of the day was half a Dungeness crab with drawn butter, though it came with a hefty market price tag of $37. The crab was exceptionally delicious, though, and was almost more than could be eaten in a single sitting. I suppose one could reason that it might be difficult to mess up crab, but regardless, it was completely delectable and presented well, and if I were entertaining out-of-town guests who were in search of crab, this is the place I would take them.

I applaud Finns for their sisu and encourage them to pitää yllä hyvää työtä (keep up the good work).