What do Star Wars memorabilia, vintage toys, a mechanical llama, and an enormous portrait of Clark Gable have in common? For the purposes of this review, Im going to assume youre stumped. The common denominator among these seemingly disparate items is that they represent a small sampling of the wonderful, kitschy décor that fills the walls of the Canby Asparagus Farm Casa de Tamales in downtown Astoria undoubtedly one of the best new restaurants in the area.

Regular readers of my column are probably aware of my ongoing quest to find tasty, authentic Mexican food here on the coast. While Tex/Mex food certainly has its place, and while there are a few authentic restaurants here and there, for me, they are lacking something that until recently I couldnt find anywhere: fresh ingredients, inspired preparations, authentic methods, and unique, singular flavor.

The owners of Casa de Tamales own a second location in Milwaukie and have had a Mexican food booth in the Astoria Sunday Market for more than a decade. On my recent visit, one of the owners seated us right away, and the fun décor fueled our conversation for several minutes. I jovially considered how many garage sales lost their lives to decorate the space.

We began with deep-fried asparagus with chile sauce. I must say that although I love asparagus, Ive never tasted it prepared in this fashion, and it wont be the last time. With an unbeatable, golden crunch and the piquant chile sauce, this is a fun appetizer thats a departure from the ordinary.

The menu is full of delicious-sounding options, and every dish I sampled was as good as the next. The tamales that the restaurant is named for are exceptional. So often, the masa (corn) dough becomes heavy and dense when it is steamed or boiled, but not here. Instead, the dough is light and airy, and retains the flavor of corn well. Even the side dishes of rice and black beans, which, at other restaurants, I dont even bother with, tasted fresh and interesting.

A second tamale cooked in a Nicaraguan style was also wonderful. Some diners may balk at first with the description of the filling, which includes raisins and green olives, but the combination of sweet and tangy, combined with chicken, potatoes and tomatoes, is uncommon and delicious, as well as eye-catching.

There are a few kinds of traditional tacos on the menu, including chicken, beef, veggie or el pastor (pork). I have not tasted finer tacos outside of Mexico. Each taco is comprised of two homemade tortillas, and your desired filling topped with onions and cilantro. The taco plate comes with three, but I easily could have eaten 10. I tried both the beef and the pork, but the beef was my favorite. The meat is almost crisp on the outside but tender on the inside, and full of flavor.

The burritos are also not to be missed. I had to try the cheekily named gringo burrito, so called, the owner said, because its a nod to what we often think a burrito is here in the states: enormous and filled with rice and beans. No burrito Ive eaten locally, though, has ever had such a delightful combination of flavors, with shredded cabbage, mango pico de gallo and spicy pork.

A creamy wedge of sweet flan was the perfect, simple dessert to cap off the meal.

Though I dont often mention wine, beer or spirits in my column (as wine is worthy of a column all its own, written by someone with more expertise than I), I have to mention that I was thrilled to see one of my favorite wineries represented at Casa de Tamales, especially since Ive never seen it served anywhere else locally.

Druids Fluid by Troon Vineyard in southern Oregon is a so-called wine for everyone, a red blend of merlot, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel. It is bright, zesty and smooth, and is the ultimate wine to bring to a party when you dont know whats being served for dinner. It goes with everything even tamales and the price wont break the bank.

Canby Asparagus Farms Casa de Tamales is a rare treat, and I recommend it highly.