A dozen years back, a friend asked me to name my top 10 Columbia-Pacific region restaurants. I had difficulty getting beyond seven, and not just because there were far fewer fine places to dine in 1994 than there are nowadays. Choosing my top 10, 20 or however many “best” restaurants is a doable but still nebulous and highly subjective experience, rather like requesting a tally of my most-treasured childhood memories.

Yeah, I’ve dedicated past Munchie Awards articles to a favored few restaurants; last year I picked 28, for heaven’s sake. This time around, I’m taking a different tack. The restaurants below aren’t necessarily the absolute finest this region has to offer – whatever that means – although clearly they’re all right up there. More importantly, these eateries afford diners every restaurateur’s holy grail: innovative and expertly prepared meals served amid comfortable surroundings. Arranged alphabetically then, here are 13 establishments not to be missed in 2006, followed by this region’s best new restaurant and the restaurant of the year.

42nd Street Cafe

4201 Pacific Way, Seaview, Wash.

(360) 642-2323

One of these mornings, forget the ham, eggs, flapjacks, toast and waffles. Indulge instead in beignets, those irresistible New Orleans-inspired fritters amply coated with powdered sugar and best appreciated with a liberal smear of house-made Marionberry conserves and a cuppa French press coffee. These dandies are part of chef Cheri Walker’s far-flung repertoire, a culinary grasp that encompasses country fried steak, skillet-fried chicken and halibut stew, along with walnut-crusted rack of lamb and seductive raviolis. $$

Fulio’s Pastaria

1149 Commercial St., Astoria

(503) 325-9001

Sure, chef Peter Roscoe’s pastas are sublime and his seared Caesar salad is this region’s most ingenious rendition. But to really get a feel for what this restaurant is about, venture beyond penne putanesca and rigatoni salsa rosa. Entrees such as pollo rosemarino, a lusty free-range chicken marinated in lemon, rosemary and garlic, are sure to please. So too, an expertly rendered eggplant Parmigiano that would make an Italian grandmother proud and pesce di giorno, an opulent slab of grilled Columbia River sturgeon garnished with red and green flavors. Look for more beef dishes in the near future. $$

Gower St. Bistro

1116 S. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach

(503) 436-2729

Get a glimpse into the culinary future at this self-acclaimed European-style charcuterie, a place where you can buy your meat (or cake) and eat it, too. In addition to a cache of cured meats, Gower sells cheeses, seasonal salads and sweets, making this bistro picnic headquarters for midtown Cannon Beach. On the menu are eggs scrambled with yummy fixings, pulled-pork and portabello panini, grilled polenta cakes, even a portion of crispy pommes frites. $$

Meals from the Silver Salmon Grille can be paired with wine from Maryhill Winery at Silver Salmon Cellars.Grateful Bread Restaurant and Bakery

34805 Brooten Road, Pacific City

(503) 965-7337

Nothing could be finer at the noon hour than a bodacious sandwich built with bread baked on the premises – say, a Grateful Poorboy, a toasted baguette loaded with smoked turkey, ham, pepperoni and mozzarella, or a garlic-shrimp melt on focaccia. But this cheery bakery-cafe in burgeoning Pacific City also offers mighty fine food anytime. In the a.m., try a smoked-salmon scramble or poppyseed pancakes; come evening, order the dory-caught grilled cod or a veggie lasagna layered with spinach and three cheeses. True, Grateful Bread is about 90 miles from Astoria, but the drive’s worth it. $-$$

Nehalem River Inn

34910 Highway 53, Mohler

(503) 368-7708

Problem: You need to break out of your restaurant rut and find a new exciting place to dine. Solution: Head for tiny Mohler and an evening meal at the Nehalem River Inn. Yes, prices are up there, but this rural outpost of culinary creativity purveys what chef Ryan Hamic calls “food without borders.” Hamic’s cooking is elegant instead of fancy, pretty but not ostentatious. Want proof? Order the Painted Hills (Ore.) New York steak, snuggled up against a cache of French horn mushrooms and white cheddar potato gratin, followed by a custardy panna cotta imbued with blood oranges for dessert. $$$

Bartender Lyndsay Price pulls a pint at the Warren House Pub, which serves Bill’s Tavern brews with dishes of smoked ribs, weekend oysters and more.Pacific Way Bakery & Cafe

601 Pacific Way, Gearhart

(503) 738-0245

There are enough pizza parlors in these parts to satiate an army of aficionados. But this breezy corner cafe a couple blocks from the beach bakes the best pizza imaginable, whether it be a straightforward tomato-basil or a Thai-chicken strewn with sweet peppers, mint, cilantro and chicken breast marinated in a piquant peanut sauce. There’s a full lunch and dinner lineup, and baker Lisa Allen’s breads, muffins, Marionberry scones and flavored croissants are drop-jaw delightful. $$

Pelican Pub & Brewery

33180 Cape Kiwanda Drive, Pacific City

(503) 965-7007

Brewer Darren Welch, whose ales have won umpteen awards, crafts his concoctions like a homebrewer, using a base malt suited to the style of beer he’s brewing, instead of relying on a house malt. So says “Northwest Brewing News.” Whatever, I know what I like, and Doryman’s Dark Ale and Kiwanda Cream Ale go down easy, particularly if accompanied by an order of panko-crusted onion rings or one of the pub’s smoked-duck pizzas. Plus, for the second time, the Pelican was selected Small Brewpub of the Year at Denver’s Great American Beer Festival, arguably the nation’s most prestigious competition. $$

Lil’ Bayou

20 N. Holladay Drive, Seaside

(503) 717-0624

Crawfish etouffee, jambalaya, boudin blanc, hush puppies, alligator, even. You can’t get food like this at any other Columbia-Pacific region restaurant, and chef John Sowa, a Long Island (N.Y.) native, crafts these Cajun-Creole dishes with the nth degree of authenticity. Don’t be timid; this food won’t bite. Sowa’s cooking is subtly seasoned rather than hot ‘n spicy. Live music often plays in the restaurant’s Magnolia Lounge, a sultry setting to enjoy an exotic cocktail and take in the tunes. $$

The Schooner Twelfth Street Bistro

360 12th St., Astoria

(503) 325-7882

I’ll just go ahead and blurt it out: This downtown watering hole (and restaurant of record for the Hotel Elliott, its across-the-street neighbor) is my favored Astoria hangout. I retire here when I crave a twin-patty buffalo burger, Thai chicken salad or a ribeye sided with garlicky mashers and a pint of Guinness to wash it down. Nobody on staff bugs me when I nurse my beer, ’cause the barkeeps know I’m a lightweight. They visit my table only when needed and most of the time, at precisely the right moment. $$

Silver Salmon Cellars

1105 Commercial St., Astoria

(503) 338-6640

Most restaurants sell wine, and some offer an excellent selection. Wine bars, conversely, often provide no more than a token menu. Not so at this aboveground “cellar,” with meals from the adjacent Silver Salmon Grille. So, for instance, you could enjoy a plate of grilled Willapa oysters (or salmon prepared a number of ways) with your house viognier, produced by Washington’s well-regarded Maryhill Winery. Be sure to check out the colorful label painted by local artist Bill Dodge. Hint: Maryhill’s Fort Rock Red pairs famously with Silver Salmon’s Grand Marnier pudding cake. For vinophiles seeking something more worldly, the wine list, by the bottle and the glass, extends well beyond the Northwest. $$-$$$

T. Paul’s Urban Cafe

1119 Commercial St., Astoria

(503) 338-5133

If the weekend crowds are any indication, you’ve probably dined here and savored the cozy-hip milieu. Fine, but next time opt for something other than a roasted chicken quesadilla, a plate of prawn fettuccine or the humongous house salad. Worthwhile choices all, but a “specials” sheet might list ravioli stuffed with Dungeness crab and wild mushrooms, cioppino, even slow-roasted prime rib. The cheesecakes, caramel-apple pie and various chocolate concoctions will put a cap on whatever you order. $-$$

The Shoalwater Restaurant

4415 Pacific Highway, Seaview, Wash.

(360) 642-4142

Wanna splurge? Reserve a spot at one of the upcoming Shoalwater Northwest Winemaker’s Dinners. Owner Tony Kischner schedules a lineup of renowned wineries. Meanwhile, chef Lynne “Red” Pelletier, pastry chef (and co-owner) Ann Kischner and staff put on the ritz and prepare this region’s most dazzling seven-course feasts – wild boar stew, Pheduckich (pheasant, duck and ostrich), avocado flan flecked with crab and lobster, a host of cheeses, kiwi-strawberry sorbet, chocolate-fruit tartlets, pear Charlottes and more. Featured wines are served with every course, and the bash usually lasts a couple-three hours. $$$

Warren House Pub

3301 S. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach

(503) 436-1130

No local watering hole so closely embodies the convivial atmosphere emanating from Portland’s pub scene, unless it’s the Warren House’s sister establishment, Bill’s Tavern & Brewhouse, located a couple miles up the road. Warren House is also a serious restaurant; smoked ribs, seared ahi and weekend oysters and eggs are all on the menu. Go ahead and enjoy the latter with a pint of Duckdive; the much-touted ales served here are crafted by Bill’s Tavern brewer Jack Harris. $$

Best new restaurant

Diners can enjoy a meal along the Nehalem waterfront at Currents.

Currents

35815 U.S. Highway 101, Nehalem

(503) 368-5557

Too bad Currents isn’t located in Cannon Beach, Seaside or Astoria. The restaurant probably would receive much-warranted kudos and gain additional customers in a more populated setting. And I’d get to eat here more often.

Chef-owner Jake Burden, a Wheeler homeboy, no doubt likes Currents right where it is, snuggled up against the downtown Nehalem waterfront. Inside, the low ceilings, closely spaced tables and proximity of the bar lend an energetic vibe akin to a century-old river steamer ferrying passengers as far upriver as the tides will allow.

Meals can be transcendent, especially tried-and-true dishes with exciting new sides – a grilled strip steak with fingerling potatoes and pumpkin hash; barbecued beef short ribs with pepper-jack grits; bacon-wrapped pork loin accompanied by honey-chipotle mashed potatoes. Seafood isn’t a big deal, a rarity at the coast, but sesame prawns are splendid, bathed in citrus-sake sauce that’s more subtle than it sounds. Desserts, such as a spiced apple Napoleon, fig bread pudding and a double-chocolate brownie, are worth waiting for.

Call the Currents crew newcomers, if you will (the restaurant opened in late December 2004). Burden and his staff have been putting out polished preparations from the get-go. $$$

Restaurant of the Year

At The Depot, Michael Lalewicz serves up a special of seafood estafado.

The Depot

1208 38th Place, Seaview, Wash.

(360) 642-7880

Some time ago, I received a particularly scathing e-mail. Suffice it to say that a “Mouth” reader was disappointed with my review of The Depot.

The restaurant’s not nearly as good as you make it out to be, he contended, then went on to explain why. He concluded by urging me to dine out of the area more often, presumably so I might learn what an exemplary eatery is about.

Well, I do travel and dine at many fine restaurants throughout the United States and beyond. Know what? The Columbia-Pacific region’s top restaurants could hold their own anywhere, and The Depot, so-called because it’s housed in a former railway station, is no exception to this dictum. What was already a fine dining venue got even better when Michael Lalewicz, a Western Culinary Institute grad, and wife Nancy Gorshe, a health professional, assumed ownership in early 2003. They spruced up the interior, improved the wine list, stabilized the menu and eliminated the fussiness, yet maintained The Depot’s fun quotient, always a high point.

Internationally oriented, upscale bistro fare is how Lalewicz characterizes his cooking, but the food here defies categorization. Just call it reliable and rock-solid, ’cause Lalewicz and sous chef Cleveland Graham resist outrageous fusion in favor of proven preparations. They’re focused on purveying lively, unpretentious fare such as fried Willapa oysters, Clam Tide Railroad Chowder and signature house salad greens gussied up with candied walnuts, chopped pears and blue cheese. Entrees run the gamut from coconut prawns and gorgonzola gnocchi to tandoori chicken and pistachio-crusted lamb chops. Wednesday Burger Nights are the region’s foremost Bacchanalian feasts, and desserts are always a pleasantly sweet surprise. $$