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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2018)
12 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Coast Weekend’s local restaurant review RELIEF PITCHER Relief Pitcher’s Albacore Reuben one of the coast’s best uses of tuna Review and photos by THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA MOUTH@COASTWEEKEND.COM T he drinks are cheap and strong and the bathrooms are humid and slippery. The carpeted floors are lumpy and the walls are papered with mementos of decades past — fading pho- tos and funky keepsakes, a Bud Light-branded guitar and a metal sign from the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. The Oregon Lottery, Ducks, Beavers and Sea- hawks abound. But the Relief Pitcher — aka the “R.P.” — in Seaside does more than keep locals lubricated, gambling and watching sports. It boasts appealing and occasionally tantalizing blue-collar bar grub. The R.P. is a dive bar of the high- est order. While their burgers satisfy, the Albacore Tuna Reuben ($12.95) is a star belonging on the short-list of North Coast Dishes You Have to Order. Dare I say, it’s among the best uses of tuna on the coast. The R.P.’s regional signature stacks a stout, flaky, seared tuna steak on buttery, toasted rye bread with sauerkraut, Swiss and slip- pery-sweet Thousand Island. It’s gooey, salty, crispy, juicy, creamy, sweet and briny. Just perfect. Like its pastrami-piling brethren, the Tuna Reuben is super meaty. But rather than meat sweats, you’ll be left buzzing on that high-octane lean protein. But I assure you: The Tuna Reuben isn’t diet food; it’s indulgent and irresistible. You’ll just happen to feel awesome after. Dishes like the Tuna Reuben are why we do this: a reminder that creaky, unassuming places are worth exploring, that hid- den gems exist in every setting. Even one that looks like a trailer Rating: 2795 S Roosevelt Drive Seaside, Ore. 97138 503-738-9801 Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. every- day Price: $ - Most dishes hover around $10-$13 Service: Humble, easygoing, personable Drinks: Full bar. Get some- thing with grapefruit. Vegetarian/Vegan Options: Pretty slim KEY TO STAR RATING SYSTEM Poor Below average Worth returning Very good Excellent, best in region Albacore Tuna Reuben. Grand Slam Burger. Pan Fried Oysters. park, where none of the furniture matches and the paint is peeling. Much of the Relief Pitcher’s vibe — humble, unpretentious, easygoing and low-maintenance — is an extension of owner Peter McClure, who lives on the grounds and often hangs out when he’s not working. Bartender Tony The insides of Relief Pitcher. deserves mention, too — he’s personable, magnanimous and a maestro with the grapefruit. Tony squeezes them so reg- ularly into cocktails — mostly Greyhounds and Sea Breezes — that he’s keyed in to the seasonal characteristics of every batch. On a recent trip he recommended the Sea Breeze over the Greyhound because these grapefruit weren’t as sweet and needed a dash of cranberry. My goodness, was he right. A bright, fresh, balanced (and bracing) cocktail. No mixology degree necessary. Nor a bible of bartending botany. No measuring tools, ornate glass- ware or small-batch products, either. Just a press to wring out all the juice and pulp, and the good sense to get the ratios right. I’ll have a devil of a time ordering anything else at the R.P. besides a Sea Breeze and a Tuna Reuben. I mean, I guess there might be a time where I’m more in the mood for a beer. But, still … As I mentioned, the burgers are fine if that’s what you need. I’ve heard them spoken of in quite high regard, though I find them short of spellbinding. The R.P.’s burgers are, to me, a reliable but replacement-level performer — simply pressed, dressed and sea- soned on airy, white bread buns. They come in a few arrange- ments, like with pastrami (instead of bacon), and the Grand Slam ($12.45), which comes with ham, a fried egg and two kinds of cheese. It’s heavy but not unrea- sonable — hardly a gluttonous abomination. Assuming your ar- teries are unclogged, at just $1.50 more than a standard cheeseburger the Grand Slam is hard to turn down. Burgers and sandwiches come with choice of fries or coleslaw. The fries are hand-cut with the skin on and taste like they were once, not so long ago, actual po- tatoes. And I quite enjoy the extra milky, cranberry flecked coleslaw — even if I only need a few bites of the sweet palate cleanser. The R.P.’s menu is purposeful- ly limited. What they do, they do well. The Fried Oysters ($14.95), with crumbly, crunchy breading, are delicately cooked, absolutely melting the moment they touch your tongue. No teeth necessary, their structure practically gives way under a hot breath. There are a few other bar standbys, most of which are fried. While some (the chicken strips) bored, and some (like the Alba- core Tuna Tacos) beckoned, I just keep dreaming about the Tuna Reuben. Credit to the R.P., by the way, for leaving fish and chips and chowder off the menu. Really, I can’t think of any locals who clamor for them. (Are you a resi- dent who love-love-loves fish and chips? Drop me a line!) And that refusal to bend to tourist desires is a big part of the R.P.’s charm. It’s a place, first and foremost, for locals. Indeed, the R.P. has its own community. Regular readers of the column will remember the inches I’ve given to the Fiery Food Fes- tival, a spicy cooking competition that’s akin to a family potluck. There are the games, too, and the gossip. For me, though, it’s that signature sandwich. So, Tony, when you have a moment, another Sea Breeze and Tuna Reuben, please. CW
