14 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Continued from Page 7 Also a seafood market, Hurricane Ron’s has kept the lights on at the adjoin- ing Tiki Bar too and has Happy Hour every day between 3-6 p.m. A fresh coat of paint, a refrigeration case and a now-enclosed patio sporting tasteful Native American-inspired murals are all nice addi- tions to the property, but I think it’s fair to say that Hurricane Ron’s is experi- encing some growing pains as it finds its footing across town. For instance, the seafood case was minimally stocked during a few recent visits and I overhead a few cus- tomers being redirected to Northwest Wild Products to seek out what they were looking for. While there are two outdoor tables on Marine Drive near the front entrance, the covered patio is used exclusively for stor- age and one would hope eventually that this unique space could offer additional outdoor seating — though, as previously reported in The Astorian, it sounds like co-owner Ron Neva’s plan Dining Out is to turn this area into a crab-boiling and filleting room. The clam chowder is perfectly decent: creamy with tender clams, smoky and sweet with plenty of honey-cured bacon, but at $5.50 a cup, I had to won- der what else I was getting at this price point. Astoria has plenty of great chow- ders and this one is on the steeper side, though still well done. Crab-stuffed mushrooms ($14.50) didn’t fare as well. Though advertised as com- ing with parmesan cheese, North Coast and Peninsula I putter around here all day just to be on time for the Happy Hour! Mon-Fri 4-6pm $1 off Draft Beers or a Well Drink seasidegolfcourse@gmail.com for 22 $ THE DEPOT DEC K IS OPEN! ECIAL! Y PI Z Z A DA Piz 2 zas 3 8TH & L, ON THE S EAV IEW BEAC H APPROAC H 3 60-642-7880 SP ILIES FAM OME! C WEL Seaside 451 Ave U Golf Seaside Course 503-738-5261 TU ES 503.755.1818 www.camp18restaurant.com Favorite stop to & from the Coast 3 13 Pa c ific Hw y, Do w n to w n Lo n g Be a c h, W A 3 60-642-5555 • w w w.hu n gryha rb o r.c o m –– COM E EN JOY OUR K ITE ROOM – 503.325.7414 bakedak.com #1 12th Street, Astoria, OR 1149 Commercial Street 503.325.9001 • fulios.com this plate of seven came out utilizing the same Mexi- can-cheddar blend that is sprinkled liberally on the seafood melts. While the crab was abundant, the mushrooms were gummy and giving off a lot of liq- uid, the cheese was barely melted and it seemed like the whole thing could have used a few more minutes under the broiler. A tuna melt ($9.75), open-faced on baguette and run through with a briny bit of tartar sauce, had more flavor than the stuffed mushrooms. While most burgers in town lure you in with a variety of toppings and styles, Hurricane Ron’s takes the opposite route, focusing on the protein. Kobe beef (1/3 pound at $14.50), elk, water buffalo and bison (all 1/4 pound at $13.50). Cheddar is the only cheese available for an additional dollar. Wild boar bacon can also be added ($5). This means a bacon cheeseburger starts at $19.50. I chose a water buf- falo burger for the novelty, added cheese but skipped the bacon. Any time I’m paying north of $8 for a hamburger, I expect to be asked how I want it cooked, but that detail was missed. A nice crust emerged off the griddle, but the burger was very well done, render- ing the exotic ground indis- tinguishable from any other red meat. What did shine through was an order of Colum- bia River sturgeon fish and chips ($19.50). The fish was perfectly cooked and the beer batter retained its 10% OFF E xp i re s 8 / 1 / 1 9 Hungry Harbor GrillE Photos by Ryan Hume LEFT: A tuna melt at Hurricane Ron’s. RIGHT: Smoked Salmon on a stick. crisp. Smoked salmon on a stick ($5.50 and one of the carryovers from North- west Wild Products. Alliga- tor, razor clams and more are also offered on a stick) arrived broken and fall- ing off its bamboo skewer. While this did spoil any fleeting dreams of a fishy lollypop, the smoked salmon had nice texture and flavor. I would never say that Hurricane Ron’s doesn’t serve quality ingredients, especially when it comes to local, fresh seafood. But quality ingredients served at a certain price point deserve expert execution in both the front and back of the house. Right now, Hurricane Ron’s is operating as a Category One, but let’s hope it can gather steam and reach at least a Category Three. CW