Astoria has become a great culinary town, and chef Chris Holen is a big reason why. My wife and I stopped here for lunch after our trolley ride. The food was excellent- my dish was a perfectly cooked salmon filet turned into a club sandwich on focaccia bread. The chowder is great, as expected- chowder is how Baked Alaska got it's start. The lunch prices were fair, especially considering the quality of ingredients. The service was spectacular. The view of the river is nice. The dessert looked good, but I was too full to order any. \r
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I ran into Chef Holen at his new store next door called Mise en Place- a kitchenware store that sells very high quality products. Chef Holen is so down to earth I would have never known he was the owner of this fine restaurant until I started talking to him. I plan to go back to Baked Alaska next time I'm in Astoria, but first I have to go check out Chef Holen's other restaurant up the street called The Schooner. Go to Baked Alaska, you won't be disappointed.
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