The Other Side of Walla Walla

Walla Walla, that little town 275 miles southeast of Seattle, is making a name for itself among the great West Coast wine-growing regions. Gone are the days of the area being noted solely for producing fat and juicy onions, being the home of the private university Whitman College and as the seat for the state’s penitentiary. Now this up-and-coming wine country has spawned leaders like Leonetti and L’Ecole No. 41 plus cult classics including Cayuse and Dunham.

Photo: Eric Dunham and Port (inspired the name/wine "Three Legged Red"), Dunham Cellars

Eager oenophiles take the trek to Walla Walla seriously, setting up wine tasting appointments in tasting rooms opened only by appointment and charting the course from sip to sip around the valley before lighting foot in the area. However, this touring care has not been extended to dining.

Even serious wine tasters need to stop and readjust the taste buds and gain a bit of sustenance en route to the next winery’s tasting room. Once in the area, tourists realize this and are quick to snap up the precious few tables available. If you are unlucky enough to be in town at the same time as a special event weekend, parent’s weekend at the college or an organized tour, reservations are definitely a necessity.

Luckily to meet the demand for tables, a fresh crop of restaurants and eateries have sprung up throughout the region offering those on the wine trail a pick-me-up in a variety of formats to meet a spread of dining-style desires. Full course meals are available as are spots offering small plates to mix and match into a meal. Sit-down bistros rest alongside walk-up windows. Maybe it’s because of the area’s winegrowing backbeat, but most eateries offer an arms-length of regional wines by the glass and by the bottle to perfectly pair with your meal.

In keeping with the informality of Walla Walla, many restaurateurs are offering alternatives to the classic multi-course meal. And be assured that in most cases, whether you are dressed in cashmere or Carhartts, it won’t matter in this come-as-you-are town. Dress codes are aimed at comfort. Another scintillating aspect of dining in Walla Walla is the notion that at the table next to yours may very well be a marquee winemaker or some upstart that will be leading the next cult wine to national attention.

Here are a few of the dining spots you'll want to discover in and around Walla Walla:

Located in the revived historic district of downtown Walla Walla you can find Grapefields Wine Bar and Cafe. This bistro serves up tapas and hand-tossed pizzas.

Luscious by Nature presents an urban market within a renovated 1930s gas station. Here you can dine on small plates or grab-and-go fare for an impromptu vineyard outing.

Wind down at Patisserie where desserts are king. Sample desserts, paired with wine or with coffee, tea or Valhrona hot chocolate.

Sweet Basil Pizzeria presents classic New York-style "pie" whole and by the slice.

Sweet Onion Sausage has a walk-up window to receive the family secret recipe links ready to eat with Walla Walla Sweet onions grilled up and served on a wheat bun or frozen to take home. Get there early, they close at 2 p.m.

CreekTown Café is a small bistro open for lunch and dinner. Hearty burgers punctuate the lunch menu while house made pastas sparkle at dinner. Ribs are fabulous.

For a more refined dining experience, 26brix in the historic Dacres building presents American favorites. Chef Michael Davis focuses on local and seasonal ingredients. The combination of expertly prepared food, pleasantly served in a space with soul draws most of the "A" list winemakers, including Jamie Brown of newly formed Waters, in to dine when they entertain out-of-towners.

Whitehouse-Crawford with exposed brick and beams and an old fir floor also focuses on locally produced ingredients. For a more relaxed meal, eat in the bar or at the counter overlooking the kitchen action. Try the burger.

The Marc Restaurant inside the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel is the place to enjoy Pacific Northwest dishes using local/regional products.

Photo: 26brix dining room, courtesy of 26brix

Jalisco on State Line Road, south of town, is one of those taco joints that area winemakers bring New York wine distributors to get the full spectrum of what the valley has to offer. Classic tacos, soda pop out of a glass bottle, dining alfresco at picnic tables. Our favorite: slow roasted carnitas nestled lovingly inside a warm and moist tortilla.

Traveling outside Walla Walla proper offers additional dining delights.

In Waitsberg, the Whoopemup Hollow Café presents Southern and Cajun food the locals drive for. Portions are plentiful.

Further away from town, Dayton holds dining selections ranging from the casual Skye Book & Brew where you can browse through new and used books, munch on a sandwich and take a break with a beer. For a more formal dining experience, the Weinhard Café showcases New American cuisine in a fine dining atmosphere. Don’t miss the classic French fare at Patit Creek. The green peppercorn filet is a legend in the region.

Accommodations:

As the popularity of Walla Walla as a travel destination has grown, spurring a bloom of restaurants, so have the opportunities for overnight accommodations grown. It used to be that there were few options. The Marcus Whitman Hotel, the grand dame of the revived downtown district, and the posh bed and breakfasts positioned within vineyards along with national chain motels were the usual options. Now there are unusual accommodations springing up, offering guests more than a place to rest their weary head après wine tasting.

One of these new options is the Strawberry Canyon Lodge operated by Ken and Sheryl Cox. Here within a 3,000 acre working cattle ranch you can overnight in Sheryl’s great grandmother’s original homestead cabin. The cabin is, of course, updated to include a full kitchen, hot tub, washer/dryer and three fully-appointed bedrooms plus a great room perfect for gathering. The property also features a bunkhouse that sleeps up to six in a more rustic environment.

Photo: Top of the Mountain retreat, Strawberry Canyon Lodge, courtesy of Mina Williams

Bring your own horse, there is a stable, or borrow one from the Cox’s herd and head for the hills for a morning’s adventure or one of the organized "steak-fry" rides straddling the Washington and Oregon border. If horses aren’t your thing, there are hiking trails, fishing on Mill Creek and plenty of low-grade roads that are perfect for biking.

Mina Williams/December 2006

Mina Williams is a freelance writer and the publisher of Northwest Stir, an online magazine for the Northwest dining industry.

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