Dining while wining

If you've been wine tasting, you know that at a certain point you must stop and reenergize with some good food. You also need to start with a good breakfast. In years past, there weren't always a lot of choices, but that's been changing and we'd like to share some of the spots we've tried. As always, call before you go. Restaurants do come and go, change hours/open days or concepts. We simply can't be responsible for all the details.

Yakima Valley

Depot Restaurant and Lounge
32 N Front Street
Yakima, WA 98902
509-949-4233
www.depotrestaurantandlounge.com
Located in the 1910 Yakima train station with the high ceilings and open room make you feel a train could be coming by any moment. This is the spot to get something casual—at lunch you'll find burgers (veggie burger, too), sandwiches, soup, salad and finger food items like wings, lumpia and nachos. Dinner steps it up a bit with chicken, fish and steak. Soups and chowders are homemade. Plenty of options for everyone in your party. Outdoor seating is available when it's not too hot or cold. Beverage-wise, they serve Washington wines, microbrews, domestic beer and cocktails. Check with them about their live music schedule.

Gasperetti's Gourmet Restaurant
1013 N First Street
Yakima, WA 98901
509-248-0628
http://www.gasperettisrestaurant.com
Generations of Gasperetti's have been cooking and serving food from the first in 1800 to the Pope (yes, that pope) to you today in Yakima. John Gasperetti started his restaurant in Yakima at this location in 1966. Recipes have been handed down over the years; you're getting the real deal. They offer seasonal dinner specials made from farm-fresh ingredients and local greens along with their regular menu of Italian classics: chicken cacciatora, raviolis, meatballs, Italian sausage, pork osso bucco. Dungeness crabmeat cannelloni is their famous Thursday night special. We haven't eaten here in awhile, but recall an excellent peppercorn steak. They have several private dining rooms as well as an outdoor courtyard and a bar. Their wine list showcases Washington wines.

Santiago's Gourmet Mexican Restaurant
111 E Yakima Avenue
Yakima, WA
509-453-1644
www.santiagos.org
Opened in 1980, the building it was in burned down in 1985. It was reopened at its present location in downtown Yakima in 1986. This is another spot we haven't been to recently, but recall having a warm, good experience when we were there. Dishes are prepared from scratch and contain no lard. The recipes are their own and focus on freshness; no preservatives. The menu contains the familiar—burritos, nachos, enchiladas, etc. They also have house specialty items like chicken or apple pork mole, Santa Fe chicken and their special rib eye steak (regular or Chicano style).

Bookwalter Wines
894 Tulip Lane
Richland, WA 99352
509-627-5000
www.bookwalterwines.com
It always feels relaxed at Bookwalter. Taste wine here, but be sure and stay for a meal. It's a small menu, but you'll be satisfied with the quality and flavors. Great cheese, charcuterie and fondue (cheese and chocolate). Plates of mixed items—olives, salami, cheese, dolmas, almonds. Crab cheesecake, tomato caprese and stuffed tomatoes. Add your favorite Bookwalter wine and you're set. Indoor and courtyard seating. Check with them about their live music schedule.

Wine O'Clock
548 Cabernet Court
Vintner's Village
Prosser, WA 99350
509-786-2197
www.bunnellfamilycellar.com
Step into The Bunnell Family Cellar to taste wine and you'll find a tasting bar fit for Minnie Mouse. It's small and for a reason. They believe in the beauty of food and wine pairing; each brings out the best in the other. So instead of a large tasting room, they have a warm, open wine bar/café. You can sit directly in front of the kitchen or at one of the natural wood tables. The TV generally runs Julia Child shows at one end of the room opposite the fireplace at the other. They officially opened May 1, 2009, although they'd been operating on a limited schedule since January 2009. The menu is very seasonal and makes use of local farmers' produce. They also grow their own herbs right outside the front door. Susan Bunnell (pictured) has created flatbread pizza, fresh salads, lovely soups—there's much to choose from. The menu suggests which of the Bunnell Family Cellar or RiverAerie wines to go best with the dish.

Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen
125 W Alder Street
Walla Walla, WA 99362
509-525-2112
www.saffronmediterraneankitchen.com
Another Walla Walla gem, Saffron is cozy and intimate with tables snuggled in next to each other and a small counter with a great view of the open kitchen. They also use local, natural, organic ingredients in their seasonally-changing menu. Much of their food is made in-house, including bread, flatbread and cured meats and sausages. They offer tapas, pasta and full entrees that may include pheasant, short ribs, lamb and paella. Their wine list is a mix of local and Mediterranean wines. Make your reservations early—they tend to fill up fast.

Whitehouse Crawford
55 W Cherry Street
Walla Walla, WA 99362
509-525-2222
www.whitehousecrawford.com
Located in a 100-year-old planing mill, this restaurants sports old brick walls and whitewashed wood beams. The bar sits in the center of the room offering spirits, beer, wine and a more casual menu. The dining room surrounds the bar and there is counter seating where you can watch the kitchen action. They buy from local producers and have worked with them to increase the types of seasonal produce. You can count on them having interesting vegetarian items on the menu as well. Their range is complete—crispy fried sweet onions to cured foie gras with brioche toast, kale lasagna with goat cheese to Wagyu beef tenderloin with red wine sauce. Desserts are made in-house. Yes, it's a good idea to make reservations early.

Sorrento's Ristorante at Tsillan Cellars
3875 Highway 97A
Chelan, WA 98816
509-682-5409
http://tsillancellars.com
Really, what could be better than an Italian country villa on the sloping hill above Lake Chelan? The winery includes a bell tower, waterfalls, Tuscan stone columns. It's quite something. On site is Sorrento's Ristorante, serving Italian cuisine. The owners/chefs have extensive restaurant experience, much of it in San Francisco. A casual lunch menu includes sandwiches, soup, salads and pasta. Dinner offers tapas, soup, salad and entrees like New York steak, duck breast, prawn linguini, jumbo ravioli and cannelloni. If you want ideal, get there on a beautiful day and sit at an outside table overlooking the lake. Hours/days change with seasons, please check before arriving. To slightly confuse the issue, Tsillan Cellars wines are served, but they bill you separately from your meal. They'll explain it, this is just a heads up.

You may not realize that the Columbia Gorge has its own AVA (American Viticultural Area). There are many fine wineries and vineyards in the area. Check it out at www.columbiagorgewine.com. We've spent quite a bit of time in the area and have already written about the many restaurants and cafes. Click here to see our article.

Crescent Café
526 NE Third Street
McMinnville, OR 97128
503-435-2655
If the chef looks familiar, you might have known him from Ella's in San Francisco, a favorite spot of many. At Crescent Café, it's just breakfast and lunch, but so good you won't miss dinner! Not a huge menu, but everything on it is good. Caramelized banana pancakes, chicken or corned beef hash, chicken and sausage gravy. We haven't tried lunch, but with the chef's skill and use of all local products, it's got to be good. House-made bread gets rave reviews. The menu rotates, so you never know what might appear on the specials board. There's generally a wait for breakfast, but you're greeted at the door and told the specials as you're seated. This is a don't-miss spot.

La Rambla
Northwest inspired cuisine from Spain
238 NE Third Street
McMinnville, OR 97128
503-435-2126
http://www.laramblaonthird.com/
Offering hot and cold tapas along with larger plates and a full bar, it's a fun and sometimes lively spot to renew. Larger plates include a couple of nice paellas, steak, chicken and pasta. Most ingredients are local, i.e., Carlton Farms pork, Strawberry Mountain Oregon black angus beef, Su Dan Farm lamb. Plenty of tapas to choose from as well as salads and veggies. They offer over 400 local and Spanish wines, with numerous choices by the glass, beer and cocktails. They've hit their fifth anniversary, so it looks like they're a keeper. They sometimes offer live music; check directly with them.

Nick's Italian Cafe
521 NE Third Street
McMinnville, OR 97128
503-434-4471
www.nicksitaliancafe.com
Talk about the ability to last. This spot is over 30 years old, started in 1977 by Nick Peirano and now run by his children. They use local products and showcase local/regional wines and offer an amazing selection of Pinot Noirs. The wine list includes wines from Italy and California. Dinner is a multi-course prix fixe event (although you can choose to go a la carte). Some dishes are from family recipes, others from travel in Italy. A nice selection of antipasti leads to soup, pasta, salad and main dishes like roasted pork loin, seared scallops and fire-roasted game hen. For lunch, try a wood fired pizza, minestrone, Panini or pasta.

January 2010