Walla Walla, WA – Where to Eat
One of the joys of visiting any wine region is that it’s also farm country which means direct access to fresh, organic & local food. The Columbia Valley is no different. In fact, so much so it seemed that every restaurant we ate at in Walla Walla went out of their way to tell us what had just come in (Heirloom tomatoes, fresh wildberries, etc) along with directing us to other local eateries versus well known franchises. For such a small town, the quality we found in the restaurant scene here was truly remarkable.
Breakfast
Bacon & Eggs
This breakfast/lunch diner was so good we made sure to return before we headed home. Everything is made from scratch and the majority of ingredients come from local farms. The menu offers something for everyone whether carnivore or vegetarian from egg dishes (make your own scrambles or omelettes) to pancakes to Huevos Rancheros and breakfast burritos. The only drawback was that due to its popularity the noise level was high making it a challenge to have a conversation without almost yelling at each other. That being said, we would happily go back without hesitation, the food was just that good.
Excellent
Olive Marketplace & Cafe
We had a decent breakfast here but to be fair, we should have chosen to come here for lunch as they are known for their stone oven pizzas & daily homemade bread. Also, the fresh deli meats, seafood and cheeses we could see through the glass counters definitely looked mouth-wateringly good. Breakfast was simple and decent but Bacon & Eggs was a hard act to follow. We truly regret we didn’t have another day in which to sample their specialties.
Good
Lunch
Salumiere Cesario
Touted as Walla Walla’s gourmet grocer, we stumbled in expecting to hopefully grab a few snacks to accompany a glass of wine later in the day. What we discovered was a simple set up with an excellent selection of quality foods and a group of tables toward the back ready for lunch. We decided to give it a try and were more than pleasantly surprised. The Ploughman’s lunch was ideal, both in flavour and amount, consisting of sliced baguette, cheese, salami and one of their homemade pickles a perfect accompaniment to the house red.
Excellent
Graze
This is a great option for lunch if you’re looking for something healthy, quick, & easy. The menu consists mainly of salads, soups and sandwiches, but again with a quality and freshness that makes even these simple meals tremendous.
Very Good
Green Spoon
A very inviting lunch café, the friendly, attentive staff immediately put us in the right mood. Green Spoon features fresh salads and sandwiches along with some specialty dishes like Curry and salmon. We only wish we had a bigger appetite that day to sample the burgers which looked amazing. The salad we had was very good but the grilled fish tacos were an absolute stand out.
Very Good
Dinner
Whitehouse-Crawford
Housed in a former planing mill, Whitehouse-Crawford pays homage to its historical roots by working exclusively with local food producers and offering a wine list featuring mostly local Walla Walla wineries. While full plate options and a 6-course tasting menu were offered, we opted for sharing starters including the heirloom tomato salad, Chinese pork belly steamed buns, Vietnamese style fried calamari and, the requisite basket of crispy fried Walla Walla sweet onions. While each were both delicious and beautifully presented, the Chinese pork belly buns were one of the best appetizers we’ve ever had. A final note about ambience: Whitehouse Crawford has quite an upscale look and feel to it, even though it is housed in a former lumber planning mill and furniture factory, re-built in 1903. Many will find it beautiful and maybe even shi-shi. Others may find its minimalist, cool vibe somewhat out of place in the warmth and down-home country charm of a small and very authentic rural town.
Very Good
Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen
Several locals recommended this restaurant and with good reason. Despite our high expectations, we were treated to an absolutely wonderful dining experience. From the moment we walked in to this cozy spot, we were greeted with delicious smells coming from the kitchen and genuinely made to feel welcome by the staff. The menu, it was explained to us, was hard to categorize as the chef bases his dishes on what’s in season rather than coming up with a menu and then trying to find the ingredients to suit. The freshness and quality was clearly evident by our first two orders of a simple mixed green salad and the Fattoush, (heirloom tomato salad with cucumbers, mint & grilled bread), both of which were excellent. We moved on to the Kibbeh Nayee (lamb & beef tartar) & the Fettucine Negro featuring wild calamari that were simply superb.
Excellent
The Vineyard Lounge
Located in the lobby of the Marcus Whitman Hotel, this was the perfect spot to relax over a glass of wine or share wine and appetizers. Their wine list features 14 different local wineries by the glass and their “Signature” house red and white is bottled by one of the area’s top wineries, L’Ecole No. 41. Both were excellent and an absolute steal at $6/glass.
Very Good
The Marc Restaurant
Chef’s Table Experience – view separate blog here: https://advinetures.ca/blog/the-marc-restaurant/
Excellent
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