Walla Walla - Merged Topics

[CMD]

I'm going to Walla Walla for a three day weekend. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where to stay, eat, or drink?

[Eilen]

This article from Sunset magazine could be of help to you.

Also, check out the website for 26 brix, a restaurant in Walla Walla that consistently receives good reviews.

[Joisey]

Yeah, I've heard 26 Brix is very good, too.

[Abra]

26 Brix is closed. I always stay at The Bumble.

[CMD]

26 Brix is closed? Permanently? Or closed for renovation? That's surprising considering how many good things I've heard about them? I was excited to go there. Anywhere other restaurant suggestions?

[kayswv]

It is my understanding that they reopened on the 13th of February with another infusion of cash. Why not give them a call, number listed on their website, and give it a try?

Kay

[beauxbrie]

We stayed at the The Inn at Blackberry Creek. It's a B&B, if you like that kind of thing. We enjoyed our stay there, and the owner was quite nice. She doesn't live in the home where the rooms are rented, so it is just the guests. And she keeps the freezer stocked with pints of ice cream and choc chip cookies on the table for late night munching. She also told us the name of a taco wagon that everybody goes to (sorry don't remember the name).

[kayswv]

CMD,

I have been hearing repeatedly a radio ad on our classical music station that is a promotional for Walla Walla by their business people. Today I paid attention and realize their website is http://www.wallawalla.org . Went on it when I came home tonight and realize it has an abundance of info on places to stay and restaurants. Definitely the info you are looking for in your post.

Hope that helps and you enjoy WA as much as we do, having moved here a mere 4 years ago.

Kay

[MGLloyd]

The Marcus Whitman Hotel, 26 Brix, Waterhouse-Crawford and the Petit Creek restaurant in Dayton.

[reesek]

The Marcus Whitman Hotel, 26 Brix, Waterhouse-Crawford and the Petit Creek restaurant in Dayton.

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marcus whitman (yes - well-located, reasonable) a large, impersonal hotel. with wine keys.

definitely avoid the howard johnson's...think bloodstains for $100/night. not awesome.

we liked dinner at whitehouse crawford better than 26 brix, though brunch at brix was good (much better than at the hotel)

if you can splurge (and are planning well in advance) check out Abeja. They are a winery with 3 or 4 rooms. Absolutely stunning, romantic and charming.

i didn't love petit creek...but i did love a little bakery in town (right across the street from the new place - winebar i suspect - that used to be a car dealership) i also heard there was a little deli/charcuterier in town that could help put together picnics, but they were inexplicably closed Mem. day wknd last year when we were in town.

[Abra]

The "attitude quotient" at Whitehouse Crawford drives me crazy. It's a beautiful space, but I don't eat there. If 26 Brix has re-opened, I think it will be different. The last news I read about them said they were re-thinking their whole concept. I never saw it busy in there, so I think it was too upscale to be sustainable in WW.

Right across from the Bumble Abode are the Sweet Basil Pizzeria, for better-than-expected pizza, and the brand new Aloha Sushi. There's also a stupendous vegetarian supermarket, Andy's, in College Place. That's one reason I like to stay at the Bumble, since I can get great groceries right nearby.

Edited February 18, 2007 by Abra (log)

[DEFCON: jive]

If I'm not mistaken, the little bakery is the Colville Street Patisserie, on the corner of Colville and Alder streets. I can recommend it wholeheartedly. I am also employed there, so take that as you will. Handmade croissants, danish, kouign aman, cannele, and other tasty things, as well as tarts and french-style cakes--that's what we do.

I also love the Weinhard Cafe, on Main Street in Dayton (the same town as Patit Creek Restaurant). Creative food, well-executed, great eclectic space. I am married to the chef/owner (Dunno what the disclosure policy is here--hopefully this is ok).

One last recommendation--no affiliation with this one. My favorite cheap eats are the beef cheek tacos at Tino's, a truck parked off 9th street near Super 1 grocery store and the liquor store.

[tsquare]

If I'm not mistaken, the little bakery is the Colville Street Patisserie, on the corner of Colville and Alder streets.  I can recommend it wholeheartedly.  I am also employed there, so take that as you will.  Handmade croissants, danish, kouign aman, cannele, and other tasty things, as well as tarts and french-style cakes--that's what we do.

I also love the Weinhard Cafe, on Main Street in Dayton (the same town as Patit Creek Restaurant).  Creative food, well-executed, great eclectic space.  I am married to the chef/owner (Dunno what the disclosure policy is here--hopefully this is ok).

One last recommendation--no affiliation with this one.  My favorite cheap eats are the beef cheek tacos at Tino's, a truck parked off 9th street near Super 1 grocery store and the liquor store.

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Welcome - we love having food people here and encourage shills (don't we?) Even better when you disclose. Now I have a reason to get over to Walla Walla too. Bakery, check, creative food, check, beef cheeks...check. Cannele, really? There has been much discussion on these and I haven't had any..

[Abra]

Cool, DEFCON - I'll look you up the next time we're down, since I haven't been to either of those places.

[CMD]

Beef cheek tacos. Very exciting. A lot of people have told me of this fabled taco truck. I can't wait.

Thanks for the recommendations. Hope I can fit it all in in three days.

CMD

[DEFCON: jive]

One more tip--if you plan on tasting/buying wine, be sure to grab one of the valley wine maps put out by, I think, the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance. It's really comprehensive, nice to have all the phone numbers and addresses in one place, and it can help plan your visits so you're not going back and forth across the valley.

You should be able to pick it up at most tasting rooms, or at the Chamber of Commerce.

[Ling]

Hi everyone! We're planning a short trip to Walla Walla sometime next week and would love some help regarding where to eat and which wineries to visit. I've done a little bit of poking around online (including the EG forums) and here's a short list:

-Colville St. Patisserie

-26 brix (apparently re-vamped and no longer terribly pricey...their menu looks quite interesting)

-Whitehouse Crawford (although the website is under construction so I have no idea what sort of food they serve, other than it's a higher-end restaurant)

-beef cheek tacos at Tino's

-there's an Italian grocery/charcuterie place I read about but can't find the name of at the moment...help?

-Onion World sausages--are they good?

Wineries...here is where I need the most help! I would like to make an appointment for Abeja (I haven't tasted their wines yet). I am not very familiar with many Walla Walla wines except for Dunham, L'Ecole 41, and Poet's Leap (oh, and the famed Cayuse although they're not open to the public), so any recommendations? Also probably going to try the Uriah merlot blend from Spring Valley at their tasting room.

Also, I've heard that many stores offer wine tastings. Any clue as to where they're located?

Anything I should keep an eye out for at the Saturday Farmer's Markets?

Thanks so much!

Edited July 5, 2007 by Ling (log)

[GourmetLight$]

Hi everyone! We're planning a short trip to Walla Walla sometime next week and would love some help regarding where to eat and which wineries to visit. I've done a little bit of poking around online (including the EG forums) and here's a short list:

-Colville St. Patisserie

-26 brix (apparently re-vamped and no longer terribly pricey...their menu looks quite interesting)

-Whitehouse Crawford (although the website is under construction so I have no idea what sort of food they serve, other than it's a higher-end restaurant)

-beef cheek tacos at Tino's

-there's an Italian grocery/charcuterie place I read about but can't find the name of at the moment...help?

-Onion World sausages--are they good?

Wineries...here is where I need the most help! I would like to make an appointment for Abeja (I haven't tasted their wines yet). I am not very familiar with many Walla Walla wines except for Dunham, L'Ecole 41, and Poet's Leap (oh, and the famed Cayuse although they're not open to the public), so any recommendations? Also probably going to try the Uriah merlot blend from Spring Valley at their tasting room.

Also, I've heard that many stores offer wine tastings. Any clue as to where they're located?

Anything I should keep an eye out for at the Saturday Farmer's Markets?

Thanks so much!

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I highly recommend Woodward Canyon Winery, outside of Walla Walla in the little blur of a town called Lowden (Louden?). Anyway, Rick Small makes some of the best Cabernets in the state. Cheers,

[LEdlund]

Here's the list of wineries we visited (or tried to visit in the case of Cayuse) on our last trip: Colvin, Saviah, Isenhower, L'Ecole 41, Seven Hills, Spring Valley -

though they were just bought by Ste. Michelle, Rulo, K Vintners, Leonnetti, and Cayuse.

Whitehouse Crawford serves your basic meat and potatoes high end fare (steaks, chops, salmon, etc). We had a very good lamb burger there. I haven't been to any of the others on your list but I can say to stay away from the Backstage Bistro.

I remember seeing wine tastings at various places in town. Some of the wineries even have tasting rooms in town - although I don't like doing that as well as going to the winery. Walla Walla is very small so you can basically walk around it all in an hour.

Have fun!

[vengroff]

Pepper Bridge is south of town and probably my favorite overall winery to visit when in Walla Walla. While you are down there, stop in at Basel Cellars. The house is really quite an experience. Zerba is just south of the state line on the Oregon side. They came seemingly out of nowhere a couple years ago with a killer syrah. Only later did I learn that the family has been in the area for many generations. I also love Cayuse, but they aren't the kind of place you can just walk up to for a tasting.

The bar at 26 Brix used to be the place where many of the local wine luminaries hung out. I don't know if that's still true, but I would stop in there late my first night in town and ask the bartender who to talk to and how to arrange visits to some of the places that don't have regular tasting room hours.

Another nice side trip is to Waitsburg, home of the Whoop 'Em Up Cafe. It's about 20 miles from Walla Walla and serves a nice southern style brunch.

[MGLloyd]

A number of the wineries are up at the airport, in the industrial park. My wife and I enjoyed 26 brix a lot, as well as Waterhouse-Crawford and Patit Creek up in Dayton.

Dunham, Whitman and Amalvi were among our favorite wineries to visit.

PS: I saw the article in the Times and PI about you two. Are you still moving out of Belltown?

[Abra]

I boycott Whitehouse Crawford - it's a lovely space but the service is insufferable and the food decent but overpriced. The old 26 Brix was best for brunch, but I havent been there since they revamped. The Whoop Em Up gets great reviews, but it`s 20 miles away and we haven't been. There's pretty good pizza at the Sweet Basil, and I've been hearing good things about Aloha Sushi, although we haven't been there yet either.

Merchant's is the deli you're talking about. It's great for Walla Walla, but you'll probably laugh at it. The Onion World owner died suddenly not too long ago, and I'm not sure whether the sausages are available right now or not. I've never heard of the patisserie or Tino's, so I look forward to yor report.

Be sure to stop at Glondo's Sausage in Cle Elum, if only for the beef jerky, which is awesome. The sausages are good too, if you have somewhere to cook them. And if you want a real trip, go to Andy's supermarket. It's huger than a Safeway, and all vegetarian. Very fun to wander in. For a Rocky-style old fashioned breakfast, go to Clarette's.

[reesek]

Hope I'm not too late!

Abeja is gorgeous - consider trying to spend one night there. The Beekeeper's blend is terrific and not available locally. The owners are lovely and gracious. K Vintners is right next door, and open whenever the mood strikes them - try to get in though, the owner is supposed to be quite the character, and they make a lot of fun wine.

Walls wines I love:

Pepperbridge (great tasting room - amazing view)

Va Piano (right near Pepperbridge)

Dusted Valley (very fun, completely lacking in pretense. the tasting room is in their garage)

Buty (haven't been, want to go. love their wine)

Rulo (ditto)

Yellow Hawk

have heard awesome things about Ash Hollow (in town tasting room) but haven't been

Dunham

Glen Fiona

Syzygy

are kind of next tier - if you're at the airport...

Time permitting I'd add 3 Rivers (on the way into town!) but I'd skip Reninger (sp?) right next door.

I had a different experience than Abra - ate at old 26 Brix & Whitehouse Crawford - far preferred WHC, but agree that old Brix was good for brunch. I would have gone back to either - but note that Brix is closed Sun/Mon and WHC is closed M/T

The coleville patisserie is great (closed through this weekend, though IIRC) people also seem to love Creektown cafe - it's a restaurant outside of town. i thought it was ok, nothing special for lunch, but haven't eaten dinner there. Dinner at the Marc (at the Marcus Whitman) is fine, but nothing special. I can't believe I was just there and missed beef cheek tacos! Saffron is new and supposed to be interesting (across the street from the patisserie)

Stop in Yakima on the way back - take the convention center exit - directly across the street from the convention center is the YakiMex market. great taco truck in the parking lot. sadly, we returned to town on the 4th and the truck was not there. i was sad. very sad to eat at taco bell instead.

have fun!

[Ling]

Thanks for all the wonderful info, especially about the tips on which wineries to visit! We are booked for Sunday-Wednesday so it looks like we'll have a fair bit of time to visit many of the recommended wineries.

Also, I found the Italian meat/cheese shop I was reading about: Salumiere Cesario

[Blue Heron]

Be sure to stop at Glondo's Sausage in Cle Elum, if only for the beef jerky, which is awesome.  The sausages are good too, if you have somewhere to cook them.

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I second Abra's suggestion of Glondo's in Cle Elem for their beef jerkey. It's a family favorite.