**** (4 stars)
This is a very pleasant winery tasting room to visit on the road into Walla Walla. You can taste indoors and outdoors, and all of their wines had fresh, clean, varietal flavors. We preferred the higher end reds.
Woodward Canyon Winery
11920 W Hwy 12
Lowden, WA 99360
**** (4 stars)
Very neat old schoolhouse building beautifully restored and maintained. You can taste inside or outside. All of the wines were well made. We preferred the higher end reds.
L’Ecole No 41
41 Lowden School Rd
Lowden, WA 99360
***** (5 stars)
This restaurant just opened in July of 2021, and it's a bit hard to find until they add signage. It's not in the Inn at Abeja, but next to the winery. So when you go up the driveway and park you need to walk to the back and right.
For a restaurant so newly opened, they are doing a lot of things right, and I'm pretty sure this is the most upscale dining experience in Walla Walla. The dining room is under the experienced direction of Tom Uberuaga. Winemakers Dan Wampfler and Amy Alvarez-Wampfler also visited our table.
The tasting menu was created by Elodie Li, a young chef trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Seattle, and with Michelin experience in France. She also made a point of visiting diners' tables.
Highlights of the tasting menu included a wonderfully complex Amuse Bouche of cherry tomatoes, and a stunning dessert with flavors of blood orange and Earl Grey. Chef Li notes she isn't a pastry chef, but she certainly could be!
We also enjoyed the Tenderloin course, especially the oyster mushrooms in Cabernet jus.
As one would expect of a brand new restaurant, there were a few missteps, but nothing major. The dining room was much too bright, but Tom indicated dimmers were already being installed. It is also a bit noisy, but that may be addressed with some softer floor treatments. Service needs a little polish, and some dishes would have been better served on warm plates, but overall everything was quite good.
A wine pairing of Abeja wines is available and fairly priced, although a broader range of wines might find better matches with the food.
Over all I would say this is a must -stop restaurant for all foodies visiting Walla Walla.
The Kitchen at Abeja
2014 Mill Creek Rd
Walla Walla, WA 99362
***** (5 stars)
Beautiful, modern facility overlooking the surrounding farms. Greta venue for indoor or outdoor tasting. They're a bit low on wine right now, and the club membership is currently on a waiting list, but well worth a visit.
Alton Wines
3783 Peppers Bridge Rd
Walla Walla, WA 99362
*** (3 stars)
A long wait for a pretty good burger, okay fries, and excellent breaded onion rings. Lot's of shake flavors, but they're pretty expensive. Don't go if you don't have a half hour to wait in line. Note there is almost nowhere to eat but in your car on the way home.
Ice-Burg Drive-In
616 W Birch St
Walla Walla, WA 99362
***** (5 stars)
This is a wonderful place to try wines from 15 different wineries in a relaxed setting. Two different flights of five wines were offered, and we tried each. They also have many other selections available by the bottle, including a 20 year pinot noir vertical.
We also got a kick out of the charcuterie, cheese, and chocolate vending machine!
Carlton Winemakers Studio
801 N Scott St
Carlton, OR 97111
https://www.yelp.com/biz/carlton-winemakers-studio-carlton-2
***** (5 stars)
They certainly live up to their reputation for fantastically exotic donuts, but the basics are there, too. Loved the buttermilk bar, and the maple glazed buttermilk. And of course we needed one with bacon on it, too! Pretty to look at, delicious, and reasonably priced. Order ahead online for quick pickup.
Voodoo Doughnut
1501 NE Davis St
Portland, OR 97232
***** (5 stars)
What an amazing setting, overlooking the vineyards from the veranda of a stunning facility. It's more like a Four Seasons resort than a winery!
The wines are just as stunning, certainly the best pinots I've had from Oregon. That makes sense, since they also have their own Burgundy wineries. In fact they have two separate clubs, one for Oregon wine and the other for Burgundy, and we joined both.
This is also a great place for a light lunch, with excellent charcuterie, cheese, and bread service, making it perfect for a relaxing experience.
Great hospitality!
Domaine Serene
6555 NE Hilltop Ln
Dayton, OR 97114
***** (5 stars)
Really nice market with a full range of fresh and packaged foods and a great butcher department. There's a small buffet restaurant on the side with lots of well shaded outdoor seating.
Rokka’s Market
6507 Old Brick Rd
Windermere, FL 34786
**** (4 stars)
Really nice restaurant conveniently located near SEATAC in a lovely resort. Hard to believe you're right next to the airport in this bucolic location!
Highlights were the appetizers, especially the brisket.
Excellent wine list. The bartender in the adjacent bar is a cocktail wizard, focusing on local spirits. Try the Letterpress Reserve Amaro.
Great service!
Copperleaf Restaurant
18525 36th Ave S
SeaTac, WA 98188