**** (4 stars)
This is a review of the food truck, which was parked near Pike Place Market at at 4th and Pine. Very good pork and chicken pastor tacos, served with lime and your choice of mild or spicy sauce. Three to an order, and one tortilla per taco, so more fork food that hand held.
Solamente Al Pastor
4435 A St SE
Auburn, WA 98002
**** (4 stars)
Really nice decor with a traditional Izakaya flair that reminds me of places in Tokyo. The happy hour deals are amazing.
Highlights were all of the sashimi, especially the hamachi; the yakisoba, which was perfectly sauteed and extremely flavorful; and the kalbi.
The gyoza was delightfully lightly fried and not greasy, which cannot be said for the tempura, which I wouldn't order again.
Wonderful service, and a great atmosphere.
Wann Japanese Izakaya
2020 2nd Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
***** (5 stars)
Nice crusty biscuits that stay together while you eat your breakfast sandwich. We upgraded ours to the MacGregor, which includes bacon, cheese, and onions. Honestly, just the biscuit alone would have been more than enough. Good coffee, too.
Honest Biscuits
1901 Western Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
**** (4 stars)
Good basic diner food. Not much on offer for lunch, but a good choice for breakfast. My well done breakfast potatoes were wonderfully crispy!
At The Diner
5072 Doctor Phillips Blvd
Orlando, FL 32819
***** (5 stars)
This is a lovely spot for wine tasting, on an outdoor patio overlooking the surrounding valley. An excellent range of pinot noirs, and wonderful hospitality.
Archery Summit
18599 NE Archery Summit Rd
Dayton, OR 97114
**** (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