Beyond the Bottle : Restaurants Archives

December 17, 2009

Review: Thistle Restaurant

While visiting the Willamette Valley last month, I had the opportunity to dine at Thistle in McMinnville. What a terrific experience it was sitting at the open kitchen bar, meeting chef/owner Eric Bechard and enjoying a wonderful dinner with local wine. I started with a glass of Evesham Wood '08 Chardonnay and paired it with a starter from the chalkboard menu on the wall, the duck liver parfait served with fresh bread and pickled grapes ($9). What a terrific combination with the rich, rustic duck pate and crisp acidity of the Evesham Wood chard. Eric ended up steering me...

Posted by Thad W. at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 17, 2009

Review: clarklewis Restaurant

If there is one way to sum up our experience at clarklewis, then it would have to be about wood. Outside the restaurant, you are greeted by a wonderfully fragrant smell of burning wood. Once inside the front door, you come to face-to-face with the source of this smell: split logs of different types of wood awaiting to fuel the hearth/rotisserie that will cook your meal. Besides wood, one is immediately taken by the industrial design of this former loading dock and the open-air nature of the place, all of which make for a very comfortable, spacious dining experience....

Posted by Thad W. at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 31, 2009

Review: Meriwether's Restaurant

As we recently discovered at Meriwether's in Portland, Oregon, it's one thing to eat local these days, yet entirely another matter when the restaurant maintains it's own farm. As soon as we were seated in the outdoor garden area, I was presented with the Meriwether menu, which dedicates one side to describing the recently planted vegetables that make up this summer's harvest. When my usual routine is to immediately grab the wine list, I found myself suddenly pre-occupied in reading about Meriwether's Skyline Farm, a 5 acre spread located on Skyline Boulevard in Portland. In it's second harvest, the...

Posted by Thad W. at 08:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 25, 2009

Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen

If there is one way to sum up Saffron, its all about flavor. Chris Ainsworth, chef, and Island Ainsworth, proprietor, have crafted a menu that truly celebrates flavorful food. Using fresh, local ingredients, a variety of seasonings, and a Mediterranean style of cooking, the Ainsworths have created a restaurant that is unique in the Walla Walla Valley. On the two occasions my wife and I have dined at Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen, we sat at the "chef's table" located adjacent to the open kitchen area. Being so close to the action, we felt as if we were dining in the...

Posted by Thad W. at 01:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 06, 2009

Cantinetta Comforts and Charms

In reading some of the consumer reviews for this new restaurant in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood, one might think that this area of the city had just been introduced to decent Italian food or that these folks hadn't eaten well in some time. "God's Table", "Best in the City", and "Rulezzz" are just a sampling of the headlines some have given in their reviews. After dining at Cantinetta last Friday night, I came away pleased with the overall experience, but would be hard pressed to assert that this restaurant offers the very best in Italian dining in Seattle. Furthermore, there...

Posted by Thad W. at 01:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 07, 2009

Wine to Go, Spinasse Style

Last Saturday night, Kari and I went to dinner at Spinasse, a fairly new restaurant in Capitol Hill that specializes in Piemonte food and wine. Justin Neidermeyer, founder and chef at Spinasse, makes fresh artisan pasta daily from scratch for the primi courses, while crafting some amazing antipasti and secondi dishes as well. Besides making great food, Justin has another talent: preparing open wine bottles "to go" in a style that is going to prompt some restaurants to reconsider their brown bag treatment. At the end of our delicious meal, we had no idea what was in store for...

Posted by Thad W. at 03:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 08, 2008

Review: Eva Restaurant

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to dine at Eva Restaurant & Wine Bar, which is located in the Green Lake neighborhood of Seattle. I was joined by my sister, Kara, and brother-in-law, Kris, who had just returned home after being in London for several years. Having dined at Eva many times, this restaurant has become known for providing good service, delicious food, a solid wine list, and a pleasant atmosphere. Plus, it offers a very convenient option for us, for it is only a ten minute walk from our home. It was an ideal choice to celebrate the homecoming...

Posted by Thad W. at 06:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 22, 2008

Review: Tashtego Cafe at Seabrook

Last summer, we discovered a wonderful new place on the Washington coast, the Seabrook beach community. Just two and a half hours south of Seattle, this seaside village offers nice vacation homes in a setting designed according to new urbanism principles. As a result, we no longer have to trek five or more hours to the Oregon coast for a beach vacation, for we now have a comparable experience in our own backyard. For Memorial Day weekend, we ventured back with friends and were excited to see that the village restaurant, Tashtego Café, had opened. According to a recent newspaper...

Posted by Thad W. at 06:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 09, 2008

Review: Crow and Betty Restaurants

Last month, I had the opportunity to dine at two sister restaurants, Crow and Betty, within weeks of one another. These two places are owned by Craig Serbousek and Jesse Thomas, who opened Crow several years ago and last year launched Betty, both in the Queen Anne area. As a result, Crow and Betty share a lot of common ground such as a bistro-style menu, a diverse list of old and new world wines, and very attentive service, all provided at moderate prices. The environments at both places are open and well designed, with plenty of bar and chef counter...

Posted by Thad W. at 06:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 12, 2008

Review: 26 Brix

Considering how often we visit Walla Walla to see famiy and friends, I can't believe it's taken us almost four years to finally eat at 26 Brix, a downtown restaurant that opened in 2004. During its first year in operation, we had heard that the place was a bit over-priced and high-brow, catering mostly to out-of-town tourists. It wasn't until the last two years or so that I had heard that 26 Brix had gone through a transformation, revamping its menu and lowering its prices to appeal to the local population. It seems these changes have paid off, for on...

Posted by Thad W. at 05:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 04, 2007

Review: Tina's Restaurant

Along highway 99W in the heart of Dundee, you'll find Tina's Restaurant, which is across the street from the Argyle Winery. Since 1991, Tina's has been serving lunch and dinner to locals and tourists alike. The restaurant is named after its founder, Tina Bergen, who along with her husband, David, moved from Portland to Yamhill County in 1988, well before the Dundee Hills area was recognized for its superb wine. I arrived for lunch on a day when I was planning to visit a few wineries in the area. Like The Dundee Bistro, its next door neighbor, Tina's is a...

Posted by Thad W. at 03:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 01, 2007

Review: The Dundee Bistro

While recently visiting wineries in the Dundee area, I had the opportunity to dine at The Dundee Bistro, which is located off highway 99W across from the Argyle Winery. The bistro shares a retail space with a wine bar and a store featuring local food and crafts. This "culinary center" as it is called, was created by the Ponzi Family, who maintain over 100 acres of vineyards in northern Willamette Valley producing a variety of estate wines. On the evening I visited, the dinner crowd was just starting to build, therefore I opted for a seat at the chef's bar....

Posted by Thad W. at 03:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 04, 2007

Review: Tilth Restaurant

Last week, my wife and I went to Tilth Restaurant for dinner, where we enjoyed a fantastic food and wine experience. Tilth is unique not only for its focus on local, organic foods, but also for being one of only two restaurants in the country to receive the Oregon Tilth organic certification. The restaurant was started by chef Maria Hines, who had established quite a strong reputation at Earth and Ocean restaurant. Tilth is located on 45th in Wallingford in a converted house that was once home to an Asian restaurant. The new paint outside and redesign inside provide...

Posted by Thad W. at 09:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 09, 2007

Dining in the Walla Walla Valley

With family in Walla Walla, my wife and I visit the area often and with each trip we try to get out to a restaurant to enjoy the local food and wine. Of all of the places we have been to, these are the restaurants we would recommend. We hope you get a chance to try one or more on your next visit to the Walla Walla Valley. CreekTown Cafe (509-522-4777) We first started going to CreekTown Cafe when it opened several years ago and have always had a great meal and a wonderful experience dining there. Beyond the great...

Posted by Thad W. at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Categories

December 17, 2009

Review: Thistle Restaurant

October 17, 2009

Review: clarklewis Restaurant

August 31, 2009

Review: Meriwether's Restaurant

April 25, 2009

Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen

March 06, 2009

Cantinetta Comforts and Charms

January 07, 2009

Wine to Go, Spinasse Style

July 08, 2008

Review: Eva Restaurant

June 22, 2008

Review: Tashtego Cafe at Seabrook

June 09, 2008

Review: Crow and Betty Restaurants

April 12, 2008

Review: 26 Brix

December 04, 2007

Review: Tina's Restaurant

December 01, 2007

Review: The Dundee Bistro

September 04, 2007

Review: Tilth Restaurant

August 09, 2007

Dining in the Walla Walla Valley

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