We arrived in Walla Walla, Wash., on Thursday afternoon, looking forward to a weekend of visiting old favorites and new treasures among the hundreds of wineries located in this southeast corner of Washington. In Louisville they’re celebrating the Kentucky Derby, and Cinco de Mayo celebrations cover the map, but here the first weekend in May is Spring Release Weekend, when the wineries (some usually closed to the general public) throw open their doors as they release their new vintages. Special events, tastings and dinners draw crowds of oenophiles from Boise, Seattle, Portland and beyond. The weather is mild, and the surrounding hills offer a patchwork of bright green wheatfields, vineyards just beginning to unfurl new leaves, and fallow fields with last year’s stubble in muted gold. We strolled Walla Walla’s downtown Main Street Thursday evening, waiting for inspiration to strike as we perused posted menus outside the eateries sharing storefront space with galleries, boutiques and tasting rooms. We’d eaten at several of these spots before but decided to give Green Spoon a try. The place was buzzing, with both sidewalk tables and indoor seating filling up quickly. We were a little surprised to see it so busy on a Thursday evening, but our waiter clued us in when we asked if there were any specials on the menu. He explained that on Thursdays, all burgers were two-for-one, and that immediately explained the restaurant’s popularity and our focus on those items on the menu. Green Spoon offers nearly a dozen options, including gluten-free and vegan choices, and all sounded delicious. I chose the Bleu ‘Shroom, a beef patty served with sautéed mushrooms and  crumbled blue cheese, while Harry opted for the CO BLAT, with Tillamook cheddar cheese, onions, thick-sliced bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato. The meat was cooked to order perfectly, and the ciabatta buns were toasty and light (I don’t like too much bread with my burgers!). We were delighted to find a new, tasty and very reasonably priced option for dinner in Walla Walla, and I’m looking forward to revisiting the Green Spoon to give a different burger a try. The menu includes a number of other entrées as well, and the Sunday brunch sounds pretty awesome, too. Here’s to finding a few new wineries to match our new-found dining option! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor