Last weekend my husband and I decided to visit one of our favorite wine regions at a quieter time of year. It’s become a habit of ours to visit Walla Walla, Wash., in early May during its Spring Release weekend, when the nearly 100 wineries that call the appellation home host special events to celebrate the release of new bottlings. We thoroughly enjoy our visits, but the roads and tasting rooms can get pretty crowded with appreciative oenophiles. It had been several years since we’d visited in the fall, and we found the wine, events and region just as delightful and at a slower and less crowded pace.

We also took the opportunity to book a reservation at a well-known restaurant we had long desired to try: Whitehouse-Crawford. Housed in a 1904 brick building, it served as a planing mill and furniture factory until 1988, when it was sold, with plans in place to raze it for a motel parking lot. Public protests halted that process, and the new owners carefully restored the National Register of Historic Places structure.

Walking in the front door, guests immediately face an enormous iron boiler face which once fronted a 5-foot-diameter, 14-foot-long boiler which powered the facility’s steam engine. Red fir 2″ X 12″ floor planks stretch 16 to 31 feet long, while the weathered brick walls and white, soaring overhead beams and rafters lend an open yet warm ambiance to the dining space.   Off to one side is the kitchen, boasting an open brick oven and ringed by the chef’s counter, where diners can visit with the cooks as they work. We were seated next to the windows which offer a view directly into the barrel room of Seven Hills Winery, which shares the building with the restaurant. 

The dinner menu offers several starters and salads, about a half-dozen entrées and at least three housemade dessert options. We zeroed in on the six-course tasting menu (wine pairings are optional) because it would allow us to taste a range of the offerings, which all sounded delectable. We’d brought our own special bottle of wine, but the restaurant features a wide assortment of local wines, offering full bottles, half bottles and full- or half-size pours to allow guests a wide tasting experience. A smaller Wines of the World list allows one to compare other regions’ vintages with the local ones. At the bar, patrons can order small plates, burgers and  brick-oven-baked flatbread pizzas alongside classic cocktails, specialty drinks and wines by the glass. Everything focuses on seasonal, fresh, local ingredients, with the menus changing often based on availability.

We started with warm Chinese steamed buns stuffed with pork belly and pickled vegetables,   followed by a hearty, rustic tomato-bread soup with basil (pappa al pomodoro), perfect for a chilly November evening.   Next came a wonderful seasonal apple salad, with chunks of pumpkin and treviso radicchio, feta and pecans dressed in a cider vinaigrette.   What a wonderful combination of textures and flavors! We got to sample two of the entrées on the main menu. First came the grilled swordfish smeared with a pleasing chimichurri and served with duck fat-roasted fingerling potatoes and a celery root remoulade.   Next came a palate cleanser in the form of a creamy, delectable scoop of pluot sorbet,   followed by the most tender Painted Hills beef tenderloin in a rich red wine sauce with locally foraged chanterelle mushrooms and creamy mashed potatoes. 

And what is a great dinner without dessert? Luckily, we didn’t have to find out, as we finished with a twice-baked dark chocolate cake (very light, with a pudding-like center) served with homemade vanilla ice cream and candied orange peel. 

We’re eager to return to Whitehouse-Crawford in the spring, and we’re determined to share it and the wonderful food with our wine friends from Portland.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor