We’re spending a long weekend in the far southeastern corner of Washington State, in the charming town of Walla Walla (“the town so nice they named it twice”). Home to a couple of small universities and, since the late 1800s, a major agricultural hub (sitting in the midst of vast and rolling wheat fields), Walla Walla now sits at the center of one of the state’s major wine regions, producer of some of the best red varietals in the country. It’s Spring Release Weekend here, when the wineries present their latest bottlings and throw open the doors with special events for wine club members.

We returned to some of our favorite wineries yesterday (Rulo and Isenhower among them) but also scouted out a few new ones. We enjoyed learning the history of the family-run Spring Valley Vineyard, whose land has been farmed (first wheat, now wheat and grapes, of course) through seven generations and whose labels feature the names and faces of the early pioneers. In nearby Milton-Freewater, just across the border in Oregon, we encountered a very pleasant tasting room staffer at Watermill Winery who regaled us with stories of some well-known wine publication writers. We came away with a couple of bottles of Praying Mantis, a delectable Syrah which pays homage to the insect which helps maintain healthy vineyards in an eco-friendly way.

We enjoyed a couple of fabulous meals, the first at Andrae’s Kitchen @ the Co-op. Andrae’s was the first gourmet food truck in town, and we lunched at its brick-and-mortar (or, as one of our group noted, cinder block-and-mortar) establishment housed in a farmers’ co-op gas station on the outskirts of downtown. A completely unprepossessing location for some truly fabulous food, centered on dogs, burgers, breakfast items for the early-morning crowd (including poutine, not exactly a staple in Northwest cuisine) and a few soups and salads. Harry and I shared a trio of delectable short-rib tacos and a bowl of steaming clam chowder. Easily the best chowder I’ve ever had, it was chock-full of chunks of potato, clams, celery and bacon, smoky and creamy but not overly thickened with flour.

Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen provided us with a late dinner of just-right proportions from a menu offering small plates, pastas, flatbreads and Mediterranean-influenced entrées. We started with grilled local asparagus, cooked to perfection. Our friend Randy found the deconstructed free-form lasagna made with wild boar ragu a fabulous take on the traditional Italian dish, and his wife, Lora, enjoyed a Oregon albacore tuna flatbread with fresh mozzarella and arugula. Harry ordered the lamb tagine (rich and mildly spicy) while I opted for a goat cheese gnocchi with goat ragu and nettles — the lightest, creamiest gnocchi I’ve ever enjoyed. We finished off the night with shared desserts: a carrot cake served with, not cream cheese frosting, but a rich, cream cheese ice cream, and a rhubarb flatbread.

We’re off again today to sate our palates and our stomachs with more bounty from this bit of heaven.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor