Finding Marvelous Mavens to Steer Your Road-Trip Eats

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At Sleight of Hand Cellars, dynamo Traci is a wealth of dining and drinking suggestions

At Sleight of Hand Cellars, dynamo Traci is a wealth of dining and drinking suggestions

I tend to heavily research my road-trip food stops. I’ll spend hours poring over Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews and Googling for dining nuggets. I end up with a script that guides me for a month of gorging and guzzling over, say, a 5,000-mile swath of the southwest U.S.

But sometimes it’s nice to just follow my nose and, hopefully, discover gems off the beaten path. It helps tremendously, in this regard, to find a local savant or two, with similar sensibilities, who can steer you to some unpublicized standouts.

So when we’ve got three days to spend in Walla Walla, Washington and no agenda to pursue, I’m happy to solicit and accept spontaneous suggestions. These leads come primarily from two winery servers, who are sharp as tacks and more than willing to be impromptu tour guides. Continue reading →

When Food Is Elevated From Meal to Artistry

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A grilled asparagus salad was the perfect start to a fabulous meal at Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen in Walla Walla, Washington

A grilled asparagus salad was the perfect start to a fabulous meal at Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen in Walla Walla, Washington

On a road-food trip, I generally like down and dirty. You know, cheap, tasty, brimming with character. But every so often, it’s nice to splurge on a high-end feast, perhaps topping $100 for two (especially if someone else is paying).

Such is the case at Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen in downtown Walla Walla, Washington. It’s maybe one of those “best 10 meals I’ve ever eaten”, where the chef (perennial James Beard Foundation nominee Chris Ainsworth) kills it on every detail. Continue reading →

Nitro Cold-brew Coffee: A Fabulous Summer Drink

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Nitro cold-brew coffee, topped with cream, at Walla Walla Roastery. Yum!

Nitro cold-brew coffee, topped with cream, at Walla Walla Roastery. Yum!

I’ve never been a fan of iced coffee. It’s usually an over-priced, watered-down concoction of espresso/brewed coffee, milk and ice. No thanks.

But when a group of students ahead of me, at Walla Walla Roastery, all order nitro cold brews, I’m intrigued. The barista explains that here it’s a three-day-plus process of cold brewing and filtering the coffee, which is then infused with nitrogen (removing impurities), poured from a beer-style tap and topped with a shot of cream. Continue reading →

Breakfast For Two at Tommy’s Dutch Lunch

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Tommy's Dutch is a great breakfast diner in Walla Walla, Washington

Tommy’s Dutch is a great breakfast diner in Walla Walla, Washington

The heads don’t quite swivel when we walk into Tommy’s Dutch Lunch, in an industrial section of Walla Walla, Washington. I’m a bit surprised, as we’re obviously the only tourists in the place and my sister is the only woman, other than the two waitresses. Continue reading →

Angling for Good, Cheap Mexican Food in Walla Walla

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Dora's Deli has a unique combination: Mexcian food and fishing worms

Dora’s Deli has a unique combination: Mexcian food and fishing worms

How can you not like a place that sells Mexican food and worms? Especially when the tortillas for the substantial tacos are hand pressed and the choice of toppings includes lengua (tongue). Continue reading →

Pol-ease, Pour Me a Pint

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The long arm of the lager. Dragon's Gate Brewery's Adam.

The long arm of the lager. Dragon’s Gate Brewery’s Adam.

During an intensive wine-tasting tour or beer crawl, I generally try to avoid any roaming police, just in case. So when an actual sheriff is pouring the beer samples at a wee brewery in rural Oregon, I’m not sure how many I should pound back before hopping into the car. Especially when he tells me one ale I’m sipping packs a 10%-alcohol wallop. Continue reading →