The Dining...
The coastal areas seemed to be lacking any serious dining options for wine lovers and foodies alike. While we were in the Pacific City area the best dining option without a doubt was the [b]Delicate Palate Bistro[/b]. This lovely little bistro located on the main street through the center of town in the Pacific City Inn. It is operated by forum member benchland who serves as the wine director for the restaurant and his lovely fiancée Jen who serves as the Executive Chef. Jen is an excellent chef who has spent the past several years honing her skills at various Napa area restaurants including working with the always demanding Philippe Jeanty. The menu selections are both interesting and varied and change on a regular basis for frequent diners. Prices are modest for such quality with most entrees coming in between $17.00 and $25.00 per diner. Sides are
flavorful and plentiful comfort foods including my favorite the Herbed Pomme Frites (an excellent appetizer if I do say so myself) and the Very Adult Mac & Cheese. benchlands wine list has laser like focus on good selections geared to pair with your dinner and all are attractively priced. Corkage is allowed although I can’t tell you the charge since it was waived. Delicate Palate Bistro is highly recommended if in the Pacific City area. No other establishments even come close. Reservations are recommend on weekends and during high season but you can likely get a table mid-week with no trouble. Casual to business casual attire is recommended.
The Willamette Valley offers several choices for discriminating diners. The finest dining option we experienced was [b]The Painted Lady[/b] on College Street in Newberg. This beautifully restored Victorian home offers high quality dining in an intimate setting. “The Painted Lady” derives its’ name from a style of architecture born in San Francisco where people who were restoring old Victorian homes would paint them in bright new colors giving way to the name “The Painted Lady”. Chef owner Allen Routt offers a reasonably priced three course prix fixe menu for $45.00 per diner. He also offers up an extended course tasting menu with optional wine pairings for the serious foodie with some time to kill. Selections are focused on simple and classical preparations with a bent towards some contemporary selections based on local fresh ingredients. Service is quick and unobtrusive, almost to the point of rushing without feeling rushed. The wine list has an extensive selection of Oregon wines at roughly release prices plus $20.00 plus several International selections as desired. Of note was the very good selection of wines in the 375ml format at very reasonable prices. This is a big plus when wanting to pair your own selections with the three course menu. Should you desire to bring your own wines corkage is allowed for $20.00 per bottle. Reservations are always recommended at this tiny restaurant. Business casual attire is recommended.
Nipping at the heels of The Painted Lady is the [b]Joel Palmer House[/b] on Ferry Street in the tiny farming town of Dayton. Right up front you must know something. If you have any aversion to mushrooms, truffles or morels do not go to Joel Palmer House. Chef Jack Czarnecki has made all incarnations of the mighty shroom his personal mission in life. Virtually every dish on the menu contains some form on fungi including at least one dessert. Needless to say this somewhat of a novelty absolutely sings in the heartland of Oregon Pinot Noir. Prices are acceptable for the quality of the food with most entrees clocking in between $28.00 and $35.00 per diner. The wine list has a large selection or Oregon Pinot Noirs at ready for your mushroom dominated dish for roughly release price plus $20.00. Corkage is allowed at $20.00 per bottle and was waived with a purchase from the wine list. Reservations are recommended. Be sure and request a table in the main house unless you’re an al fresco kind of person because they do seat people outside on the grounds. Business casual attire is recommended.
Trailing a little behind the Joel Palmer House and the Delicate Palate Bistro comes Tina’s Restaurant on the main highway through Dundee. Situated in an old frame house with Christmas lights hanging outside you’ll enter this quirky little dwelling to be greeted by whoever happens to be running between the bustling dining room and the kitchen. The menu is focused on whatever locally grown fresh ingredients are available. Appetizers seem to be the strong suit here with entrees being although quite good falling just a bit behind. Prices are reasonable with most entrees in the range of $20.00 to $30.00 per diner. The wine list is good with most selections focused on Oregon Pinot Noir. Wine prices appeared to be release price plus $20.00 per bottle. Corkage is $20.00 a bottle and was waived with a purchase (actually two) from the wine list. Reservations were recommended by the restaurant but appeared not to be needed. Business casual attire is recommended but casual appeared to be the order of the day.
Falling even farther behind was the Dundee Bistro on the main highway through Dundee. Owned by the “Ponzis” this restaurant offers up the most readily available lunch and dinner options in the Dundee area. Chef de Cuisine and Partner Jason Stoller Smith has put together and interesting selection of appetizers and entrees that can appeal to just about any diner’s palate but seem to fail to execute at the upper levels of a fine dining establishment. Prices were certainly some of the most reasonable for the quality of food in the area. Service was definitely acceptable although not stellar. Even though the Dundee Bistro is not a “must see” venue in the area it is certainly worth stopping by for the attractively priced lunch or maybe as one of your fill-ins for dinner during an extended trip.
One thing to note is we did not dine at [b]Red Hills Provincial Dining[/b] on the main highway in Dundee. It is my understanding it is on the level of The Painted Lady and look forward to dining here during our next visit.
The quality beyond the Dundee Bistro dropped off rapidly. While seeking out a dinner away from wine we opted for the [b]Golden Valley Brewery[/b] one evening. You have to wonder to yourself when the hostess seats you and says “beware the service might be slow because we’re so busy”. Fortunately the service was actually quite quick including decent timing of the courses coming from the kitchen. Unfortunately the good news stops there. Considering this establishment bills itself as a brewery in arguably one of the best microbrew states in the greater union I must say the brews we tasted were average at best. Follow that up with appetizers that are passable and entrees that were downright bland and dry. Even though you can eat here for a song it’s not worth visiting in my opinion. Reservations are not needed. Attire is extremely casual.
Just a few quick notes…
Lunch in Pacific City was at the only other restaurant in town where you can actually choke down the food (certainly no disrespect intended for the excellent Delicate Palate Bistro; we’re talking light years of difference here). If you decide to eat here stick to the Clam Chowder as an appetizer and any burger as the entrée. Trust me on this one folks. Don’t waiver.
Lunch at the Vineyard Steak House was a pass. Prices were OK, service as well. Unfortunately the quality of the food was pedestrian at best. Too bad. It’s a nice venue. If a chef with good skills could take this place over it could do well.
Lunch at Burgerville was acceptable. The “In-N-Out” of the Pacific Northwest focuses on whatever is local and fresh. The day we were there they were serving strawberry shakes made with fresh Dayton grown strawberries. Worth a quick bite between wine tastings.
Lunch at the French Bear was a complete disaster. I didn’t realize I was such a patient person until I finally walked to the register at the 45 minute mark and asked “have you started on our lunch yet?”. Please bear (pun intended) in mind that this place only makes sandwiches, salads, soups and quiches. I don’t know about you but I can personally make about 100 sandwiches in 45 minutes. I’m thinking the newly hired graduate from the Pacific Northwest Whatever Culinary Institute needs to internship at Subway for a few weeks.
Lunch at The Filling Station on the main street in Carlton is a decent quick bite between tasting appointments. Mainly because it’s just about the only decent bite in Carlton when it comes to lunch (there are at least two good options for dinner including Cuvee). Enjoy your time hanging with the “interesting” locals as they pop in and out during lunch time.