DOWNTOWN WALLA WALLA: WHERE TO EAT– AND MORE
AK’S MERCADO
21 E Main Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362 While there are many great spots for tacos in Walla Walla, AK’s Mercado, which opened last year, is known for its large homemade corn tortillas as well as gluttonous menu items such as voodoo fries with pulled pork and jalapeños. Locals can’t get enough of the braised short rib, smoked brisket, grilled fish, mole and braised pork tacos topped with pickled onions or veggies, cotija cheese and chipotle or serrano aioli. Open daily (except Wednesdays), 11am-10pm. andraeskitchen.com
KINGLET
55 W Cherry Street, Walla Walla,
WA 99362
Opened earlier this year, just a few blocks from the city centre, Kinglet offers fine dining from its late-1800s premises that was once a tree-processing mill. Named after the tiny but tenacious kinglet bird found in the Blue Mountains that flank the Walla Walla Valley, the restaurant’s focus is on seasonal, local and sustainable ingredients. Reserve seats at the communal chef’s counter and enjoy the five-course tasting menu, with or without wine pairings. Open Thursday-Monday, from 4.30pm. kingletww.com
PASSATEMPO
215 W Main Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362 With its retro-style booths and 1950s-era cocktail glasses, Passatempo exudes a casual neighbourhood Italian ristorante feel. Dig into a plate of handmade pasta, gnocchi or slice of sourdough pizza, made using ingredients sourced from local farms and speciality purveyors. Highlights include the pork and prosciutto meatballs, carbonara pasta made with organic farm-fresh eggs, and rigatoni alla Bolognese. Open Thursday-Monday, 4pm-9.30pm. passatempowallawalla.com
WALLA WALLA VALLEY: BEYOND WINE
While wine is the primary drawcard of the Walla Walla Valley, there’s much more for visitors to do. For active, outdoors-y types there’s skiing and snowshoeing during winter, and in warmer months there’s cycling (or renting electric bikes), kayaking or bird watching. Downtown Walla Walla has also become a haven for artists, with a number of studios, galleries and sculptures dotted around the city and the Whitman College campus. Join a guided tour with First Friday Art Tours (artwalla. com), held each month. The region is also home to criterium cycling race the Tour of Walla Walla (tourofwallawalla.com) in early June, social and educational wine event Celebrate Walla Walla Valley Wine (wallawallawine.com/celebrate) in July, and, in late October, the Walla Walla Balloon Stampede (see Facebook).