Dinner at the Dahlia and Walla Walla Winemakers/ by Shelley Lance, Blog Editor
At the Dahlia Lounge last week, Frank and I enjoyed one of the most delicious dinners ever! From the oyster mushrooms with Anson Mill grits and goat butter to the first of the season halibut with baby artichokes, green olives, and spring garlic sour cream, everything was terrific. If I were to urge you to head to the Dahlia to try one dish it would be the tsuyu broth with foie gras shiitake dumpling (see photos). Tender, well-crafted dumplings (sous chef Adrienne showed how to make them in this post) with flavorful broth- I especially love the way the richness of the foie gras haunts the edge of your palate at the end of each bite. Stunning.
This is the first time we’ve eaten in one of the Tom Douglas restaurants when a Washington wine maker was there to pour us a taste and chat. Ron Coleman, owner/winemaker of Tamarack Cellars in Washington, poured us a taste of Tamarack Chardonnay and we adored it! Rounded flavor and creamy richness with subtle oak that pairs well with food and doesn’t overwhelm. We want a case of this stuff! It was fun to chat with Ron about Walla Walla, since Frank and I have made a couple trips there to enjoy the wineries and restaurants. Ron told us he also owns Ice-Burg Drive-in, a casual burger joint, so we’ll be stopping there on our next trip to Walla Walla. Check out where to find more Washington winemakers at our joints for the rest of Washington Wine Month, here.
Speaking of Walla Walla, be sure to pick up the new April issue of Food & Wine to read this article about actor Kyle MacLachlan. MacLachlan is owner of the Walla Walla winery, Pursued by Bear. Chris Ainsworth (a Tom Douglas alumnus, by the way), chef/owner of Walla Walla’s excellent restaurant, Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen, cooks a party feast for MacLachlan featuring a giant pan of the Spanish noodle dish, fideos, at Jimgermanbar in tiny Waitsburg. Jimgermanbar is well described in the article this way: “the bar looks like it’s been dropped in from New York but somehow retained the building’s original Northwest attitude with high ceilings and the original fir and pine.” Our favorite little Walla Walla cheesemaker, Monteillet Fromagerie, is also mentioned in the article.
We must get over to Walla Walla this spring or summer! So much fun stuff to do there!
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