When you’re in Oregon’s wine country you know you’re going to taste some amazing wines but you’re also going to taste some amazing food.  Willamette Valley is a small Mecca of great restaurants and food.  The fresh organic and diverse produce coupled with grass fed livestock and passionate chefs is a match made in heaven.  Some of our guest favorites are:

Bistro Maison  for their NW French inspired cuisine.  Debora and Jean-Jacques have been tantalizing our guest with a French Truffle Fondue and profiteroles that make even the non-desert lovers take notice.  And if I talk about the appetizers and deserts you can imagine how lovely the entrees are. Next is the Joel Palmer House.  Now Jack Czarnecki is legendary for his masters’ degree in mushrooms but his son, Chris, has taken over the helm and taken it to new heights.  I always tell guests to try to forgo their homemade breads so they have room for all the food they don’t want to leave on the plate. A local favorite is  Nick’s Italian Café  which has been a staple in McMinnville for over 35 years.  The culinary Team of Carmen and Eric have transformed this historic dining to modern and new heights.   The addition of a wood burning oven and a back of house lounge makes for an either formal dining or casual experience.  If your into sharing food then LaRambla  is the place for you.  The food is a blend of Spanish tapas influence and fresh local ingredients.   The atmospher is wonderful and the bar conversations are always fun. You can’t talk fine dining food without mentioning the Painted Lady.  Allen and Jessica have taken their San Francisco style into a Victorian home and reinterpret classic dishes with a twist of color and vibrancy.  The photos on the website are just your first taste of this wonderful dining experience.  And last but not least, Thistle  may be the new kid on the block but they are making their mark with a no nonsense approach to farm to fork local food.

If you have tried any of these let us know what your experience was.  If you have been to more than one, which one is your top pick?