There seem to be two camps regarding Walla Walla: Those who love it, and those who haven’t been there. To be sure, the city boasts an enterprising spirit in this creative college town of artists, makers, brewers, and bakers. For a small town of 34,000 people living on farmland, there’s quite a lot going on. 

 

Rest, Assured

The simplest great thing about Walla Walla is that it is so relaxing. In 2024, Walla Walla became the first place in Washington to earn Blue Zone Community status. You could read through all the fine print, but the town scores highly for health, well-being, wellness, and purpose. One resident likens it to Mayberry, but with world class food and wine. 

Leisurely hotel options abound, from the hip Finch to the stately Marcus Whitman, to the decadent Eritage Resort. For a truly fabulous stay, we recommend The Wesley, a chic and charming boutique design hotel. The 1878 mansion once housed President Rutherford B. Hayes. Now revitalized by owners Robert and David Xavier-Wesley, the hotel boasts a blend of modern art and sophisticated design, perfectly marrying contemporary elegance with local charm. 

Each of the 11 rooms of suites is a cove of comfort, adorned with stylish furnishings and distinctive artwork — many of the paintings are by Xavier-Wesley. Located just steps from downtown, guests can enjoy the tranquil garden and bask in the inviting communal spaces with hot tubs and a “cowboy” pool. 

Plate Expectations

Everyone who works in food and beverage in Walla Walla knows everyone else. Seemingly everyone has spent time in Seattle, Boise, or Portland. It is truly a Pacific Northwest melting pot. Some went to Whitman College and never left. Many are returning home to where they grew up. 

We begin our culinary adventure at Brasserie Four, which Chef Jamie Guerin opened after closing his acclaimed restaurant Whitehouse-Crawford. The mood is cheerful, the atmosphere convivial, and the French food impeccable. Oysters and escargots arrive, along with rosé and pâté de campagne, and luscious moules frites. It’s the type of effortless French brasserie cuisine that is hard to find anywhere, even in a big city.

The next day we are off to lunch at TMACS, for two decades a Walla Walla gem. Founded by local Tom Maccarone in 2005, the place is known for farm-to-fork seasonal delights and its craft bar with unique mixers and smoke infusions. The ingredients dance off the plates, heirloom tomatoes with burrata, green beans, plump baby carrots, and perfectly poached eggs in the Niçoise salad, and a ripe summer peach tart. It’s a bit early for smoke infusions, but the French 75s are perfect.

At another lunch we are pleased to discover that Chef Andrae Bopp has gone Main Street. The former proprietor of Andrae’s Kitchen — the counter at the gas station — now presides over a 9,000-square-foot Mexican-style cantina dubbed AK Mercado, featuring interior design from local artist Squire Broel. It’s a chill hangout, the kind that deserves a visit for brunch, happy hour, and the other meals. Being away from the diesel fuel allows Bopp to serve rocket fuel behind the bar. The margaritas are exquisite, with fresh blood orange juice stepping in boldly for the usual suspects.

The old favorites from the counter are still on the menu — the smoked meats and voodoo fries — combined with a full embrace of the Mexican side. Thursdays we eat goat. Bopp slow-roasts an entire goat weekly, succulent and served birria-style in a taco, with or without queso. Con queso, por favor.

 

Rise & Dine

This town of early risers teems with breakfast joints, coffeehouses, and bakeries. Colville Street Patisserie makes a goat cheese-filled croissant that is heavenly. Bacon & Eggs, and Maple Counter Café are popular with locals and tourists for hearty, high-quality breakfasts. FVC Gallery serves up coffee drinks along with rotating art for sale and vintage clothing.

Maybe you’re off to peruse Whitman College’s delightful Outdoor Sculpture Walk and just want something quick. Open Instagram to search the location for The Mill Walla Walla, the city’s first gourmet grab-and-go food truck, and enjoy delicious sandwiches, fresh salads, and cold brew coffee. Then go experience the art.

Art & Acquisitions

A top bookstore is always a requirement for a liberal arts college town. In Walla Walla that’s Book & Game Co., at its present downtown location since 1999. Peruse the independently owned shelves, pick up a board game for your patio at The Wesley, and then head out for some retail therapy. As one would expect, Walla Walla contains droves of gorgeous, handcrafted objects of art.

Around the corner from TMACS, The Showroom on Colville aggregates multiple makers into a one-stop shop. Step into Marguerite, where owner Peggy Frasse curates provisions and creations to inspire the home and table. From exquisite olive oil, truffle butter, and handmade pasta to unique glassware and local rosé, the serene space is a treasure trove of discovery.

Just a short stroll from Marguerite, you’ll find McGovern / Parsons Herb Co, an apothecary owned by Derrick Jeffries and his partner, Holt. The new shop specializes in homemade candles, incense, bulk herbs, and handmade goods. The Cotton Wool is a thoughtfully curated local craft and art collection, with everything from ceramics and woodworking to jewelry and photography. 

Experience the fusion of art and wine at the Gallery at Foundry Vineyards. Open since 2010, the gallery features quarterly exhibits and has showcased major artists such as Chuck Close and Ai Weiwei. The gallery and impressive event space are just sidelines to its core business, which produces a small batch of 2,500 cases of top wines annually.

 

Pour Choices

There is so much wine and beer to sample it’s daunting, so here’s a tip: Make a day trip out to the Airport District to sample a bit of everything. There are liquid stories to unearth, and the perfect blend of grapes, hops, and distillates to satisfy every palate. 

The Incubator Project is a great place to start, with five tasting rooms of fledgling producers side by side in tiny pastel cottages. The incubator’s mission is to provide community, support, and cheaper rent for five hardworking rookie distillers, brewers, or winemakers whose business plans are selected. After six years, the idea is that they will spread their wings and fly into the “real world” of production and distribution. Some make it, some don’t, but it’s fascinating, a riveting documentary in a wine glass.

One product of the incubator, Kelsey Albro Itämeri, followed a circuitous path to winemaking: a rowing scholarship to Georgetown, politics, Hollywood, followed by her own company: itä wines. She has the breezy confidence of someone who has worked in politics and Hollywood, and knows what real stress looks like. She sources her grapes from the eastern foothills of the Blue Mountains near her family farm. Plans are afoot to grow the grapes herself. The 2023 sémillon, slightly chilled, is the perfect refreshment on this hot summer day.

Itä’s neighbor, Fiona Mak, is strongly in favor of rosé as a lifestyle, and who are we to argue? Lost amid the easy “rosé all day” memes, she makes a good point: Europeans don’t stigmatize alcohol the way we do. They also tend not to overdo it. Her brand, SMAK Wines, focuses exclusively on rosé, with a gentle ABV and pale pink hues with zero sugar. On a 105-degree day, it is an appropriate lifestyle choice. 

In the greater Airport District, DW Distilling takes the local grapes and distills them into fine brandy. Check out its O Club Cocktails event every Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m., when three local bartenders riff on a classic drink. On a recent Tuesday the theme was old fashioneds, and we sampled variations using eau de vie, cardamom and poire, and Seattle’s own Amaricano amaro.

Beer lovers will appreciate Quirk Brewing, an Airport District tenant since 2016. Just when we thought all the good beer puns were taken, out comes the Polar Beer Cold IPA. Burwood Brewing is another fitting stop at the airport, and its owner also graduated from the incubator program.

Leaving the airport we are off to Echolands, the stunning new $20 million tasting room on Mill Creek Road. The brainchild of renowned wine expert Doug Frost and business partner Brad Bergman, someone mentions that it looks like “a James Bond lair.” The comparison is apt, but ends there. 

The wine is expertly made — the 2023 grenache is intense, with hints of minerals and smoke. Yet the bottle prices are very reasonable, and are a point of pride for such a high-end operation. Winemaker Brian Rudin and marketing guru Stephanie Forrer are gracious, vivacious, and brimming with local anecdotes.

Our final stop receives universal acclaim: Five Dollar Ranch Brewing Co. We are not skeptical by any means, but even by Eastern Washington standards it is in the middle of nowhere. Josh and Susan Hulett moved to Walla Walla from Seattle’s Tangletown neighborhood and turned remote work and a timely layoff into Walla Walla’s hottest brewery. Set down a country road just 800 feet from the Oregon border, the property is grazed by goats, and the taproom is in a converted garage. 

Josh takes pride in perfecting each style, citing hefeweizen and “a 4.2% lager for the local farmers” as examples. Most of the beer is decidedly Seattle-friendly, 5.0% ABV or higher, with the Goat Candy Hazy Pale Ale – with resident Goaty McGoatface pictured on the can – a standout. Mostly the place just exudes an overwhelming sense of contagious fun. Customers aren’t just content, they are visibly, enthusiastically happy. They are in Walla Walla, drinking beer.

The garage brewery is temporary. Plans are well underway for a brand new location closer to town in 2025. The Huletts, and the goats, are going to get their house back. They have graduated.

We start to wonder, maybe Walla Walla is the incubator for the entire Pacific Northwest.