We spent a long weekend in August of 2012 in the Willamette Valley, located about 30 minutes southwest of Portland, to visit several of its wineries in
Yamhill County. As with any other wine country, the Willamette Valley is known for its wonderful restaurants and eateries in addition to its wineries. During our weekend we based ourselves in the town of Newberg and ate at the following places, which will be discussed below:
The Painted Lady:
This wonderful restaurant located in Newberg has probably more accolades than any other restaurant in the Willamette Valley and deservedly so. The restaurant is housed in a beautifully restored Victorian home on a residential street. For our meal, based on the positive reviews I had read online and a recommendation from someone working at
The Four Graces Winery, we opted to go with the seven course chef's menu.
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| The Painted Lady |
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| The Painted Lady |
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| The Painted Lady |
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| Beautiful flowers in front of The Painted Lady. |
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| The Painted Lady |
First up was our amuse bouche of
Three Canapes (spiced nuts, parmesan gougeres, & edamame puree on pappadam). I liked all three items but particularly enjoyed the edamame hummus.
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| Three Canapes at The Painted Lady. |
After the amuse bouche was the
Chef's Trio which was paired with a glass of 2011
Argyle Sparkling Brut.
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| Chef's Trio at The Painted Lady. |
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| Part of the Chef's Trio at The Painted Lady. |
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| Part of the Chef's Trio at The Painted Lady. |
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| Part of the Chef's Trio at The Painted Lady. |
Our first course was
Tempera Squash Blossom with Dungeness Crab and Summer Squash Bisque served with a glass of 2011
Chehalem Gruner Veltliner. This dish was one of my two favorites of the evening as it combined two of my favorite things: deep fried squash blossoms and squash soup.
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| Tempera Squash Blossom with Dungeness Crab and Summer Squash Bisque at the Painted Lady. |
The second course was another one of my favorites;
Poached Local Duck Egg over Parmesan Risotto, Bacon Lardons. The rich duck egg paired wonderfully with the creamy risotto and delicious crispy bacon lardons.
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| Poached Local Duck Egg over Parmesan Risotto, Bacon Lardons at The Painted Lady. |
The third course was
Foie Gras Two Ways: Seared with Maple Demi and Torchon Laced with Bing Cherries & Cocoa. This was paired with a glass of 2011
Anam Cara Late Harvest Gewurztraminer. Of the two foie gras dishes, my favorite was the tourchon smeared over one of the thin slices of toasted baguette. The bing cherries complimented the foie gras very well as did the Gewurtzraminer, which was my favorite glass of the entire evening and probably the entire weekend in wine country!
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| Anam Cara Late Harvest Gewurtzraminer at The Painted Lady. |
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| Toasted baguette slices at The Painted Lady. |
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| Foie Gras Served Two Ways at The Painted Lady. |
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| Foie Gras Served Two Ways at The Painted Lady. |
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| Foie Gras Served Two Ways at The Painted Lady. |
Our fourth course was
Oregon Albacore Tuna, Saffron Potato, Kalamata Olives, Marconas, Black Garlic, served with a glass of
2009 Evening Land Pinor Noir. Another strong and delicious dish.
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| 2009 Evening Land Pinot Noir at The Painted Lady. |
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| Oregon Albacore Tuna, Saffron Potato, Kalamata Olives, Marconas, Black Garlic at The Painted Lady. |
Our fifth course was Dry Aged New York Steak, Braised Veal Cheeks, Potato Gnocchi, Local Peas served with a glass of 2009 Pamplin Family JRG. Although I always feel guilty and terrible when consuming veal, I will have to admit that this veal was truly amazing and incredibly soft and delicious. I also loved the gnocchi, which I was so happy to see on the menu.
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| Pamplin Family JRG at The Painted Lady. |
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| Dry Aged New York Steak, Braised Veal Cheeks, Potato Gnocchi at The Painted Lady. |
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| Dry Aged New York Steak at The Painted Lady. |
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| Potato Gnocchi at The Painted Lady. |
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| Braised Veal Cheeks at The Painted Lady. |
For our sixth course we were served a
Trio of Fruit Sorbets all of which were tasty although I enjoyed the orange one the most.
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| Trio of Fruit Sorbets at The Painted Lady. |
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| Trio of Fruit Sorbets at The Painted Lady. |
We thought we were done at this point but not quite. Last but not least, we were brought out our seventh course which was a plate of
Berries: Blueberry Panna Cotta, Souffle with Boysenberry Creme Anglaise, and Mascarpone Tart with Fresh Berries along with an assortment of little fresh baked goodies and chocolates. I am not at all a fan of blueberries but the panna cotta was to my surprise incredibly delicious; I may have to reconsider my dislike of that fruit after having eaten that dish! The mascarpone tart was fresh and clean tasting but my favorite of the three was hands down the souffle, probably thanks in part to the creme anglaise, which is one of my favorite things in this world.
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| Blueberry Panna Cotta, Souffle with Boysenberry Creme Anglaise, & Mascarpone Tart with Fresh Berries at The Painted Lady. |
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| Our last tray of little treats at The Painted Lady. |
In summary, our meal at The Painted Lady was incredible and something I would repeat again in a heartbeat. The small town of Newberg should consider itself very lucky to have a restaurant of that caliber in its neighborhood.
Bistro Maison:
This lovely little French bistro is located in the town of McMinniville, which was about a 30 minute drive from where we were staying in Newberg. Our visit happened to occur on the same night as a massive rehearsal dinner. The restaurant was crowded and the servers were all a bit stressed, however, we didn't have to wait too long until we were seated.
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| Bistro Maison in McMinniville. |
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| Bistro Maison in McMinniville. |
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| Bistro Maison in McMinniville. |
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Bistro Maison in McMinniville.
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I decided to spring for one of their Pomegranate Celebration Spritzers (Pomegranate Liquor, Pomegranate Liquor, Champagne, & Macerated Cherries). This was refreshing and delicious.
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| Pomegranate Celebration Spritzer at Bistro Maison. |
For our appetizer, we selected the White Truffle Fondue (Emmenthaler, Gruyere, White Tillamook Cheddar, Oregon White Truffle Oil & Truffle Butter) served with Ham, Apples, Potato and Bread. We had to wait quite awhile for the fondue due to the large party but it was definitely worth the wait. I love fondue and I love white truffle oil so this was truly heavenly for me.
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| White Truffle Fondue at Bistro Maison in McMinniville. |
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| The accouterments for the White Truffle Fondue at Bistro Maison in McMinniville. |
For our entrees, Shyawn selected the
Pan Seared Diver Sea Scallops with Lobster Mushroom and Saffron Reduction, Spice Infused Potato Puree & Sautee of Local Vegetables. The scallops were good but I more so enjoyed the potato puree.
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| Pan Seared Diver Sea Scallops at Bistro Maison |
As soon as I saw Coq au Vin (chicken, potatoes, wild mushrooms, onions, & carrots in a rich Pinot Noir sauce) on the menu, that was my immediate choice as it is my all-time favorite French dish. The chicken and accompanying sauce were incredibly delicious but after all of the fondue I had just consumed, I was rather full and didn't have much room left!
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| Coq au Vin at Bistro Maison. |
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| Coq au Vin at Bistro Maison. |
Although we really didn't have room for dessert, when I saw that they had
Profiteroles au Chocolat on the menu, I decided to spring for it as it is my favorite French dessert. This dish was very good and we managed to somehow eat all of it!
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| Profiteroles au Chocolat at Bistro Maison. |
At the very end of the meal, our server brought out a bowl of hazelnuts and a nut cracker, which was a fun touch.
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| Hazelnuts at Bistro Maison. |
Red Hills Market:
This is a small but upscale grocery store located in Dundee that offers fresh sandwiches, wood fired pizzas, salads, and soups. The eatery had very high ratings on Yelp and came highly recommended from two of the wineries we had visited earlier in the day so I knew it would be good!
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| Red Hills Market in Dundee. |
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| Red Hills Market in Dundee. |
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| Red Hills Market in Dundee. |
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| Red Hills Market in Dundee. |
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| Red Hills Market in Dundee. |
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| Red Hills Market in Dundee. |
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| Red Hills Market in Dundee. |
For lunch Shyawn ordered the
Hot Roast Beef with Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions. The roast beef was hands down the best we had ever eaten. This sandwich was crazy delicious.
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| Hot Roast Beef with Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions from Red Hills Market. |
I decided on the
Wood Fired Hill Farms Smoked Ham with Gruyere and RHM Spiced Honey Butter. This sandwich was also very good, but not quite as good as Shyawn's.
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| Wood Fired Hill Farms Smoked Ham with Gruyere and RHM Spiced Honey Butter from Red Hills Market. |
After lunch we explored the market's charming selection of merchandise and wine.
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| Red Hills Market in Dundee. |
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| Red Hills Market in Dundee. |
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| Red Hills Market in Dundee. |
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| Red Hills Market in Dundee. |
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| Red Hills Market in Dundee. |
Dundee Bistro:
Across the street from the Red Hills Market in Dundee is a lovely restaurant called Dundee Bistro which features a colorful indoor area as well as nice patio seating. Unfortunately, our visit occurred during 100 degree eat so we refrained from eating outside so that we could instead enjoy the air-conditioned environment.
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| Dundee Bistro |
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| Dundee Bistro |
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| Dundee Bistro |
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| Dundee Bistro |
Since it was so hot out, I thought that a
Lemonade sounded refreshing. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with this particular glass of lemonade as it tasted of the lemonade mix variety.
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| Lemonade from Dundee Bistro. |
Shyawn is a huge fan of oysters so he ordered the
Pan Fried-Corn Meal Crusted Oysters as our appetizer. Although I enjoy raw oysters, these pan friend ones did not agree with my palate so he finished the majority of them on his own.
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| Pan Fried-Corn Meal Crusted Oysters from Dundee Bistro. |
For his main course, Shyawn requested the
Gallo pizza (roasted chicken, red pepper, sweet yellow corn, spinach, and chevre). Goat cheese is my one absolute do not eat food, so I refrained from taking a bite. Shyawn indicated the pizza was just "medium."
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| Gallo pizza from Dundee Bistro. |
I had a difficult time deciding on whether I should order a pizza, pasta, or the ling cod. In the end, the
Bridgeport IPA Battered Pacific Ling Cod won out because I love fish and chips but also because it came with a side of truffle fries, which I can never resist. The fish and fries were very good and probably the only standout dish from the meal.
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| Bridgeport IPA Battered Pacific Ling Cod from Dundee Bistro. |
Jory:
This very modern and beautiful restaurant is located within the luxury resort
Alison Inn and Spa in Newberg. Since their dinner menu was a tad on the expensive side I decided that we should try it out for the less expensive breakfast option instead.
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| Jory Restaurant at the Alison Inn and Spa in Newberg. |
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| Jory Restaurant at the Alison Inn and Spa in Newberg. |
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| Jory Restaurant at the Alison Inn and Spa in Newberg. |
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| Jory Restaurant at the Alison Inn and Spa in Newberg. |
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| Jory Restaurant at the Alison Inn and Spa in Newberg. |
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| Outdoor seating at Jory Restaurant. |
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| View from the outdoor seating at Jory Restaurant. |
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| Outdoor seating at Jory Restaurant. |
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| View from the outdoor seating at Jory Restaurant. |
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| View from the outdoor seating at Jory Restaurant. |
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| View from the outdoor seating at Jory Restaurant. |
The breakfast menu at Jory was rather impressive and we had a difficult time deciding on exactly what we wanted to order. After enjoying the amazing view from our outdoor table, we eventually settled on two of their small plate options including the
Creme Brulee Doughnut and
Chocolate Cherry Bread.
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| Creme Brulee Doughnut from Jory Restaurant. |
Inside the beautiful doughnut was an amazing vanilla bean custard. SO GOOD. I've never loved a doughnut until this day.
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| Creme Brulee Doughnut from Jory Restaurant. |
The
Cherry Chocolate Bread was also delicious and incredibly moist.
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| Cherry Chocolate Bread from Jory Restaurant. |
For our main breakfast entrees, Shyawn went with the
Padron Sausage Scramble (padron pepper sausage, queso cotija, baby spinach, cilantro, toast, organic butter and jam) although he substituted an English muffin in place of the toast. Shyawn indicated he enjoyed his dish quite a bit.
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| Padron Sausage Scramble from Jory Restaurant. |
I ordered the Dungeness Crab Benedict (griddled crab cakes, grain mustard hollandaise, house potatoes, petite salad). This benedict was simply amazing and was hands down the best I have had to date. The potatoes served with this dish and Shyawn's were also incredibly delicious and flavorful.
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| Dungeness Crab Benedict from Jory Restaurant. |
The Coffee Cottage:
This was the first coffee house to open in the town of Newberg back in 1990. Since then, what was once a tiny little coffee house has turned into a full fledged bakery and bookstore along with a drive-thru, roasting facility, and large meeting area. As it was quite hot during our late morning visit, we ordered one of their
Peach Berry Up Smoothies (peach puree blended with cream and ice), in lieu of a hot coffee drink, along with a chocolate chip scone that was fresh out of the oven. The smoothie was extremely tasty and refreshing and I also enjoyed the scone tremendously as it had a great texture and very good flavor.
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| Coffee Cottage in Newberg. |
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| A beautiful sunflower at Coffee Cottage in Newberg. |
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| Coffee Cottage in Newberg. |
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| Coffee Cottage in Newberg. |
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| Chocolate Chip Scone at Coffee Cottage in Newberg. |
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| Peach Smoothie at Coffee Cottage in Newberg. |
This coffee shop had a decent rating on Yelp (4/5 stars) so I figured it would be a smart choice for a quick breakfast stop. Unfortunately, we were both disappointed by the lack of items on their breakfast menu and both ended up ordering a Breakfast Sandwich (scrambled egg, cheddar cheese, choice of ham, sausage, or bacon on a toasted bagel or croissant). Neither one of us were particularly excited with the bagel and I would only recommend stopping by if you want coffee since their food selection was so minimal.
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| Underground Cafe and Coffeehouse in Newberg. |
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| Underground Cafe and Coffeehouse in Newberg. |
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| Breakfast Sandwich at Underground Cafe and Coffeehouse in Newberg. |
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