When we think of the victual arts in Washington State, it's probably Seattle's baristas, innovative microbreweries, or Pacific salmon that spring to mind. But foodies across the state are now descending on Waitsburg, a city of around 1,000 people that's a four-hour drive east of Seattle. This unassuming city is becoming known for its fine-dining restaurants, artisan cheeses, cocktail lounges, taprooms, and high-quality vintners. It's perhaps strange that a place that seems to typify small-town America
has become a haunt for hipsters and artists and food-lovers in the know, but there's no denying that Waitsburg has seen a remarkable rise from obscurity.
The city developed around a wheat mill in the mid-19th century, pioneered by the eponymous Sylvester Wait. As Washington's wheat industry declined throughout the 20th century, Wait's mill went out of business and was eventually destroyed in a fire in 2009. But the crop which flourishes in the surrounding Touchet Valley remains key to the town's prosperity. Multigenerational wheat farmers still live and work in Waitsburg, while restaurants and cafes like Bar Bacetto and Ten Ton Art & Coffee give nods to the town's wheat heritage through menu items such as pizzas, paninis, pastas, and pastries.
Epicures may be the first to pencil a trip to Waitsburg onto their summer itineraries. But there are also some interesting historic sites to check out, including a Victorian mansion on Main Street and a Wait's Mill Kiosk built on the site of the old mill where it all began. And while it's a fairly flat city, hikers may enjoy the one-hour walk around Coppei Creek Falls Loop or heading out to the Lewis and Clark Trail — the explorers journeyed through here in 1806 — on the outskirts of the town.
Read more: 15 Underrated Vineyards To Visit In California
Top-Class Eats And Wine Country In And Around Waitsburg
Though the booming food scene means tourism is now part of life in Waitsburg, it's still probably one of the most underrated foodie destinations in America because the quality is really that high. The aformentioned Bar Bacetto, a trattoria that opened in 2022 and received a James Beard Award nomination for Best New Restaurant two years later, serves freshly made pasta dishes alongside craft cocktails and wine. At Laht Neppur Brewing Co. you can sample the roster of craft beers and ales — think Alaskan amber, an oatmeal porter, or an ale made with malted rye and Carolina Reaper peppers — alongside pizzas and grilled meats. A popular fromagerie, 10 miles to the east of Waitsburg, offers one of the more boutique dining experiences in town. Run by husband-and-wife duo Pierre-Louis and Joan Montiellet, their namesake fromagerie is known for its handmade, small-batch cheeses, using the milk of French Alpine goats and Friesian and Lacaune sheep. Visitors can book farm-to-table dining experiences on the Montiellet's property, during which they'll sample the farm's cheeses as well as other homegrown meats and produce.
Where there is cheese there ought to be wine, and there is no doubt that this wine is country — it's actually part of Washington's scenic wine and waterfall road. There are 120 wineries in the Walla Walla Valley to the southwest of Waitsburg, growing 40 different varieties of grape, with cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and merlot being the three most popular. Waistburg's eateries stock local brands, but if you want a crash-course on the region's wine scene consider a tasting experience at Moonbase Cellar in Walla Walla City (around 20 miles to the south). Here, you can sample different styles from bucolic-sounding vineyards like Cockburn Ranch, Dugger Creek, and Seven Hills.
Staying Overnight In A Walla Walla Winery
The best wine-tasting experiences in Waitsburg involve overnighting in one of the local vineyards. Abeja, meaning "bee" in Spanish, is an evironment-focused vineyard in Walla Walla offering overnight stays on its 49-acre farmstead. After sampling the selection of wines you can retire to a private, wood-paneled cabin or the Hayloft Lodge with floor-to-ceiling windows surveying the property. Stella's Homestead is a combination of a wine tasting and homestay experience, where you can stay in a beautifully renovated chicken coop or a farm shed and drink the winery's famous Dona Stella Riesling. At The Royal Block, an artsy hotel that can trace its history back to the late 19th century, guest rooms have a distinct style, fusing virgin timber and exposed brick walls with plush furnishings and a curated selection of fine art. You'll want to spend some time in the hotel bar, where the walls are stacked with Walla Walla wines.
If you're willing to travel further afield in search of fine wine, the Rivaura Winery across the Idaho border (about an hour and 45 minutes from Waitsburg) is one of the best around, rivaling this award-winning winery in Napa Valley. Kevin Pogue, a consultant at VinTerra, told Peninsula Underground, "Some of the finest wines ever produced from Idaho grapes will be sourced from these vineyards." Their selection is broad, including grenache, viognier, and River Ranch red, as well as classic merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Tastings are reasonably priced, too, at $15 for four wines or $50 for 10 wines with the vineyard's winemaker.
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Read the original article on Islands.
