We started our drive from Walla Walla to Waitsburg in the early afternoon on a perfect sunny day. I was so amazed at the beauty that the farmer’s fields offered. The green winter wheat was in bloom and it looked like a perfect velvet carpet.
We arrived in a short 20-minute drive and parked on Main Street Waitsburg. What a charming small town. We were staying at the Royal Block, more on this lovely place later, so we decided to go check it out. As we entered we found a busy wine bar filled with not only local folks but a few people that just
wanted to get away for a day or two. We sat down only to realize that one of our favorite wineries from Walla Walla, Smokey Rose was doing a tasting of their current releases. Josh and Jodi Roznoski the owners of Smokey Rose Cellars were busy behind the bar.
We started with their 2022 Sparkling Rose of Pinot Noir. This was made in the traditional method with no dosage. With hints of strawberry and red cherry, it was light and refreshing and only 12% abv, which makes it quite quaffable.
It’s the perfect wine for brunch on the patio… Think summer in a glass! We then moved on to their 2022 Viognier and their 2022 Rousanne… the Rousanne was full of lemon and very crisp while the Viognier, fermented in neutral oak, had lovely toasted notes of almonds, and on the palate was a beautiful hint of ripe pineapple, and pear.
Their Stinger71, a perfect GSM was so beautiful! Think stewed fruits and a hint of tomato… this wine slightly chilled on a summer day is just what I would order. We ended the tasting with the 2021 Mourvèdre and the 2021 Petit Verdot. The Mourvèdre was so savory and the Petit Verdot was the perfect marriage of tannins and acid.
After our tasting, we decided to check out our room at the Royal Block. Let’s talk perfection!!
Tina and Joe (the owners) have managed to create the perfect curated room. Think Scandinavian Simplicity. Perfect linens, high ceilings wrapped with wooden beams, and you could just sense that the artwork was the result of Joe’s lifetime love for collecting the most compelling pieces. If you are lucky enough you might convince Joe to show you his backroom collection of art. It’s something any art lover would sure be envious
We decided to forgo the popular James Beard-nominated restaurant Bar Bacetto on this trip and tried American 35 Pizza. The building was the old American Legion Post 35 for many years and Judy and Tom Bennet (the owners) decided to keep the name. From the first second we walked in we could just feel that the people that worked here loved working here.
I had a chance to have a quick chat with Judy and Tom and it was evident that they loved what they were creating in this spot. As many of you know I’m a huge fan of pizza and this place did not disappoint. We started with a simple Margherita, tomato sauce on this pizza made me want to start growing my own tomatoes, just the perfect sweet and acid combination I have ever tasted. The second pizza was “Cup & Char Hot Honey” think
charred pepperoni and hot chili honey.. OMG.. so dam good. They offer a good selection of local wines and Beers that pair perfectly with our pizzas.
A small quiet walk down Main Street after dinner was the ideal way to end our day. Many of the old buildings that have been showing their former life are starting to be restored. I hope that more people realize the potential of this small town.
We ended our day sitting in the now quiet space of the Royal Block. I could have spent hours
gazing at all of the wonderful pieces of artwork found throughout the building. We decided to grab a bottle of wine from the wine bar… of course, left a note for Tina to add it to my bill. As we sat and enjoyed a bottle of Reynvaan Foothills Reserve Syrah we decided that we needed to come back to this lovely spot.
Waking up felt like I had slept on a cloud. We decided to pop into the local coffee shop before we headed back to Walla Walla. We grabbed some coffee at Ten Ton Coffee and house-made pastries – do yourself a favor and try the sweet red pepper and goat cheese croissant. It was delicious.
If I could recommend a perfect afternoon for all my friends and family who come to visit Walla Walla I
would say “Head to Waitsburg my friend!”
