Outside dining; Trendy and cool
Posted by: Becky St. Clair in Food on Jul 22, 2010
I love eating outside. I really don't know why except that it's different from the "norm" and makes me feel kind of trendy and cool (a feeling I'm not typically given the chance to enjoy). The great thing is that it seems most eateries in the Walla Walla area offer outdoor seating, whether it's a quick meal at Pita Pit or five-star dining at Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen. And of course you're not a "real" coffee shop if you don't offer patrons a place to don their sunglasses and people-watch from behind the New York Times.
This time of year is perfect for patio seating, too. And this year, it's been extra amazing. True, the sweater weather clung on a little longer than even I, a fully-in-favor-of-clothing and anti-summer-style kind of person would have liked, but the end of June was fantastic. I can handle 75-80 degrees with a light breeze from the south. Bring it on!
Though I can't claim to have tried every available outdoor seating venue in the Walla Walla Valley, I have utilized quite a few, and I want to share some of my favorites with you (in no particular order).
Creektown Café (1129 S. 2nd Ave., WW): A classy, covered patio usually strung with ambient white lights and perfected with contemporary background music. I recommend the hummus and pita chips as an appetizer.
Olive Marketplace & Café (21 E. Main St., WW): The perfect location for relaxing in the shade and watching life move around you. The tables are spaced appropriately and you don't feel as though you're in the way of passersby. Also, their beet salad is to die for.
Black Cup Coffee Co. (615 S. College Ave., CP): Pulled back from the street a nice distance, this patio seating is spruced up with comfortable modern tables and chairs and brightly colored flowers in large planters. A peaceful place to enjoy an iced dark chocolate Hawai'ian Delight.
Sweet Basil Pizzeria (5 S. 1st Ave., WW): First of all, the tables are cute and in nice colors (that was for the women reading this) and secondly it's a much better option than squeezing into the pizza shop's small quarters. Enjoy their amazing dishes (perhaps the pesto pizza) in comfort - on the patio.
And, if you'd like to try something completely different, visit any of the delicious eateries in the for take-out...and head to one of the equally amazing local parks, such as Pioneer Park, Fort Walla Walla, or Lions Park (College Place). Or, for a so-little-known-it's-almost-completely-yours experience, try Wildwood Park on Division Street, just north of Alder.
Whatever you do, enjoy eating outside. It's trendy and cool...just like you.
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