Monday, October 10, 2011

Licking the Spoon

When I originally envisioned this column my idea was to create a place to talk about food in Walla Walla. What we are doing here that is good and what is not. Things that are worth your time, effort and money and those things that are not. While we have been doing a lot of recipes and general cooking instruction since the beginning, we have not yet tackled a review of a place or thing. Over the next few weeks I am going to be doing just that. While this might seem like suicide to many in a small town like ours, I think it is the one thing that is sorely lacking here. Real reviews that are unflinchingly honest, good or bad and not just “fluff” pieces meant to stroke peoples egos. That’s not my bag, baby. So without further ado, here we go. . . .
This past weekend my family and I went out for lunch/brunch/late breakfast, whatever you want to call it. This is not a regular thing for us, as like many of you, funds are generally tight and eating out is a luxury that is only seldom deemed necessary and or affordable. Since we had not tried it yet, we opted for Greenspoon downtown. When we arrived, the place was very busy with like minded people, although the wait was less than five minutes to get seated with a party of six, including two children.
Once seated our waiter brought menus, paper, and some crayons and activity pages for the kids, nice touch. I really felt like having a bloody Mary, as the kids were in rare form that day, but alas not to be had, just beer and wine, oh well. Here is my first criticism, our waiter should have pointed out the “bloody beer” option (which I found on my own) to me as it’s a great option for those that are looking for that little something. I opted for corona instead of the silver bullet, and was not disappointed at all. Note to wait staff, suggest this option as it is fantastic, really, and could easily be missed by many of us.
Service proceeded from there well. Our waiter brought drinks quickly, I also ordered an iced tea, which was refreshingly strong and fresh (Thank you!) the perfect counter point to my bloody beer. Orders were taken without any issues, even with the buzz in the restaurant conversation was easy and not loud and you could still here the music which was pleasant and not too loud, someone here is really paying close attention to the details. No one had to shout at the waiter and no one had to ask him to speak up. Very pleasant.
Two of our party opted for the “Rachel” a turkey version of a Rueben sandwich, two opted for the burger, one for the kids eggs and bacon, and I the biscuits and gravy. Now, here is where things really start to succeed or fail for most restaurants. Our food arrived quickly, like under 10 minutes quickly and this is with the restaurant mostly packed. Impressive. Everything was cooked as ordered and arrived without flourish but exactly as it should. Bravo.
Something often overlooked in many restaurants is the fact that when people are dining together they usually appreciate actually EATING together. As in don’t bring half or some of the plates then wait ten minutes to bring the rest. Also, wait staff that fail to check their orders BEFORE they leave the kitchen need to understand that if something is wrong on a plate when it leaves the kitchen, it will be coming back. Kitchen staff that fail to take care of their wait staff will be fixing plates when they could be getting their other orders out. . . .
None of that happened with our orders. They arrived, perfectly. Plates were not too hot to handle. This is a sure sign that people are actually COOKING in the kitchen and not just sticking things in the micro. Again, bravo. Now, this is where it gets down to brass tacks, how it tastes. Again, this is where most people who do reviews, just gloss over the facts and fail to write anything of substance. Well, not me. I tell it like it is sister. And it was FLAWLESS. Really. Flawless. Best biscuits and gravy, ever. I have eaten B&G for many, many years, I am something of an expert and a connoisseur (if you can use that term about one of the simplest foods ever). These rocked. If the biscuits were not fresh made then it was a darn good show, because they tasted like they were just made that day, and did not seem to be “from a package” but rather made in house, I will check on this fact for you. Gravy, was also fresh made, not too “floury” or tasting of un cooked flour. Nice bits of sausage and a good spice without being “spicy”.
Portion size was also perfect. One of my other issues is that most breakfast spots usually either go too big or too small. I.e. there is too much to eat and you are force to leave it (wasteful) or take away (again wasteful that you need a container usually foam). The rest offer tiny portions that leave you hungry and charge you an arm and a leg for “spa” food. No thanks. These guys, have it spot on. Again, bravo.
The rest of my group thoroughly enjoyed their meals as well, my oldest devouring here eggs and bacon. The youngest really enjoyed her burger and REALLY enjoyed the chips that came with it. The “Rachel’s” were dispatched with great gusto and finished, although I did hear that it was almost too much, which for that person is a great compliment, trust me. My wife also had the burger and she really enjoyed it, with the correct proportions of meat, bread and condiments elevating the flavors of the meat and not overshadowing them. My breakfast also came with potatoes (always a plus) and two farm fresh eggs that were cooked, perfectly. Again, as I am sure you are painfully aware by now, I am particular about my food, and when I say something was done perfectly you can guarantee that it really was. Really.
I really wanted to finish my plate out of respect for Chef Gene and Katie, who have obviously gone through a lot of thought about their restaurant top to bottom. BTW, it is considered, in some circles, that leaving food on your plate at a restaurant is disrespectful to the chef, even insulting. It is an indication that you did not find it satisfactory, so please consider this when dining out. I left one bite, because try as I might, it was almost too much for me to finish, but it was thoroughly enjoyed, make no mistake of that.
Prices were extremely reasonable, even on the inexpensive side, for the quality of ingredients and care that went into our meal. Average price was about $10 a person, and again no one walked away needing more. Although there are many other items on the menu that I would like to try I am going to have a hard time going back and NOT ordering the same thing, it was seriously THAT GOOD. I really wanted to go and wrap my arms around Gene and plant a big wet one on his cheek to let him know how much I enjoyed it, but felt discretion was the better option this time round.
If you go, please make note of everything on the menu and ask your server what they like, I seriously doubt that you will be disappointed by anything offered. Gene Soto and Katie Gonzalez have created an amazing addition to Walla Walla and the restaurant scene here. Ambiance, simplicity, service and food are all spot on. Just remember to ask your waits person about the “bloody beer” if you are craving that Sunday morning pick me up. . . .Cheers.

Greenspoon is located at 13 E. Main st. in Downtown Walla Walla, next to Bright’s Candies. Hours are
M, W, Th: Lunch - 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dinner - 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday: Lunch - 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dinner - 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Saturday: Brunch - 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dinner - 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Sunday: Brunch - 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Phone: 509 240 6288. Reservations are not required, but it is always respectful with large parties and helps avoid wait times if you are in a hurry.
All restaurant information can be found at: http://www.greenspoonw2.com/ and their menu is posted there as well. Bon Appetite.

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