Looking to treat yourself or someone special?
Look no further! This truly is someplace special.
Established in 1973, they've been getting it right for a long time.
We had the opportunity to be their guests as a party of two recently and found the atmosphere, the hospitality of the staff, the food, the history and the total experience to be top notch.
The first thing that we noticed was the warmth and welcoming feel of the atmosphere inside this place with an entrance tucked into a cozy breezeway on the north side of Main Street, just across from the historic Avalon Theater. They also have a quaint patio dining area if the outdoor setting is what you prefer.
Right away, the friendly staff - including the proprietor himself - greeted us with an explanation of the evening's specials and we were escorted to a comfortable nook that gave the experience a "just right" feeling of intimacy without a feeling of isolation from the rest of the dining area.
We learned that the building, originally constructed in 1905, and another part of the restaurant that was a separate structure (also built in 1905), grew together with some creative easement agreements and construction techniques, to become a single space in the year 1915.
Our meal began with house-made rolls and fresh-churned butter followed by a locally sourced heirloom tomato (Blaine's Farm) and frisee salad, garnished with creamy Burrata cheese and dressed with a house-made balsamic vinaigrette.
Our entrees were equally spectacular! The evening's special was white Chilean sea bass in buerre blanc sauce and served with fresh zucchini and yellow squash along side balsamic, home fried potatoes with parmesan. The perfectly cooked fish flaked into coins the size of a quarter and literally melted on the tongue; made all the more luxuriant by the elegant sauce blanketing the fillet. The regular menu entre selected, The Winery's own preparation of a fillet Oscar. It did not disappoint! A six ounce, aged fillet mignon - seared to a fork-tender medium, topped with crab and lobster and served over asparagus spears, a strip of thick, crispy bacon and sauce newberg, came with the same fresh squash and signature Winery potatoes whipped with shallots, beef stock and dijon mustard. It seems the flavor word for this kind of experience is something like "unctios". To be fair, words don't really do this food justice.
And then there was dessert!
Palisade peach reduction panna cotta with whipped cream and microgreen garnish; each bite as heavenly as the first!
And The Palisade - A seedless raspberry sauce artfully plated with white chocolate drizzle as the base for a five layer chocolate mousse pie: Oreo crust, crownie, chocolate ganache, chocolate mousse and white chocolate drizzle and garnished with a seven inch tall sail of dark chocolate. This dessert mousse pie stands nearly eight inches off the plate at its peak. And the raspberry sauce was so balanced with just the right amount of chill, it's a treat we'll be having again. A dessert suited to our Rocky Mountain High west-slope way of life!
The entire meal was definitely, food elevated.
Special thanks to our host and his staff who did The Winery proud as they offered us a glimpse of some of the best our community has to offer. We'll be back!