Windseeker Restaurant

06/15/09

Delightful and definitely worth the drive

by RuthieD

“Delightful and definitely worth the drive.” That is how I would

describe our time at the Windseeker Restaurant in the Dalles last Sunday. Since we stumbled onto this restaurant on the internet when searching for a place with a view to celebrate our anniversary, it seemed fitting to write about it when it so surpassed our expectations. We had left the dreary clouds of a cool June Portland afternoon, and came into sunlight near Cascade locks. Part of the way, we drove the old Columbia Gorge highway. If you have never driven it, it is like traveling through a tunnel of green under the overarching maples and alders. This is the relaxing road, and you will pass several lovely waterfalls you may want to stop and visit before you travel on and emerge back into the sun at Multnomah Falls.

The Windseeker sits above the Columbia, windowed on 3 sides, with 2 sides overlooking the Columbia. At the back is a garden, lots of flowers, roses, wildflowers, and 2 or 3 small fountains/water features. To the west by the walkway above the river, there is a deep wetland pond. Outside the window by our table, red and white wild flowers bent in the breeze by the railing of the deck where you can also eat in nice weather. I liked the décor as soon as I walked in – gentle green walls with curtains of different colors draping each window – pink, blue, green - tied back with silk flowers. Pictures on the walls and china on shelves near the ceiling.

The food was good and the prices reasonable. We splurged on our meal since it was our anniversary. We started with crabcakes in a nice sauce. The meals include loaves of bread, and soup or salad (your choices from a small salad bar.) I had steak with a couple of prawns and scallops, and my husband had steak with a port/mushroom sauce. His was a little underdone for medium, and he sent it back to be cooked a little more. They were good steaks, flavorful and tender. The vegetables were perfunctory and cooked a bit too much. Overall the meal was very good.

I like that the wines are all local - from Oregon and Washington. A glass is about $5, and bottles range from $20 to $35/$40. We had a bottle from nearby Maryhill for $20 (you should also go to that museum sometime) and enjoyed it.

We talked with our server Deanna, and found that she is the baker of pies, cakes and bar desserts that come with the Sunday brunch. That brunch also includes waffles, blintzes, omelets to order, and all of the other typical brunch type foods and is just $11. Friday and Saturday evenings are white table cloth nights, and I would think it would be very pretty to dine there and see the lights reflected in the water.

This is not a pretentious place. It doesn’t have entrees with strange names and ingredients you have never heard of. The food is good, the portions nice sized, and the servers were smiling and attentive. We were dressed up, but still felt comfortable among the other more casually dressed diners. The décor and view and good music (kind of in the George Winston genre) made for a cheerful and delightful experience.

My only recommendations would be to put a couple of benches in the gardens as it is pleasant among the flowers, and maybe also along the river walkway. Go experience the Windseeker on a cool day in Portland when the Dalles has sun. Or take your out of town visitors on a waterfall trip and finish your day there. It is quite a drive from Portland, and we won’t be able to go often, but do plan to go again. We were not disappointed and you won’t be either.