Find quality, comfort at Lorraine's

STEVEN FASANO, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published December 21, 2001

LEAVENWORTH -- During my drive to Leavenworth with my girlfriend, I was anticipating dining at a restaurant my family had told me about. They couldn't remember the name before I left and gave me rather hazy directions on where it was. So when we finally arrived at our hotel after traversing Blewett Pass in blizzardlike conditions and the concierge knew exactly the restaurant I was talking about, it was quite a relief.

I called to make sure they were open fairly late and made reservations for their last seating at 8 p.m. Since Leavenworth proper is rather small, it was easy to find Lorraine's Edel House at the end of Ninth Street, located in a quaint 1920s house with snow glistening from the eaves and candlelight flashing in the windows.

We were seated in a quiet area in the back of the restaurant next to a window facing mounded snow on a porch which is used for al fresco dining in the summer. I selected the baked portobello mushroom with chevre for an appetizer, and we had hot herb tea and a nice Riesling respectively to start our meal. The mushroom arrived steaming, with finely diced tomatoes, melting goat cheese and a pungent garlic mousse. The texture of the mushroom was so meaty it could have made a meal in itself.

For my main course I chose one of the chef's specials of the day, a flame-broiled salmon steak coated in a soy and ginger glaze and drizzled with a wasabi creme fraiche. The salmon was unusually moist and flavorful, but the wasabi was surprisingly mild. The sauteed zucchini with sprinkled Parmesan was a nice mild partner to the soy and ginger glaze.

My girlfriend enjoyed the more pedestrian chicken scampi, which was bedded on angel hair pasta in a garlic, cream and basil sauce, topped with sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts that weren't quite trimmed well enough. We both got a sharp little unpleasant surprise when we bit into a piece of untrimmed artichoke.

As the restaurant emptied and the hour grew late, we watched our waitress make sure every place setting on each table was just so for the next day. The crowds were going to arrive the next day in force for the famed tree lighting in downtown Leavenworth, and every restaurant would be packed.

Before stepping back out into the cold, we perused the dessert menu and I picked something that sounded a bit unusual: gingerbread with a warm lemon cream sauce. Not knowing what to expect, with visions of hard gingerbread men in my head, I was very pleased to discover that the gingerbread was soft, dark and mild. And the lemon cream sauce was divine, the perfect touch to warm my trip back out into the snow.

Steven Fasano is an Olympia resident who works in the insurance industry. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by The Olympian.

Lorraine's Edel House

Four forks: Very good

- Location: 320 Ninth St., Leavenworth. 509-548-4412.

- Service: Good. Our waitress was attentive until we decided we were ready to pay and depart, and then she disappeared into the back room for 20 minutes.

- Atmosphere: Excellent. You can see the 1920s architecture in the arches above the original interior doorways. The candlelight and soft music made us feel warm inside looking out at the mounds of snow.

- Value: Good. Main courses range from $14 to $18 and usually come with a side dish.

- Food: Very good. A very nice surprise in a town dominated by restaurants with simple Germanic fare and pub food.

- Beverages: A small but well selected wine list. Herbal teas, sodas and, of course, coffee.

- Reservations: Not a bad idea if you are heading into town. This is a favorite romantic dining place for locals and out-of-towners in the know.

- Credit cards: MasterCard, Visa and Discover.

- Hours: 5-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

REVIEW GUIDE

Five forks: Excellent

Four forks: Very good

Three forks: Good

Two forks: Average

One fork: Fair

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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