Historic downtown McMinnville, Oregon, is the heart of Oregon Wine Country and where buzz for Oregon’s Pinot Noirs began at 3rd Street treasure Nick’s Italian Cafe, famed for serving Oregon wine enthusiasts and winemakers for over 30 years.

Community Plate knows what the Willamette Valley is all about. ©Priscilla Willis
But First, Coffee
It’s mid-morning and the streets of historic downtown McMinnville are quiet, but for coffee seekers like myself and storekeepers opening shop. I sip my Community Plate latte, nibble on the homemade bacon and cheddar scone, and peruse the Connections insert of the News-Register, the community newspaper for McMinnville and Yamhill Valley. The front page of section B, ‘Connections’, is devoted to poetry, it is April and National Poetry Month after all, with a profile piece on local poet Bethany Lee, followed by a story on Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Robert Stafford leading a poetry workshop for middle and high school students. Next to me, two patrons discuss local artists… What a refreshing change from the daily assault we call news.

Enjoy homemade pastries and seasonal fare at Community Plate. ©Priscilla Willis
Independent Small Businesses Rule in Historic McMinnville
Afterward, I stroll 3rd Street peering into the nostalgic storefronts as the town begins to stir. It’s like stepping back in time, in a good way. There’s an art supply store, a family-owned jewelry store, music store, an independent book store, fabric store, antique shops, and clothing boutiques. No corporate coffee, chain restaurants, or retail clothier in sight. I felt like Marty McFly in search of the clock tower.

The Vortex music store sells vinyl records, CDs, and cool stuff. ©Priscilla Willis

Where you shop matters. Support independent booksellers and shop local during you stay in Oregon wine country.
McMinnville for the Best Restaurants in Oregon Wine Country
Nick’s Italian Cafe opens for dinner only, but there are a plethora of cafes and restaurants to choose from. Just know that you are in the right place to dine as few towns in the Willamette Valley can rival the restaurant options in McMinnville. Named one of the best small towns for food lovers, options range from American comfort food to award-winning fine dining, and farm-to-table is not a new concept here, but a way of life that thrives in McMinnville.

Nick’s Italian Cafe has been a winemaker and foodie hangout since 1977. Years of delectable handmade pastas and wood-fired pizzas earned the establishment a James Beard American Classic award in 2014. ©Maija Kellner-Rode.

The Blue Moon Bar & Grill began as a soda shop in the 1920’s and morphed into a lounge after Prohibition. Look for the historic sign and pop in to hear tunes on the jukebox, play shuffleboard, or just relax with good food and great company. ©Priscilla Willis

Shrimp and Smoked Scallop Louie at Red Hills Kitchen in the Atticus Hotel. ©Priscilla Willis
Lunch at Red Hills Kitchen in the Atticus Hotel
I savored a farm fresh lunch (and a refreshing cocktail) at the newly opened Red Hills Kitchen at the hip Atticus Hotel. The live-fire based menu includes the best elements of popular Red Hills Market with an extended menu and continued focus on being local, fresh, and seasonal without attitude. Hand-crafted cocktails embellish your meal and a variety of options for gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, seafood and meat lovers are featured. A menu highlight is the wood-fired shellfish, which shines in the Shrimp and Smoked Scallop Louie salad preceded by crisp vibrant radishes sourced from Even Pull Farm, simply dressed with butter, Jacobsen flake salt, and chives. YUM! I adore radishes, and they’re good for the body, too.

Even Pull Farm Radishes at Red Hills Kitchen in the Atticus Hotel. ©Priscilla Willis
Lots of Options to Quench Your Thirst in McMinnville
There’s plenty of places to quench your thirst with wine, craft beers, cider, spirits, and craft cocktails in historic downtown McMinnville as well.

Enjoyed tasting Willamette Valley Vineyard’s highly rated, award-winning wines and their new release Rosé. Super friendly staff too – thank you, Dwight! ©Priscilla Willis
Willamette Valley Vineyards Tasting Room
I had a wonderful time sipping and chatting with the friendly staff at the Willamette Valley Vineyards Tasting Room on 3rd Street. The welcoming ambiance replete with high tables, communal tables, comfortable club chairs and leather sofas surrounded by artwork gives visitors the opportunity to experience the award-winning Pinot Noirs and other varietals from their certified sustainable estate vineyards.

Willamette Valley Vineyards Tasting Room on 3rd Street in McMinnville. ©Priscilla Willis
A little history from one of the pioneer wineries in Oregon wine country: the “budwood” of Willamette Valley Vineyards began long before its founding in 1983 by vintner Jim Bernau. His father was hired by a California winemaker to secure the first winery license in Oregon since Prohibition and allowed young Jim small tastes of wine at dinner, lighting a path that led Jim from home winemaking to studies at UC Davis and Beaune, France. In 1983, encouraged by winemakers making their move from California, Jim cleared away an old plum orchard in the Salem Hills and watered the vines by hand because he couldn’t afford drip irrigation.

Popular, unpretentious craft beer taproom and bottle shop with 16 rotating taps of craft beer and cider, and 150 curated bottles for here or to go. Check out the Beer Garden. ©Priscilla Willis

The Ransom Wine Co. & Distillery tasting room features their entire portfolio of products from both the winery and the distillery. ©Priscilla Willis

The bar at Red Hills Kitchen serves hand-crafted cocktails without attitude. Inside the Atticus Hotel. ©Priscilla Willis
As you can see, McMinnville has plenty to tempt your taste buds in Oregon wine country. The dining scene rivals that of many larger cities and has garnered rave reviews. Bon Appetit magazine recognized McMinnville as one of the country’s best small towns for food lovers. Nods from Sunset, the Wine Spectator and The New York Times add further to their food and wine cred. When you visit, download the McMinnville Wine Walk app on IOS or Android and sip your way through 15 downtown tasting rooms.
Thank you to Willamette Valley Visitors Association for facilitating my visit to McMinnville. As always, words and opinions, unless otherwise noted, are my own.

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