The first time I went to the South Perry District's newest eatery, I was in one of my grungier sweatshirts.
Idiot, I thought as I walked up Perry Street. Who wears sweats to a wine bar?
But I was worried for nothing. As soon as I stepped inside, I realized that this wasn't some hoighty-toighty, nose-in-the-air snob fest. Instead, there was a blue brick fireplace with books and vintage maps on the mantle, surrounded by hand-painted, upcycled furniture. I was basically in Amber Park's living room.
Park, the owner of Wanderlust Delicato in downtown Spokane, just opened Pacific to Palouse, a new Northwest-themed wine bar in the heart of South Perry. The cozy neighborhood spot officially opened on May 16 and features local wines from family-run vineyards, plus a menu of light fare highlighting Washington ingredients from the salty coast to the Idaho border.
It's the perfect counterbalance to Wanderlust, which scratches the travel itch by importing delicacies from far-flung corners of the globe. Instead, Pacific to Palouse celebrates everything that's within reach from our nest in the "Upper Left." Perry's newest neighbor is super family-friendly, from nonalcoholic drink options to cute children's furniture to even cuter baby Landen, Park's 6-month-old grandson who hangs out at the shop and has already become its beloved, unofficial mascot.
"Almost everyone's got a baby or a kid," Park says. "We are just that neighborhood wine bar, [a spot to hang out] whether you're going to the park or waiting for your kid to get out of school or going to the farmers market."
Comfy sweatshirts, she assures me, are more than welcome.
Thoughtful, handcrafted touches lurk everywhere in the new wine bar. To the right of the door when you walk in, a map of Washington hangs on the wall with autographs from winemakers across the state.
"I really like small-production, family-owned wineries that are really letting the winemaking happen in the vineyard," Park says. "They're not over processing. They're not trying to make this overly consistent product. They're letting the vintage variation happen."
Guests can buy a glass of wine ($12-$14) for an afternoon chat, or they can buy an entire bottle ($24-$45) to enjoy for an evening in the shop or at home later. Park or a staff sommelier will help pick out something you'll like, or you can buy a flight of three wines to taste and decide for yourself.
"I want varietals that you don't necessarily see all the time," she says. "I'm going to have things like gamay noir and Rhone white blends coming out of Oregon, and tempranillo grown in Washington by a Spaniard. I also have Red Mountain merlot from a local winery, you know, so you can find the things that you're used to. But I would also like to introduce you to varietals that you've never heard of and you've never had before."
The bar's menu is curated by Park's daughter (and baby Landen's mother), Mariah Brown. Mix-and-match chips and dips give plenty of opportunities for the perfectly tailored snack. Depending on your mood, you could pair marinated labneh ($8) with sourdough toast points made fresh at Gander & Ryegrass ($3), or Dungeness crab dip ($20) with artisan crackers ($3), or Cougar Gold cheese ($12) with Tim's Cascade potato chips ($3).
Or, have Brown do the choosing for you and opt for a charcuterie board, either westside or eastside themed. The Pacific board ($22) features smoked salmon chevre spread, smoked mussels, candied salmon and veggies, while the Palouse platter ($18) offers Cougar Gold and Orchard Blue cheeses with salami and fruits.
Brown is interested in featuring healthy, noninflammatory foods on her menu. She doesn't use any seed oils in her kitchen and keeps up with the latest "biohacking" information, a term that refers to optimizing health and cellular function through food.
"It's really important to me that my food isn't toxic," she says.
Brown has been a chef instructor at Wanderlust and now plans to switch up seasonal fresh sheets at Pacific to Palouse every couple weeks, figuring out how to source as much as she can from farmers market vendors year-round.
Her staff in the kitchen are all high school students at NEWTech Prep, a skill-based high school in Spokane with a respected culinary program.
"They know so much, and they take so much initiative," Brown says.
It's a great partnership for everyone — the students get a paid position, plus work credit through Spokane Public Schools, plus real-life experience in a field they love. Brown and Park get enthusiastic, skilled employees who are so much fun to work with, they say.
"They are like rockstars," Park says. "It's amazing how much they know and how professionally they're trained. They're doing a really good job for students."
The wine bar has only been open for a couple weeks, but it's already hitting its stride in service and atmosphere. There's more to come, too.
The shop is a week or so away from opening its back patio, which will almost triple the amount of people who can come hang out. On warm summer evenings, there will be string lights and live music and views of the park, plus a growing menu of wine cocktails. Yes, spritzes, but also summer drinks like a mojito made with sauvignon blanc instead of rum, or a pear and thyme Collins with a white wine base.
Local beer and cider will also be available for anyone who really doesn't want wine, as well as nonalcoholic, or "NA," options for anyone not allowed to drink or just choosing not to.
"NA is really a big category right now in the industry," Park says. "There's a lot of people that are taking a break from alcohol. That's part of the reason for the NA cocktails, in addition to being all ages. My teenage niece or my teenage employees who want to come in and hang out and feel fancy — they can have an NA cocktail, chill and have a snack. More of that neighborhood, family feel."
For Park, who grew up on the South Hill, Pacific to Palouse is an extension of her home in every sense of the word. She and her family want you to feel like you're hanging with your family in your own living room — "except," she says, "you don't have to do the dishes!" ♦
Pacific to Palouse • 1020 S. Perry St., Suite 102 • Open Tue-Sat 3 pm-10 pm • Instagram: pacifictopalouse • 509-960-7569
