While I was in Walla Walla, Washington staying at the ever-so-quaint Fat Duck Inn, the proprietor (Alexa) invited to take me to this up-and-coming little town about 20 miles north called, Waitsburg.  Founded in 1859, Waitsburg is a cute town that seems to be reemerging as a hip destination with some quality restaurants, including the jimgermanbar, which is where we dined.

All the buildings in town appear to be of the period and have (or are) undergone a wonderful restoration process to reflect their nineteenth century roots while creating a tasteful modern esthetic.  Each building has its own eclectic feel—you immediately get a sense that this is a community attracting the creative and the artistic.

The menu at jimgermanbar is handwritten on these long sheets of construction paper.  The food is Italian infused American  served tapas style with a mad selection of inspired cocktails.  The atmosphere is casual and almost reminiscent of a sophisticated beatnik club, which may actually be an oxymoron. I don’t even know why that description came to mind as the 60s were way before my time.

Here are the items we enjoyed:

• Claire’s Cornucopia Antipasto – House cured duck breast prosciutto, Fra Mani salami, a selection of cheeses, bocarones, Mama Lil’s peppers, crostini and crackers made by Colville St. Patisserie.
• Cumin roasted potatoes with lemon aioli
• Braised tenderloin with roasted asparagus
• I can’t recall the name of the cocktails we enjoyed, but they were some sort of lemon-drop martini…very refreshing.

After dinner, something told me it was time to get back on the road…there was a very loud siren that went off in the middle of town—I’m sure it could be heard from miles away (see end of video).

If you’ve ever been to jimgermanbar in Waitsburg, WA before, please leave a comment below and let my readers and me know what you think.