Highly recommended everywhere

Community Plate is a regular hangout for locals. Shared tables, rustic setting and an ever-changing fresh and locally-sourced menu. Owners Scott and Courtney Cunningham are committed to McMinnville’s food culture and continue to put out new and wonderful breakfast and lunch choices.

La Pura Vida—have you ever had a deep-friend avocado? Try it. Amazing. This Latin-American-inspired spot is interesting, a bit unexpected and downright excellent. Mojito’s on Monday, fab. Empanadas, excellent.

La Rambla offers Spanish-inspired tapas and excellent full meal choices, too. Their beautiful copper topped bar shows off their in-house infusions for outstanding cocktails. Go with a group so you can try different items and share. I recommend the fried green beans. They have an extensive wine list with many wines by the glass, too.

Nick’s Italian Café, which anchored the McMinnville food scene years ago as a gathering place for winemaking pioneers, earned a James Beard Award. Now run by Nick’s daughter, Carmen, it still draws praise from diners for lunch, dinner, wood-fired pizza and famous minestrone soup.

Thistle, tiny and terrific, has received many rave reviews, and is the only restaurant outside of Portland ever named ‘Restaurant of the Year’ by the Oregonian.