Baldwin Saloon Food Review: Even locals haven’t had cherries like this before
Rhiannon Griffith, off duty from work, smiles as she examines a bowl of cherries at the Baldwin Saloon. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
By Cole Goodwin
Some locals in The Dalles may think they’ve had enough cherries to last a lifetime.
But the Baldwin Saloon is breathing new life into this familiar fruit.
Their new seasonal “Harvest at the Baldwin” event menu showcases the Baldwin’s unique brand of culinary creativity, and cherries from Polehn Farms, Dahle Orchards, Klindt Orchard Management, Cooper Orchards, Little Bear Hill, and Orchard View Farms.
The result?
A loving celebration of local foods that satisfies your summer cravings.
Now I should back up here a little and preface. I grew up in The Dalles and worked in the cherry orchards almost every summer growing up. So, I’ve eaten my fair share of cherries.
And honestly?
… Before I stepped into The Baldwin I was content to never eat another cherry ever again.
But little did I know that in a short few minutes I’d soon be happily cleaning every cherry covered plate set in front of me.
But then again, how could I have known? Because I’d never had cherries like this before.
When I arrived, I told the friendly waitstaff that I was planning to do a review of the new menu and they let me pick a seat that would be best for taking photos of the food, which was thoughtful of them.
Then they started bringing out the cherries.
As a starter for the table, they brought out a small bowl of Bing cherries from Polehn Farms, and Rainier cherries from Klindt Orchard Management.
A delicious bowl of one of the Earth’s top ten healthiest fruits! Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
And in the spirit of the review I ate one, and then two, and then three.
I realized it had been a while since I’d had Bings, which have a distinctly bright sweet-tart flavor with a tangy aftertaste unlike Rainiers which have a lower acidity and a more delicate sweetness.
As I ate yet another one I remembered having read somewhere recently that cherries are a good source of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, including vitamin C, A, K, and flavonoids. This makes them a good option for people with long-COVID who might want to try eating foods that lower inflammation and improve cognition.
The Tom and Cherry and Cherry Drop Cocktails are instant summer favorites. Photo Credit: Tony Morales
Then my cocktail arrived.
The first thing that struck me was how easy on the eyes it was.
That deep cherry red contrasts well with the white sugared rim. It’s definitely the kind of drink that pairs perfectly with a red dress and some sparkly diamonds.
Mmmm. A nice cold cherry cocktail can really hit the spot on a hot day. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
The Cherry Drop, is made with Wild Roots Bing cherry infused vodka, triple sec, lemon juice, simple syrup and garnished with a sugared rim.
At first, the drink felt a bit Vodka forward for me. But to be fair, I don’t really drink that much, only for food reviews really. But by my third sip, I was sold. Because it’s like I said before: the Bing cherry is a complicated fruit in a lot of ways; it’s sweet, tart, tangy, and earthy all at once. The complexity of the cherry flavor means that a lot of things can go wrong when you’re trying to showcase it, and I felt that this drink managed to mirror those flavors well.
Next came one of the most popular items on the menu: the Chilled Cherry Soup.
Cherry Soup. Photo Credit: Tony Morales
Reading the description of the soup I had no idea what to expect… buttermilk fennel, dill and Kordia cherries from Cooper Orchards? Huh? What would that be like?
Well I’ll tell you, it was … cooling.
There’s no other way to describe it.
After being out in the hot 100-degree weather all day, this soup feels like a cooling Ayurvedic tonic. And of course it does … because it practically is! Upon further investigation, thanks Google, I learned that in the practice of Ayurvedic medicine, buttermilk, fennel, dill, and cherries are all considered to have cooling properties and help activate heat-removing channels in the body.
I also think that Kordia cherries were an especially good variety to use in this soup because they have a good balance of sweetness and acidity that makes for a slightly more spicy flavor.
In short? This is the perfect soup for beating the summer heat in The Dalles.
I give the soup a 10/10 for managing to be both a health tonic and something totally novel, seasonal, and unexpected. (I’d never have even considered the possibility of cherries in soup before this.)
A spoonful of cherries helps the body cool down! Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
But you don’t have to take my word for it.
Taking a quick break from my review I decided to chat a little with Brendan and Alyssa O’Halloran who were having dinner with Connie Krummrich just one table away from me. I wanted to ask them if they’d enjoyed their meal.
In the process, I found out that the pair are newlyweds, and that some of the cherries we’re eating actually came from Brendan’s mom and step-Dad’s orchard! Talk about local!
“They have Dahle orchard,” said Brendan.
Brendan tells me he loves everything he’s eaten so far.
“The Duck Confit was incredible,” said Brendan. “And the cherry soup was too. I honestly didn’t think I was going to like it because it just sounds strange but it was amazing!”
“Alyssa doesn’t like cherries necessarily, and she really liked it too,” said Connie K.
“No, she doesn’t like cherries at all!” agreed Brendan enthusiastically.
“I’m not into cherries. But the soup was really delicious,” said Alyssa. “It’s a fresh take on cherries.”
Alyssa and Brendan O’Holloran were connected by love and cherries when they dined out at Baldwin Saloon. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Brendan said it felt great to see the cherries from his hometown being integrated into local cuisine.
“Baldwin and Dalhe and even us, we’re all out here supporting each other. These cherries didn’t have to travel very far. They came from trees in our local community, and that I love,” he said, pointing out that keeping local foods local felt especially important in light of recent inflation, and supply chain issues experienced nationwide.
And its so much kinder to the environment to use local ingredients rather than rely on foods from halfway across the world that require shipping and the burning of fossil fuels.
I was starting to get hungry again after chatting with them, so I thanked the happy newlyweds and Connie for their time and went back to my table.
Next up came the appetizer: Bruleed Ebony Pearl Cherries from Dahle Orchards.
Bruleed cherries are certainly a fresh take on a this summer treat! Photo Credit: Tony Morales
I personally felt Ebony Pearl was a great choice for this dish, as they are a more classic dark cherry flavor, meaning they are not as tart as Bings, nor as delicate as Rainiers, and have a good amount of sweetness and firmness to them. And they paired well with crostini, goat cheese, cracked black pepper, and cherry gastrique (a super simple sweet and sour sauce.)
For me the star of the appetizer was the texture.
I really enjoyed the mixture of crostini crunch, creamy goat's cheese, and the firm squish of the bruleed Ebony Pearls.
Mmmmm bruleed cherries+goats cheese+ crostini = delicious. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
I quickly ate them all.
Then the entree arrived.
Duck Confit.
Okay this one I’ve got to break down for y'all because it was my favorite thing I ate. I literally devoured it.
No crumb left behind.
This dish features duck fat potatoes, house made confit duck (a duck slow cooked in its own fat), cherry mostarda, sweet potato hay, microgreens, and pickled mustard seeds.
Duck Confit is nothing short of a tall plate of delicious. Photo credit: Tony Morales
What’s so astounding to me about this dish is that it features duck and potatoes that have been slow cooked in duck fat, and yet somehow the dish manages to feel light and nourishing without even the hint of that heavy greasy starchy feeling you might expect from a dish like this.
Why? My guess is the microgreens, cherry mostarda and pickled mustard seeds.
A mostarda is a condiment from Italy’s Piedmont region.
It’s basically a fruit and mustard concoction that has a sweet but tart candied syrup flavor mixed with a powerful mustard kick. And while in Italy it usually accompanies cheese and charcuterie- it’s also something that feels at home on a sandwich or salad.
But this condiment is surely not something that you come across every day in The Dalles.
The Baldwin’s mostarda is made with Coral Champagne cherries from Klindt Orchard. Coral Champagnes are a low-acidity fruit with a very sweet and tart flavor similar to Bings.
This sweet and tart fruit flavor paired with mustard was not something I knew I needed in my life. Now, I’m obsessed with it.
In addition, cherries and mustard seeds are also rich in fiber, flavonoids, Vitamins C,A, K, magnesium, selenium, and antioxidants. And because mustard seeds are considered useful for cardiovascular health, they balance out the duck confit really well- making the meal taste brighter and lighter.
Honestly, this dish got me excited about cooking with cherries. I had no idea that cherries could take part in such a savory dish without stealing the show with their sweet flavor.
Last but not least was dessert.
A chocolate brownie topped with vanilla bean ice cream, a Jubilee sauce made from coral cherries from Orchard View Farms, and finished off with Black Republican and Bing cherries from Little Bear Hill.
Mmmm. Sweet, tart, and chocolatey. Photo Credit: Tony Morales
Now I’m sure some of you are wondering where the name Black Republican came from, so, let’s just get that out of the way right now:
The Black Republican was first grown in Oregon in 1860 by horticulturist, Quaker, and abolitionist Seth Lewelling. Lewelling gave the cherry its name as a reflection of his abolitionist beliefs. While this cherry variety dominated the industry at the time, today it is considered a rare variety with only about 200 acres in production and is even listed as an endangered heritage food in the Ark of Taste.
Smaller and darker than most other sweet cherries, the Black Republican has a more concentrated flavor that is both dense and complex. The connoisseur’s will tell you they can taste notes of herbs, almonds, and rose in this cherry. And while I can’t honestly say I have taste buds advanced enough to pick up on all of that, I can say that I think these cherries taste pretty dang good, especially with chocolate and ice cream.
The jubilee sauce, made with Coral cherry’s, from Orchard View Farms was also a nice touch as the Coral varietals have a sweet, low-acidity flavor profile similar to a Bings.
I will also say that while delicious, after all the more risky and creative cherry flavor pairings I’d had earlier, dessert felt a bit more conventional. Although to be fair, if I had a more advanced palette I’d probably have experienced it to be a bit more gourmet than I did, considering it contains a connoisseur's most prized cherry variety.
Still, it was a delicious and refreshing dessert that doesn’t feel too heavy for a summer day thanks to the brightening flavor and anti-inflammatory properties of the cherries.
I mean you can’t beat chocolate, cherries, and vanilla ice cream right?
Mmmmm…. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Foodies take note: these menu items are going, going, gone as we speak! The Harvest at the Baldwin menu runs through September 1st or as long as local supplies of fresh cherries last!
“The Dalles' history is so heavily connected to Cherry Farmers and we wanted to showcase their work,” said Liam Macleod, Baldwin spokesperson. “James and Molli Martin are multi-generational cherry farmers as well, which had a huge influence on our first "Harvest at the Baldwin.”
Liam told me that some orchardists even donated the cherries that are used in their menu in a generous gesture of mutual aid and community support for a restaurant that is a multi-generational landmark in the community.
Moving forward, the Baldwin Saloon plans to continue with seasonally themed menus that integrate local foods including fruits, vegetables, and meats when they are in season and at their ripest, most delicious, and nutritious.
All in all I can’t wait to see what’s coming next.
And I know I’ll be back for more Duck Confit and to try the one menu item I didn’t get this time around: the Tom and Cherry cocktail, featuring a Jim Beam Bourbon, muddled cherry, cherry juice, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Mmmm..
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