The Awaited Mike Easton/Jim German Walla Walla Project Has Opened

After more than a year of work, and just slightly past its anticipated opening of late August, Walla Walla's Passatempo Taverna has arrived. The project, which will also include a tasting room for The Walls Vineyards, is a collaboration between Mike Easton of Seattle's famed Il Corvo pasta restaurant, and Jim German, whose beloved Jimgermanbar in Waitsburg closed last year.

The new venture replaces the historic Pastime Cafe at 215 W Main Street in downtown Walla Walla. German is CEO, while Easton consulted on the kitchen design and restaurant menu. The duo has hired chef Casey Merscher to run the kitchen, which sources from local farms for Italian dishes that skew both rustic and modern and feature plenty of handmade pasta. Emily Riley is the general manager.

Cocktail master German oversees the mixed-drink side of things. Naturally, there are also plenty of wines available, including several from The Walls. The tasting room portion of the project is still in the works and will constitute a separate but connected space. That will open soon to offer samples and wine sales.

215 W. Main Street, Walla Walla, 509-876-8822, website. Open Thursday to Monday 3 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Update, 9/27/2016: The restaurant notes that Emily Riley will handle operations as GM.