Robert's mission takes him to scene The Dalles, Oregon to a restaurant that is one of the most stunning on the outside but not very stunning on the inside. Can Robert help turn around this business in one of the most beautiful locations he has ever been?
Windseeker Resturant | No restaurant website available
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Problems Robert Had to Address
1. An owner trying to run a resturant after having her husband die and having issues with her daughter.
2. A manager that is taking on too many rolls
3. A reputation as being a drug hangout
4. Decor that cannot compare with the view on the window in fact it detracts from it.
5. Food that is presented well but need to be tweeted when it comes to seasoning
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The Recipes
Honey Dijon Chicken, Warm Potato Salad | Print the recipe
Chicken breasts are covered in panko and then fried in oil. It is topped off with a honey mustard sauce and served with a warmed potato salad (with bacon!). Sounds like a winner to me. I like chicken that is deep fried like the orange chicken I made or that is pan-fried like Robert's Chicken Francese from a previous show.
After the show I felt that this restaurant had a good chance of sticking around. The great scenery as well as the food itself wasn't all that bad to begin with. This is the type of restaurant that really could benefit from Robert's help. So did it? As of now it still in business however as of November 2013, the restaurant is listed for sale on the Remax website. Let's take a look at what people are saying about it on Yelp:
"Since I was only 20 or so miles from this place I had to drive out to check out this restaurant, due to Chef Robert Irvine from Restaurant Impossible (Food Network) renovating this restaurant. Finding this restaurant can be a challenge if you're not familiar with area. It sits right on the Columbia River and has a beautiful view. Unfortunately, it's in an industrial area and thus is not around much except for grain silos and industrial buildings. Looking at the exterior of the restaurant, I wondered if I got the wrong place, but when I entered, it was magnificently decorated. You could tell that a professional decorated the interior. I was promptly greeted by the waitress Jenice, who was friendly and pleasant. I ordered the Crab Cakes: Dungeness Crab on a bed of Lobster sauce. This was AWESOME. Fresh crab lightly breaded in panko and fried to perfection. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. My main course was the Seafood Fettuccine: Salmon, Halibut, Scallops, and Shrimp in creamy Alfredo w/Parmesan. If you like thick heavy cheesy sauces, then you're going to love this dish. The Fettuccine was cooked perfectly, but the sauce was a little on the heavy side for my tastes. I hope this restaurant does well and as stated the views are spectacular, but as for any restaurant or business location plays a huge part in success."
That was a nice review. He enjoyed the food. He did point out that it can be hard to find. It's one of the reasons, manager Patty said they were struggling. If it's too hard to get to some people will never make it there.
"Started with the Tempura mushroom with Soy Ginger sauce, very good! My poached salmon was perfectly cooked, as was my wife's halibut. We liked the Windseeker before Restaurant Impossible came through, we love it now!"
Another nice review!
"I traveled to this restaurant with my wife... we saw it on Restaurant Impossible and decided to go there. First off... this place is located in about the worst spot in the Dalles to ever consider having a place of ANY business... ARE YOU KIDDING?!? Who would want to drive to this area of town.. the view of the river is not that special...then when we arrived, the "Open" sign wasn't even on.... weren't sure if they were open due to the lack of cars in the lot... thought they may be barfly's to the restaurants attached bar. OK, as it's the tail end of winter/early spring at this review, so I guess I can understand if the landscaping is not that pretty looking. Walking in, you can see where Robert's team did their magic for decorating, but it ends there! Tables have paint chips/scuffs and look kind of crappy... the fireplace had some damage at the base that hasn't been repaired for a while (obvious neglect), floors weren't swept, waitress wasn't at desk when we walked in and had to wipe off our table prior to us being seated?!?!?
Due to the conditions, I couldn't see myself paying $17 for fish and chips which is more pricey than the Salmon.... no comprende.... so I ordered the Reuben sandwich... lack of kraut, overly saucy, chewy meat... my daughters pasta was runny and not very tasty... my wife's burger was well cooked and the fries were ok.
All in all, I think we could have gotten food just as good if not better at a bowling ally, in fact, I know we have! I will not be going there ever again! Don't waste the drive, you will be sorely disappointed."
Again problems with the location and this time problems with the food. These are the type of reviews I found. About a 50-50 mix of good and bad, keep in mind that people are more likely to share a bad experience than a good one. Consistency does seem to be a problem. I do think they are doing good enough to stick around. Getting people to their location is always going to be an issue.
Have you been to this restaurant, what did you think?
If you want more Robert Irvine recipes, here are some of his available cookbooks:
This cookbook contains 111 recipes many with complete timelimes and several that are gluten free. An example of the kind of recipes you will find are Lime-Cured Shrimp and Roasted Corn Chowder, Porcini-Dusted Pork Chops with Cremini Mushrooms and Golden Raisins over Horseradish-Scented Potatoes.
In this book Robert shares his personal stories (including cooking for First Lady Laura Bush) and cooking philosophy. There are also recipes to be had like Black Angus Beef Tartare with Toasted Brioche and Fried Quail Egg, Roasted Duck with White Bean Ragout.
Dianne Espy
The remaining owner passed away in October 2014 and the family closed the restaurant in January 2015.