Students returning to Whitman this past week faced a particularly bittersweet homecoming: Though greeted by the newly polished façade of Sherwood Center, they arrived in a city still mourning the loss of many popular restaurants and pubs. Local eateries Luscious by Nature, Destination Grill, 26 Brix, Pine Street Grill and Caravaggio all failed to survive last semester’s credit meltdown. Consecutive harsh winters and debt-restructuring problems also contributed to the recent string of restaurant closures in Walla Walla. A few small business owners believe the problem stems beyond the financial crisis: according to Shawn Chriest, owner of Destination Grill, the failure of many restaurants to outwear the recession can be attributed to local residents’ preference for corporate food chains over family-owned establishments.

“What’s happening here in Walla Walla [is] we bring our dreams here and invest in this area and then the local people invest in corporate restaurants,” Chriest said in a statement to the Union-Bulletin.

Hopefully, residents will embrace the handful of recently opened restaurants endeavoring to outlive their predecessors. Capitalizing on low rent, the Walla Walla Bread Company and Jacobi Café both moved into empty buildings last month. Later this fall, The Pita Pit is scheduled to take over Luscious’ former digs, while the Red Monkey will premier as Walla Walla’s first light night bar. In the meantime, a number of students’ favorite spots are still open for business.

Golden Horse

WallaWalla.org is quick to extol the rare charm of the city’s food and beverage industry: “Adding to the enjoyment of a trip is finding unique dining experiences. The Walla Walla Valley will afford you that opportunity with options to please every palate.” One such unique dining experience is the Golden Horse, which affords you the opportunity to please your palate with a variety of meat substitute dishes (the substitute chicken is delicious). Diners with more adventurous palates often return on the weekends, disappearing into the gold-and-red-accented recesses of the karaoke bar. Because karaoke often needs beer to achieve its full potential, you must be 21 years old to participate. 628 W. Main St.

The Green

Jocelyn once had a professor who refused to make known the name of the bar he frequented once a week with the aim of hanging out with other professors and grading papers in front of other professors. Spoiler: It was the Green Lantern on Thursday nights. Conveniently located within walking distance from Fraternity Row, The Green boasts a worthy selection of microbeers from the Pacific Northwest and an even worthier selection of fish tacos, as well as a full menu of greasy foods and mixed drinks. Televisions, pool tables, darts and a beer garden create a low-key party atmosphere that is perfect for grading papers. All beer-and-taco epicures must be 21: no exceptions. 1606 E. Isaacs Ave.

Mr. Ed’s

While the Green Lantern enjoys a generous burger menu, that is all in the spirit of grading papers. If you want to eat at a place that enjoys a thorough burger menu all in the spirit of eating burgers, Mr. Ed’s is the place for you. The burgers at this ’50s-era diner-style restaurant are notoriously gigantic: about the diameter of a 45 rpm record: and are reasonably priced. Ed’s “home-made” menu also offers a variety of fried steak and chicken items as well as patty melts, soups and breakfast foods. Breakfast is available all day long; daily lunch and dinner specials are popular with students and families looking to dine on a budget. 2555 E. Isaacs Ave.

Ice-Burg

For those Californians suffering from acute In-N-Out withdrawal, the twenty-minute walk to Ice-Burg Drive-In is well worth the time and effort. Like Mr. Ed’s, Ice-Burg recreates the 1950s diner experience, offering both drive-in and outdoor dining options. All items on the menu: which offers a generous selection of burgers, fries and milkshakes: are made to order; pick-up is also available for those desiring to avoid the usual long lines. 616 W. Birch St.

La Monarca Taco Truck

Operated by the Taqueria Yungapeti restaurant on Ninth Street, La Monarco is Walla Walla’s premier taco truck, a fleeting but consistently delicious provider of burritos, fajitas, horchata and other Latin American foods. La Monarca appears and disappears at random, sometimes resurrecting at campus events and sports tournaments. If you’re lucky, you might be able sneak up on the truck at its daytime resting place in front of John Wheatland Bakery. Recommended: the burrito asada and Walla Walla chicken burrito. 1828 E. Isaacs Ave.

Clarette’s

Nestled between Baker Ferguson Fitness Center and College House, Clarette’s is a popular weekend brunch spot for both locals and upperclassmen looking to recreate their halcyon meal-plan days. In addition to its large lunch and dinner menu, the country-style restaurant offers an extensive selection of breakfast foods all day long, including its infamous pumpkin pancakes and excellent seasonal fruit dishes. Clarette’s staff has thoughtfully set aside an area for families, thus permitting students to dine without the distraction of screaming children. 15 S. Touchet St.

Sweet Basil Pizzeria

A popular restaurant amongst both Whitman students and the Walla Walla community, this locally-owned business serves fresh pizzas (both New York style and their 18″ signature style), calzones and a variety of wines. Prices are affordable at $5 for two slices, and service is prompt and friendly. Some of the favorite regular signature pizzas include the Pesto Pizza, which includes garlic, mushrooms, olives and artichoke hearts; the Margherita, which includes garlic, basil and tomatoes; and the Italiano, which includes spicy Italian sausage, onions, tomatoes, fresh garlic and parmesan. Daily specials are also available. The location is very close: right down the street from Coffee Perk (on 5 S. First Ave.): but it is often busy at dinner, so it is best to go at lunch if you want quick service. 5 S. First Ave.

Merchants Delicatessen

If you want fancy bread, cheese and soup without feeling the need to dress up, this is the perfect place to go. Offering a variety of fresh breads from the French Bakery, as well as cookies, pastries, cakes and muffins, the actual delicatessen also offers good breakfast and even better lunch foods. On Wednesdays, Merchants hosts a spaghetti night and stays open extra late to serve their pasta with marinara, meat and butter-mizithra sauces.   The hoagies are especially delicious and popular.   Merchants also offers a variety of wine and cheese, perfect if you want to host a tasting party at your house. Sometimes service is a bit slow (and occasionally the servers or cashiers can be a bit brusque), so it is best to go during less busy hours (around 2 or 3 p.m.). The hours are also: like many small shops and restaurants in Walla Walla: changeable throughout the week.   With its mini grocery store of gourmet apparel and its sit-down delicatessen, Merchants offers a decent price for the quality of food. 21 E. Main St.

Aloha Sushi

If you’re interested in consuming a meal and have an extra few bucks to spend, Aloha Sushi is an excellent place to go. You can’t beat the location (right next to Sweet Basil), especially if your palette is longing for something more than noodles and pizza. Aloha Sushi offers a few soups, salads and teriyaki for those less daring, and the run-of-the mill long rolls including California, caterpillar, and Philadelphia rolls.   It also offers quite a few vegetarian options, including a salad roll, veggie roll and miso soup.   The price is more expensive than Sweet Basil (between $10 and $12 for the long rolls), but not unusually so for a sushi restaurant.   Plus, $1 sake bombs are available on Monday Guys’ Night Out (men only) and Wednesday Ladies’ Night Out (women only). 7 1/2 S. First Ave.

Onionworld

If you’re hungry on the way to Coffee Perk but do not want to wait in line at Sweet Basil, Onionworld is a nice change. The revised menu offers few new items, but the main attraction is still the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Sausage: a delicious and filling local treat. A single sausage is $5, but well worth the cost. Onionworld also offers a sauerkraut bowl (the original sweet onion sausage cut into small pieces and put into a sauerkraut portion) as well as their award-winning white bean and sausage chili. Onionworld offers a vegetarian option to the chili (but no sweet onion tofudogs, sorry) as well as lemonade, iced tea, and Arnold Palmer. Onionworld is an affordable way to eat out within walking distance of campus. Plus, it is one of the few Walla Walla restaurants open for lunch seven days a week. 2 S. First Ave. #100.