With limited access to a car and a limited budget for restaurant food, my fine dining options outside of Parents’ Weekend are fairly limited. One of my favorite parts about Parents’ Weekend, therefore, is the chance to explore Walla Walla’s varied culinary options on the dime of someone with an annual salary. This weekend, my fancy restaurant of the year was The Marc, located on the ground floor of the lavish Marcus Whitman Hotel.

I had never been to the famed hotel before, and was actually surprised by how close it was to campus. It’s located at 6 W. Rose St., definitely within walking distance. The inside of the restaurant is just as impressive as the outside of the building: high ceilings, lush carpets, long curtains, dim lighting. Artwork and decorative enlarged wine bottles sat in recesses along the walls, My party chose to sit in the bar, which was livelier than the main restaurant seating and included a wide-screen TV showing an NBA game. I found this a little disconcerting when compared with the traditional ambiance, but I’m just old-fashioned. And I guess a TV is pretty key at a restaurant bar.

We were definitely not the only Whitman family party at The Marc. Throughout the evening, we ran into several students with their parents. The restaurant was crowded, but we didn’t need to wait for a table, and the service was quick for the most part. We did wait a while for our main course, but it could’ve just seemed that way because we were hungry. In general, the waiters were very attentive. I’m not sure how busy the dinner hour would be outside of a Whitman event weekend, but I didn’t find any problems with the service during what seemed to be a busy night.

We started by ordering the flat bread appetizer with goat cheese, provolone, mozzarella, and roasted garlic with basil and sun-dried tomato pesto, and the pumpkin and butternut bisque. I like dishes like the flat bread, since they make me feel sophisticated for eating something remarkably like pizza. It was excellent; I could definitely have chosen it as a main course. The cheeses were moist and chewy, but a little strong. I could taste each of them individually –– a combination that was a little overwhelming. The bisque was smooth with a pleasant sweetish taste, good for a cold and windy evening.

After perusing both the bar menu and the restaurant menu, my party all chose to order their main dishes off the bar menu. Entrées on the main menu ranged from $20 to $35, while the bar menu was slightly cheaper, mostly around $10 to $15. If they like squash and mushrooms, vegetarians should not have a problem finding a meal.

I was actually surprised by how limited the menus seemed. The restaurant menu only had one page of entrées, and the bar menu had less. I have very little experience eating at fancy restaurants, however, and I think this might be a trademark of theirs. I guess that makes sense, if every item is held to high standards.

We ordered fish and chips and flank steak fajita wraps. The portions were very generous: none of my party finished their meal, and I’m still snacking on my leftovers. All the entrées came with fries, which were just how I like them –– crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and not too salty.

The fish was good –– not soggy and not too crispy. I don’t like it when the fish feels squishy in the batter. Or when the batter separates from the fish while it fries, and then crisps off when you pick it up. Biting into the fish at The Marc, my teeth went straight from the crispy outside to the flaky, juicy fish on the inside. The coleslaw served with the fish and chips also received high praise.

The fajitas were a little bit light on steak –– for carnivorous folks –– but the steak was well-cooked and the blend of peppers, cheese, and onions provided good flavor. A little bit more spice would have kicked it up.

I’m not qualified to comment on this myself, but my company assured me that the wine and beer selection was extensive and –– in their experience –– excellent. The menu included wine recommendations for each entrée, and the waiters seemed very knowledgeable about the wine selection.

Overall, I was impressed by The Marc. I haven’t been to most of the higher-end restaurants in Walla Walla, but I’d definitely consider The Marc as a good option for any extra-special occasion or one with access to a substantial bank account. Its luxurious ambiance, attentive service, and excellent cuisine make it a great option for a once-in-a-while treat.