Crush Wine Lounge and Bistro, Wine Bar, Restaurant Reviews, Newberg Oregon, Portland Oregon Restaurant Reviews

What's Cooking America - Restaurant Reviews
Portland, Oregon Metro Restaurant Reviews

Overall Ratings: ****

Overall Review: This wine bistro has great small plates with wonderful service. This is one of my favorite places to just hang out!

Review Date: August 24, 2007 and February 28, 2008

Cuisine: Wine bar with small plate cuisine and a dessert menu.

Alcohol: Showcasing Oregon produced wines exclusively by the bottle and the glass, and a few beers. The wine list, a beautifully fashioned book, highlights boutique producers throughout Oregon. They do pour all the pinot noir in the new Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir Glass.

Attire: Casual

Location: Willamette Valley Wine Area - Southwest suburb of Portland in Newberg. A Victorian home on Washington and Hancock streets in downtown Newberg.

Open Hours:
Tuesday -Thursday: 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Parking: Street parking

Price Range: Moderate

Reservations: Not needed

Rating Key Explanations:

* Bad (will never go back)

** Fair (below average - will not go back)

*** Good (would consider dining there again)

**** Very Good (will definitely go back)

***** Extraordinary (will be back as soon as possible)

I make every attempt to remain anonymous while reviewing each restaurant. All meals are paid for by myself. This way, I can report the most honest and trustworthy restaurant reviews possible. Other recognizable critics frequently get special food and service. I forgo any perks so that my restaurant experience will be similar to yours.

If you would like to add a review of this restaurant, email Linda Stradley. Also feel free to send me suggestions of restaurants for review.

Disclaimer: None of the restaurants reviewed on this site have given any sort of financial incentive to Linda Stradley or her website, What's Cooking America. The restaurants had no foreknowledge that a review was going to be written.

Crush Wine Lounge & Bistro

115 N. Washington Street
Newberg, OR 97132

Map & Directions

Phone: 503-538-5113

website: http://www.crushwinelounge.com/

email: info@crushwinelounge.com

This very delightful wine lounge and bistro is a wonderful place for a romantic evening with your lover or to meet and enjoy your friends, At the end of a long day, this is also the perfect place to wind down with a wonderful glass of Oregon wine and some great dishes. You won't be disappointed!

The restaurant is located in a refurbished Victorian house. The inside decor is some what vintage but also very sophisticated with the avant-garde black decor. There are lots of overstuffed chairs to relax and enjoy your wine. You can also sit at their stunning and glistening burgundy bar.

This was our third time visiting the Crush Wine Lounge & Bistro. The first time, we met some friends to enjoy some wine and only had a cheese plate. My husband and I decided to go back and try some of their small plates for dinner. As with our first visit, we seem to find other people that we know and also made some new acquaintances.

They also have available, by advanced reservation, a beautiful private dining room for up to 10 guests. They can host private receptions for parties up to 60 people. Every six weeks they are featuring four-course wine pairing dinners with local wineries. Check out their weekly special:

1/2 Price Day - Wednesday's
Every Wednesday - 1/2 price small plates

Industry Night! - Thursday's
All wine industry professionals - Bring in your business card and receive a complimentary goody

Friday Night Flight
Enjoy three Oregon wines with a dessert/cheese nibble.

Cheap Date Night - Saturday's
Enjoy 3 menu items (1 each winery plate, small plate, sweet plate) - $21

Join their mailing list for all their great parties and specials that are planned every month.

The waitresses wear vintage black formal dresses every night. The dresses are beautiful and add to the sophisticated feel of this wine bar and bistro.

One of the waitresses said that they have a closet full of dresses to choose from every night. She said, "Going to work is like playing dress up."

Photo of our favorite waitress, Jessica Beittell

Below are some of their wonderful small plates that we have tried and enjoyed.
We have never been disappointed in their food. Their menu changes with the seasons, so they always have a new and wonderful dish to try. You can tell that the owner, Jessica More, and chef Michael Rooney care about what is served to their guests.

Fresh Fruit Plate - $7.00 A refreshing plate of seasonal fruit. Doesn't the fruit plate look delicious? It was as good as it looked! A perfect way to end the evening.	Roasted Garlic - $8.00 Whole oven roasted garlic served with olives, hummus, tahini, & flatbread. I'm a big hummus fan, so I always order it when it is on the menu.	Wine country Antipasto - $10.00 Wine cured dry salami soppresatta, roasted pepper & wile mushroom tartlets, Excellent! Beautifully arranged on the plate. The Mushroom tartlets were especially good.
Mini Burgers - $8.00 Certifief Angus beef served simply on a trio of handmade mini buns. This small "sliders" were very tasty. Each handmade bun was a different type.	Pork Osso Bucco - $9.00 Tender braised pork shank served with a savory marinara sauce. This was good, but I would have preferred a different sauce than marinara.	Beef Roulades in Burgundy - $11.00 Pan-seared Angus beef rolled around a shallot, bacon & mushroom filling then slowly cooked in a burgundy sauce. This was very tasty and well prepared.
Pork Tenderloin - $8.00 Roasted Carlton Farms tenderloin with pomegranate and currant glaze served with a pomegranate and mango chipotle sauce. This dish was very flavorful with the sweet fruit sauce. It really went good together. The pork tenderloin was slightly overcooked for my husband's taste, as he likes his meat medium-rare and not medium.	Creme Brulee - $8.00 A rich creamy custard finished with caramelized sugar and fresh berries. Two small mini creme brulees that are creamy and delicious!	Ice Cream Sandwiches - $8.00 We ordered some mini homemade ice cream sandwiches. These are served during the Summer and Fall months.
Chocolate Mousse - $9.00 "It has been said that chocolate is the sexiest of all flavors. If so, this is the sexiest of all desserts." - Maida Heatter	Individual French Press Coffee - $3.00 Roasted exclusively for Crrush by Caravan Coffee - Regular and Decaffeinated We end out perfect evening out, with some wonderful French Press coffee.

Comments from other diners:

A few months ago I e-mailed with praise for your web site and restaurant reviews. I just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know I think you’re spot on with your review of Newberg’s Crush. My husband and I spent an evening there a few weeks ago and enjoyed the beef roulades, hummus, olives and roasted garlic (I feel about roasted garlic like you do about hummus), and a lovely bottle of Ken Wright Pinot Blanc. To top it all off, we had their tasty mini carrot cakes - they alone are worth a trip back. - Cindy Roberson (9/05/07)