One of Yakima’s finest supper spots, Birchfield Manor (two miles east of the city on Birchfield Rd., 509/452-1960 or 800/375-3420, dinner Thurs.–Sat.) seats diners in a restored 1910 farmhouse. Formal dinners are complemented by a vast selection of Yakima Valley wines. The innovative cuisine changes seasonally, but there is always a perfect filet mignon. Reservations are essential.

In the historic district, The Greystone Restaurant (5 N. Front St., 509/248-9801, entrées $30) aspires to be a fine dining establishment on par with big city cousins over in Seattle, and it certainly does have some strong points. The towering ceilings with antique molding and the ruggedly elegant exposed stonework certainly make for a dramatic dining room, and the food is delicious. Where it is seriously lacking, however, is in the service and presentation departments. When I arrived on a quiet evening I was seated at a table with a dirty tablecloth. Even after that was sorted out, service was dreadfully slow. Your best bet is to bring some lively companions to pass the time, sit in the lounge, and order a bottle of wine with some scrumptious light appetizers.

Then head across the street to The Depot Restaurant and Lounge (32 N. Front St., 509/949-4233, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, entrées $20), in Yakima’s old 1910 Pacific Northern Railroad station, which has an equally exciting dining room and none of the pretense. The depot is beautifully restored, and you’ll likely spend parts of dinner looking upward, mouth agape, at the molding and scrollwork in the domed ceiling. The chef dishes out mouthwatering plates of seafood, chops, and fresh salads at extremely reasonable prices.