Gorge Local - In Business: The Bistro 1907

Bistro 1907 Opens at Balch Hotel

Balch Hotel Co-owner Josiah Dean and Bistro 1907 Chef Kevin West

By Chelsea Marr

Columbia Gorge News

DUFUR — Bistro 1907 at the historic Balch Hotel in Dufur held a soft opening earlier this spring that introduced guests to new Executive Chef Kevin West. West has developed seasonal dishes that are all about the Pacific Northwest flavors, including many that are specifically local to the Gorge: Chinook Salmon cakes, roasted local chicken from Carbon Farms in Dufur, and beef from The Little Seven Ranch Highland from Lyle.

The Balch Hotel opened during Dufur’s pre-Depression heyday. The Bistro 1907 dining room still has the same footprint as it did then and continues offering a place to eat for locals and travelers (www.TheBalchhotel.com). “The late Frank Ingels Jr., whose folks bought the hotel from the Balch family in 1913, remembered the days when the dining room was so well used, a rope had to be placed across the entrance to control the crowd,” according to the website.

Today, Bistro 1907 is a modern restaurant with a delicious menu created by West and his crew.  The menu is seasonal, locally sourced, sustainable food. Dining is open seven nights per week throughout the summer and has live music and events listed on the website.

40 South Heimrich Street, Dufur, OR, United States 97021 P: 541-467-2277

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson enjoys the cheese board at Bistro 1907.