It was almost as if someone turned the lights back on in downtown Pendleton. And yet, in another way, as if they had turned back the hands of time and maybe the illumination could have been gaslights instead.

The aging brick facades that make up Main Street and the streets beyond, seemed to take on new life as the long-awaited arrival of Hamley’s Steakhouse turned usually empty parking spaces into an enviable commodity.

If you closed your eyes and let your imagination run just a little wild, you might have been able to hear a honky tonk piano playing somewhere in the background – and if you were really out there, perhaps even the faint sound of a horse or two whinnying to a cousin in the distance.

Or maybe I’ve watched too many western movies and don’t really know what Pendleton or any other western town was really like a century ago. It’s always fun to pretend a little and the town that likes to portray itself as “where the west begins,” took another big step down the road of redefining itself as not just somewhere interesting to stop on a trip down Interstate 84, but as a destination where you come and stay awhile.

For those willing to continue investing their time and energy in revitalizing the central core of this great little city, events like this are important milestones.

And for those who are just interested in a sense of order, the culmination of the project meant months of construction activity and clutter at the intersection of Court and Main had come to an end – sounds I hope will soon fill the air at the corner of Frazer and Main among other venues as efforts are made to fill empty storefronts along Pendleton’s principal north-south arterial.

First Impressions Are Lasting … And Stunning

Walking into Hamley’s last Saturday was a remarkable experience and in the week since, I have asked myself several times if I was really in downtown Pendleton – San Francisco, maybe, or Kansas City, or even Las Vegas – but not right here in our own Round-Up City. That’s a thought Maitre’ de Carla Harris has heard from a number of visitors this week as they step through the modest entryway and are greeted by the elegant chandelier that provides a stunning centerpiece in otherwise breathtaking surroundings.

The tour we were provided only added to the ambiance as did discoveries like Randal Lindsey, the new sommelier, freshly-arrived from the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage or the many other staff members who have been assembled for the opening.

Assorted members of the Pearce family were clearly in evidence welcoming guests to their latest masterpiece. And before we overlook the most important part of the equation, hats off to the chef.

In recent months, the restaurant scene in the Round-Up City hasn’t exactly been ripe with openings. Instead, we have said goodbye to the China Buffet, Cimmyotti’s, the Breadboard, the Mongolian Grill, USA Subs and the Coffee Bean.

Other New Arrivals

The only break in that trend has been the appearance of Miss Patti’s, which gained almost instant fame with the courthouse crowd and other downtown diners and is now testing the dinner market.

It’s also clear the remodel at Como’s and the addition of more outside tables has been an attraction to those wishing to spend their lunch hour or warm summer evenings eating along the sidewalk. Most nights there’s a big crowd adding to the downtown ambiance.

There are undoubtedly some who worry what might happen to Pendleton’s other exceptional establishments like Raphael’s or Stetson’s with the appearance of another upscale dining choice. We think they will benefit and flourish even more.

Experience in other cities has shown that as communities develop a reputation for several outstanding choices, people tend to begin eating out more often and the entire area becomes more attractive to visitors.

Several folks in the culinary know in Pendleton already have pointed out we don’t have to look any farther than Walla Walla to get a glimpse of what the future of choice has to offer in terms of quality dining.

Even our friends over the hill in La Grande appreciate the value of having both Foley Station and Ten Depot at their disposal.

Raphael and Rob Hoffman certainly have set the bar plenty high over the past several decades and their friends Frank Perkins and Patrick King at Stetson’s have developed a wonderful reputation and following as well.

In a city on the brink of revitalization, we celebrate each step forward and hope that it brings prosperity for all involved.

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George Murdock is editor & publisher of the East Oregonian. He can be reached at 278-2671 or gmurdock@eastoregonian.com.