Joel Palmer House

Our family business took shape when my great-grandfather, Joseph Czarnecki, opened Joe's Tavern in 1916 in Reading, Pennsylvania. His son, Joseph Jr., carried on the tradition, transforming the original tavern into Joe's Restaurant and changing the focus to fine dining and wine with wild mushrooms (a family passion) as the centerpiece. My father, Jack Czarnecki, followed in his father's footsteps, taking Joe's Restaurant to a new level while maintaining the mushroom theme. Despite the success of Joe's, our family's lifelong desire was to combine great mushroom hunting with fine wine. This dream was fully realized in 1996 when my parents, Jack & Heidi, purchased The Joel Palmer House and moved the family and the restaurant west. Our cooking revolves around wild mushrooms and truffles which we gather ourselves and with friends. We have always striven to obtain locally raised ingredients in our cooking, and we use many locally produced greens, herbs, and vegetables. Frequently we will use ingredients found in the cuisines of Mexico, China, Thailand, Poland, and India, so we call our cooking, “freestyle”. And, of course, we are working hard to create dishes which match the glorious wines of Oregon, especially Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay.