Gruner

Once again Alistair Campbell, the dean of Portland restaurant knowledge, came through with another great restaurant recommendation. Gruner is a pretty unique place, and in a crowded market like Portland, I applaud anyone that is able to stand out. Here is how they describe themselves: Grüner is an adventure through the Alps and along the Danube River which begins in the Black Forest and ends at the Black Sea. As it passes through Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Romania, an alternate Europe emerges, with a hearty, earthier culinary tradition favoring savory, dill, caraway seeds, crème fraîche, horseradish and paprika as opposed to the more familiar southern flavors of garlic, basil, olive oil, fennel seeds and tomato. This rich variety of cuisines is woven together by seasons and mountains and rivers—much like the Pacific Northwest.

We started with some great cocktails, my favorite was their take on the Pimms Cup, the Gruner Cup, which was amazing. The apps were also very good, I would recommend the tarte fl ambée — alsatian “pizza” w/ onions, smoky bacon & crème fraîche, and the beet-pickled hard boiled eggs, which were their take on the deviled egg. For entrees we tried the spätzle - braised chicken, morels, shiitakes, riesling, thyme, crème fraîche, crispy shallots, and an amazing ravioli. Then to top it off there were two delicious deserts, the German Apple Pancake and raspberry filled doughnuts.

In other good news, the service was excellent and the prices were fair. The only challenge is the wine list which is dominated by German and Austrian wines that none of us had heard of, but luckily the waitress came through with a great recommendation.

Gruner

527 Southwest 12th Avenue,

Portland, OR

(503) 241-7163