Berlin Inn

Defunct German restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.
45°30′01″N 122°39′12″W / 45.5004°N 122.6534°W / 45.5004; -122.6534

The Berlin Inn Restaurant and Bakery (or simply the Berlin Inn) was a German restaurant in Portland, Oregon.[1]

Description

The restaurant operated in a "gasthaus" (converted house) at 12th Avenue and Powell in southeast Portland's Brooklyn neighborhood. Grant Butler of The Oregonian described the old house's interior as "cozy".[2] The menu featured German cuisine and included cheese blintzes, fondue, rouladen, sauerbraten, sausages, schnitzel, and a crispy baked kale salad,[3] as well as German beers and wines.[4] Scrambles with homemade veal sausage were available on the brunch menu.[2]

History

2021 photograph of the exterior of the building which housed the Berlin Inn, with a sign for Hamono Sushi

Karen Brauer was a co-owner of the Berlin Inn, which opened in 1992 and operated for 21 years.[5][6] Todd Haynes frequented the restaurant.[7]

In June 2013, Brauer confirmed plans to close and reopen under a new name, The Brooklyn House Restaurant, but retaining the same staff and European-style dining.[6] The Berlin Inn closed on June 22. The restaurant's general manager Erica Litzner became a co-owner of Brooklyn House Restaurant[2] (or simply Brooklyn House), along with Lisa Samuels.[8] The duo had previously operated the business Eat Here Now Fresh Local Food together.[9] The restaurant's menu featured dairy-free,[10] gluten-free, and vegan "European-style" comfort food.[6][11][12] Some former Berlin Inn employees worked at the Brooklyn House, which opened in August 2013.[10] The aesthetic remained similar, according to Walker MacMurdo of Willamette Week. [13] By 2020, sushi chef Albert Chen had opened the restaurant Hamono Sushi in the house which was previously occupied by the Berlin Inn and Brooklyn House, following "a period of inactivity".[14]

Reception

In 2016, Grant Butler included the Berlin Inn in The Oregonian's list of "97 long-gone Portland restaurants we wish were still around", writing: "This Brooklyn neighborhood German restaurant was the place to go if you wanted sausages and schnitzel without a side order of singing waiters and Deutschland kitsch."[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Dunegan, Lizann (2003). Canine Oregon: Where to Play and Stay with Your Dog. Fulcrum Publishing. ISBN 978-1-55591-328-1.
  2. ^ a b c d Butler, Grant (December 31, 2016). "Tasty memories: 97 long-gone Portland restaurants we wish were still around". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "Menu Trend: Kale Salad". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  4. ^ "Cheap Eats 2005". Willamette Week. 29 March 2005. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  5. ^ Coleman, Patrick Alan (January 28, 2010). "Danke Großmutter!". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c DeJesus, Erin (June 20, 2013). "The Berlin Inn to Shutter, Transition into Brooklyn House". Eater Portland. Vox Media. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  7. ^ Sullivan, Robert (October 7, 2007). "This Is Not a Bob Dylan Movie". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on March 29, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  8. ^ Leonard, Rita A. (July 4, 2014). "Brooklyn House Restaurant prospers with its new name". The Bee. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  9. ^ "Future Drinking: Broder Expands to the North, Hong Phat Expands In General". Willamette Week. June 20, 2013. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Russell, Michael (August 30, 2013). "The Brooklyn House opens in Southeast Portland's former Berlin Inn space". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  11. ^ Judkis, Maura (March 19, 2018). "'Grandma's food': How changing tastes are killing German restaurants". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  12. ^ "Bustin' the Glutes: Where to find the best wheat-free options in Portland". Willamette Week. October 14, 2014. Archived from the original on April 30, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  13. ^ MacMurdo, Walker (August 25, 2016). "Midbudget Dining in Portland". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  14. ^ Leonard, Rita A. (November 28, 2020). "Former German restaurant in Brooklyn reopens with sushi". The Bee. Pamplin Media Group. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
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