Alan Richman writes that Grüner restaurant in Portland, Oregon’s southwest downtown area shows that “the food is all about comfort, the old-world way. The chicken with spaetzle is velvet softness... A radish salad was accented with pumpkin-seed oil, a specialty of Graz, the hometown of Arnold himself. Grüner is a harmonious performance by chef Christopher Israel, a maverick who has brought Mitteleuropa to the land of microbreweries.”
He must have eaten at a different restaurant. The overall experience was far from glowing and disappointing for a restaurant that was showered with such accolades.
Reads Better than it Tasted
Contrary to what was written, our visits produced a shaved radish salad that was light but was devoid of flavor and quality. Maybe the radishes in March in the Pacific Northwest aren’t up to par, but then chef Israel should consider taking it off the menu instead of trying to make it a “must have”. Unfortunately, devoid of flavor seemed to be the theme for our visits.
Again, our buckwheat spaetzle with braised rabbit, shiitake and black trumpet mushrooms, Riesling, crème fraîche, thyme, savory and crispy shallots was anything but light and fluffy like a dumpling should be. And one would be hard pressed to pick out the flavor of rabbit or anything else without the help of a generous helping of the non-existent salt shaker. The Swabian ravioli filled with spinach, beef and pork, served in rich broth with chives had a very tasty filling, but the pasta was tough and doughy and the broth was one notch above unseasoned plain stock.
Additionally, the Hungarian cauliflower soup was an odd shade of pink thanks to the paprika but most importantly, didn’t taste like cauliflower or paprika. The mushroom gratin with shallots, parsley, crème fraîche, caraway and buttered breadcrumbs was overly “carawayish,” and surprisingly under mushroomy and under cooked. The farrotto with duck confit, porcini, roasted butternut squash, roasted parsnips, Swiss chard and parmesan also read better than it tasted. Not exactly a version of a dish where the sum is better than its parts.
The beverage service also disappointing with a typically Portland overpriced wine-by-the-glass and wine-by-the-bottle wine list and several water downed martinis that had a perplexing wooden skewer sticking out of an under-ripe, pit-filled green olive. Our drinks also stated to slide on the wooden tables due to the lack of cocktail napkins offered.
Not All Disappointed
In all fairness, house-made pretzel bread is addictive. The Grüner Salad reads and tastes like it belongs to both the Alsace and the Pacific Northwest. A lush combination of lettuce, sunchokes, beets, cucumber, radishes, fennel, a simplistic red wine vinaigrette and toasted pretzel croutons. The golden trout with Savoy cabbage with roasted carrots, bacon and cream, Yukon gold potatoes and mustard sauce was indeed flavorful and heavenly. We finally found out the kitchen actually can taste and produce cabbage like we had in the Rhone valley. The service did standout by being professional and knowledgeable without being obtrusive.
Lastly, the burger is supposed to be one of the best in town. It may be in the running, but does one come to a self-described restaurant that is an “adventure through the Alps and along the Danube River which begins in the Black Forest and ends at the Black Sea” for a burger?
One of the Top 10 Best New Restaurants in the U.S. for 2010? Sorry but the misses and continuous lack of flavor makes the reality fall short of the over-hyped anticipation.
Stuart Stein - Stuart Stein When it comes to regional, market-driven cooking, many chefs talk the talk, but few walk the walk quite as ardently as ...
