Last weekend we traveled to Portland to help my younger daughter celebrate her birthday. Ever since our daughters were quite young, one of their birthday treats was a “date” with Daddy. Each girl would choose where they would go to dinner and the movie they would see afterward. As the girls grew up, the restaurant choices became more sophisticated (and pricier!) and the movies evolved from Disney features to indie films. The tradition continues, although sometimes due to geography and busy lives, there’s quite a gap between the actual birthday and the “date” itself. This year I got to go along, and I was pleased when Jenny announced her choice of dinner spot. When Jenny moved to Portland a few years ago, she purchased a copy of Portland’s 100 Best Places to Stuff Your Faces, and she uses it as a reference when she’s looking for inspiration and a new restaurant to try. She’s discovered that, true to the world of food, some of the listed eateries have already gone out of business, but she’s also found some real gems. For her special dinner she chose Grüner (“greener” in German), located on the corner of 12th and Alder in downtown Portland and featuring a menu inspired by the food and drink of Central Europe. It’s “cozy alpine cuisine” sounded like a perfect match for the dark, drippy Saturday evening we encountered. We arrived just as the restaurant opened for dinner at 5:00 p.m. and walked in to a large open bar as we passed up a few stairs to the dining room. Dim lighting, soft gray walls and smooth, light woods lent a calm and relaxing ambience; but as the room quickly filled up, we also decided that it would be a little too noisy if one were seeking a romantic spot for dinner. The menu changes seasonally, with Pacific Northwest products incorporated into dishes ranging from goulash to sausages to Alsatian flatbreads to spätzle. We started with a few shared appetizers before delving into our entrées. Harry opted for a generous bowl of zweibelsuppe — onion, Granny Smith apple and lager soup —   hearty and savory. I enjoyed rösti, a Swiss potato cake topped with a fat scoop of alder-smoked wild king salmon and garnished with whipped crème fraîche and dill.   The crispy potato combined with the rich salmon beautifully, and the portion made it easy to share with tablemates. We also shared a cheese plate served with hazelnuts, a house-made pear butter, apples and crackers. We each ordered a different main course and adored everything we tried. Harry’s house-made bratwurst and saucisson sausages served with sauerkraut and Yukon gold potatoes were excellent:   not too spicy but wonderfully balanced flavors. Jenny’s lamb cheek guylás was melt-in-your-mouth tender, rich, flavorful, roll-your-eyes-in-ecstasy good. I opted for the venison liver spätzle with wild mushrooms, leeks, house-made bacon and apples blended in for a dish that was extremely satisfying and left me with a full but not heavy stomach. We had a special at-home dessert planned for after our movie, so we skipped (reluctantly) dessert. I can see myself coming back just to sample the zuger kirschtorte (sponge cake with hazelnut meringue) or the pfefferminze parfait (mint Bavarian cream, chocolate mousse and chocolate oat cake) and a glass of a nice dessert wine. Grüner also features an extensive wine list focused on Austrian, German, French and Swiss wines; signature cocktails; house-made sodas (we enjoyed the blood orange and pomegranate and thyme sodas); and liqueurs and local eau de vie. Chef Christopher Israel serves up great food at Grüner, and we’ll be sure to visit again soon. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor