Berlin Inn

Coordinates: 45°30′01″N 122°39′12″W / 45.5004°N 122.6534°W / 45.5004; -122.6534
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Berlin Inn Restaurant and Bakery
Exterior of the building which housed the Berlin Inn from 1992 to 2013, in 2021
Map
Restaurant information
Established1992 (1992)
ClosedJune 22, 2013 (2013-06-22)
Food typeGerman
Street address3131 Southeast 12th Avenue
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97202
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

References[edit]

  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.

External links[edit]