Got Spaetzle? Gruner does. Complex, rich, and flavorful, this dish hits the mark. The version I sampled when I was in last week doing photos for a review in Willamette Week, featured braised chicken and fresh morels. The next subject sampled was Gruner's duck terrine; tender pieces of roasted duck layered into a tight terrine, served with pickled fiddleheads and grilled bread. The perfect appetizer to warm up my palate for the Spaetzle to come. Gruner's location is pretty sweet too; at SW 12th & Alder it's just uptown enough to make parking easy, or if you live in the hood, it makes for a nice evening walk to dinner. The space is classy and cozy, with a nice bar that offers a good variety of happy hour drink and food specials. If your walk home from work takes you up Alder, a stop in at Gruner for a warm plate of Spaetzle will make your day.
