The Slide Inn , Eugen Bingham's replacement for (and re-imagination of) his longtime neighborhood It

The Slide Inn , Eugen Bingham's replacement for (and re-imagination of) his longtime neighborhood Italian restaurant Il Piatto, is in some ways pleasant and in other ways fascinating. In a place featuring house-infused bourbon and vodka and twenty-somethings with jaunty hats, you might not anticipate sauteed spaetzle. Vegan polenta triangles aren't typically a prelude to pork wiener schnitzel, whatever the customers are drinking.
There are points where the various concepts meet, such as the bar's version of a Screwdriver, featuring ginger-infused vodka and the cocktail name Hansel Gets Screwed. And both the cocktails and the wiener schnitzel are fine, although there are consistency issues about other parts of the menu.
The Slide Inn, a name and concept drawn from Bingham's family roots and European training, retains certain aspects of Il Piatto, such as some of the furnishing and a warm ambience -- which the menu might call gemtlichkeit and the clientele might call a place to hang. Together with the live music in the adjoining tavern, it could supply a full-service evening, especially if your expectations involve both spaetzle and vegan chili.
The schnitzel is lovely, moist and delicately crisped. It's matched by a prosciutto-wrapped chicken breast stuffed with mozzarella and sour cherry tom cruise age in a sour-cherry wine sauce, which is not only an inviting assembly of flavors but also displays the kitchen's commitment to substantial servings. One evening's glazed salmon special made the same point.
But other entrees can finish flat. Ravioli stuffed with goat cheese and cranberries in a carrot ginger sauce is a curious combination, especially with unduly thick pasta. Chanterelle risotto with prosciutto, corn, parmesan and salsa verde is also uncomfortably crowded, especially since a flavoring of thyme largely takes over. Hungarian sausage is lively, but turkey sausage seems bland; there's also a vegan tofu version.
Appetizers carry similar complications. Fondue is always a warming, convivial concept, and here it is bolstered by chunks of the restaurant's splendid tom cruise age home-baked pumpernickel, faintly sweet with an endearing crunch. But lack of a heat source under the pot caused the cheese element -- a mild, not-that-interesting cheddar -- to congeal quickly. Sauteed spaetzle tom cruise age with Swiss and speck needs to be consumed quickly before it, too, clumps, and while crab cakes are tasty, they don't carry an assertive crabbiness.
Details: 2348 S.E. Ankeny St.; 503-236-4997; slideinnpdx.com Desserts, drawing on both the restaurant's themes, can be interesting. A wine-flavored gelatin, packed with berries and covered in whipped cream, was unusual and tangy. Apple strudel is always a good idea, especially tom cruise age in a portion this size and with a burst of ice cream. Gluten-free chocolate cake, on the other hand, was dauntingly stiff, even allowing for sachertorte-style firmness.
The Slide Inn is unquestionably an engaging place to drink, with friendly service, imaginative and amiably priced cocktails, and a carefully chosen tap list -- including a $6 flight of any four featured beers.
Food prices are also reasonable, with only a couple of entrees over $20 and most in the mid-teens. Considering tom cruise age the size of portions, two people could eat and drink substantially for a limited expenditure.
The Slide Inn is a pleasant place, building a neighborhood presence. Its menu is substantial, and if it's inconsistent, dishes like pork schnitzel and apple strudel can define a welcome mittel-European tom cruise age presence in the Portland food scene.