Rheinlander

We have come upon a (so far) winning strategy for checking out restaurants that allows us to remain in the know, save our wallets from too much damage, and most importantly, not irritate an entire dining room with the coos and screams of our young brood. We call it afternoon snack. The staff doesn't get an attitude that you are just coming in for a couple of appetizers and a split beer, the room is relatively empty, everyone has a great time and nobody's dinner is spoiled. Chefs tend to focus a good amount of creative energy on their first courses, giving you a solid overview of the dinner menu that you can't really afford anyway.

Gustav's Rheinlander, 5035 N.E. Sandy Blvd., looks like a castle from the outside. It looks like a castle from the inside too, much to the delight of Ruth. It is gargantuan, and a thorough tour found each and every dining room clean and set. Impressive. We had their mixed appetizer plate featuring schnitzel and fondu, a summer beer and two happy kids.