A couple days ago, Lisa turned 18! She can now vote (if she was home in Germany). Jeff was quick to point out she can also buy a lottery ticket now (but could she claim the winnings, or would she have to split those with her host family??).

We celebrated over a meal at The Berlin Inn, which is a small restaurant tucked away in SE Portland. It’s done up to be like a traditional Gasthöf.

We had an excellent Vorspeise (appetizer) of puff pastry (Blätterteig) stuffed with spinach and mushrooms. There were also lots of dishes featuring ginger-spiced pears (“Birne”). Ok, it was an odd menu, but I did like that you could choose lots of small dishes if desired. And a long menu, like a book. The entrees were a bit odd too. But let’s face it–I really chose this place for the rave reviews I had read about their baked goods–and in the back of my mind I kept remembering they sold take-and-bake strudels. And indeed, when it was time for dessert (“Nachtisch”), a huge tray of freshly baked pies and cakes was presented. There were about 15 choices! You can see us with our desserts above.

And yes I’ve got an apple strudel in the freezer, ready to pop in the oven on Christmas morning. (It’ll go great with the hot coffee/tea/chocolate drinks we can make in my new K-Cup coffee machine. Thanks to Jeff for the early Christmas present!)