4138 SE Woodstock Blvd, 771-6714

How many restaurants offer both internationally refined food and extreme unpretentiousness? Too often these rare flowers sprout from their proper ethnic origins and bloom momentarily, only to quickly devolve into glossy boredom.

Luckily, Otto's Sausage Kitchen has been thriving in its Sellwood neighborhood for more than 75 years, a position that guarantees excellence for a long, long time to come. The grandchildren of the Original Kraut--Otto Eichetopf--still cure their own Oregon-grown meats, churning pigs, cows, and chickens into their unique Summer Sausage and Frankfurters.

The sexiest thing at Otto's (barring the 20-something surfer boys who are outside grilling sausages) is lunch. The chicken and pork sausages, are at least three times the girth of your average hot dog, and instead of dumping in a monstrous amount of spices in order to cover up the crappy, processed meat taste, the Eichentopfs rely on the authentic taste of fresh, local meat.

For toppers, there are a few elegant, essential ingredients: diced white onions, dill pickle relish, and mountains of sauerkraut. What finalizes Otto's position as a truly classy place to eat is their gigantic selection of beer. They have over 25 German imports, approximately 30 more from Holland and England, and all the local Washington/Oregon brews one could possibly name.

The only thing Otto's hasn't done with delectable German precision is the bread. For some reason, they find it acceptable to serve sausage on straight-up hot dog buns. It's an unforgivable offense, since the Krauts pride themselves on rich, thick, bread, nearly as dense as the meat itself.