Norwegian/Scandinavian food?
July 22, 2015 5:53 PM Subscribe
So... the ethnic food thread got me wondering. What restaurants are there where you can get more "authentic" Norwegian/Scandinavian food?
And I mean more than just lefse and Swedish meatballs. Like fiskeboller and fårikål and smørbrød with gravlaks/røkelaks and rullepølse and more kinds of pickled herring than wine or cream sauce and rømmegrøt and even reindeer or cloudberries and cream.
Recipes or stores would be nice, too. Locationwise, Wisconsin-ish, or Minneapolis-ish, or Seattle-ish would be best, but I'm also guessing those are the most likely.
And I mean more than just lefse and Swedish meatballs. Like fiskeboller and fårikål and smørbrød with gravlaks/røkelaks and rullepølse and more kinds of pickled herring than wine or cream sauce and rømmegrøt and even reindeer or cloudberries and cream.
Recipes or stores would be nice, too. Locationwise, Wisconsin-ish, or Minneapolis-ish, or Seattle-ish would be best, but I'm also guessing those are the most likely.
In philadelphia there is Noord eetcafe that i really want to go to, but haven't been to yet. Menu sounds delicious.
posted by TheAdamist at 6:39 PM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by TheAdamist at 6:39 PM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
Well, I just hopped into this thread to pay homage to Nordic Deli in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. For 30 years it was the go to place on the east coast for all things Norsk and also those other couple of Scandinavian countries :)
They just closed their doors this year (NYDailyNews article) and the Bakke family and relatives will be missed as what was the last bastion of authentic Scandinavian food on the east coast.
If you are looking for Norwegian recipes, finally Norway has found out like the rest of the world everything street food or outside our shores is something to behold. Godt.no combines a bit of both. It is a fantastic journey through some traditional and new Norwegian food.
Assumption is that if you can create the å,ø,æ - and want the traditional oldstyle - you must visit farmors oppskrifter (grandmothers Norwegian recipes). That is about as real as it gets for traditional. And yes - to those mefites that might point out - farmor implies father's mother - grandmother does suffice.
posted by Funmonkey1 at 6:43 PM on July 22, 2015
They just closed their doors this year (NYDailyNews article) and the Bakke family and relatives will be missed as what was the last bastion of authentic Scandinavian food on the east coast.
If you are looking for Norwegian recipes, finally Norway has found out like the rest of the world everything street food or outside our shores is something to behold. Godt.no combines a bit of both. It is a fantastic journey through some traditional and new Norwegian food.
Assumption is that if you can create the å,ø,æ - and want the traditional oldstyle - you must visit farmors oppskrifter (grandmothers Norwegian recipes). That is about as real as it gets for traditional. And yes - to those mefites that might point out - farmor implies father's mother - grandmother does suffice.
posted by Funmonkey1 at 6:43 PM on July 22, 2015
There are Swedish festivals in Wisconsin. There's also a Swedish bakery in Lindstrom, MN. There must be more around the towns that make up the Swedish Circle, but I don't know of any specifically. The farmer's markets throughout Minnesota also definitely offer some Scandinavian foods, but selection may vary depending on where you are.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 7:01 PM on July 22, 2015
posted by gemutlichkeit at 7:01 PM on July 22, 2015
Second Plaj from peripathetic as a great interpretation of Scandinavian food. It blends distinctive Scandinavian ingredients to a nuanced palette. They bring on the cloud berries as garnish much like everyone loves cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving.
At the end of day, it is more fusion than traditional.
posted by Funmonkey1 at 7:19 PM on July 22, 2015
At the end of day, it is more fusion than traditional.
posted by Funmonkey1 at 7:19 PM on July 22, 2015
Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis has Café Finspång, which isn't quite a cafe (it's one market stall among many, not really a destination in itself) but has pastries and candy and packaged foods that appear legit Scandinavian.
Fika (never been there for a meal, but I had some nice snacks made there at a tasting event once) is Swedish by way of Minnesota.
posted by clavicle at 8:58 PM on July 22, 2015
Fika (never been there for a meal, but I had some nice snacks made there at a tasting event once) is Swedish by way of Minnesota.
posted by clavicle at 8:58 PM on July 22, 2015
I have not been there, but The Bachelor Farmer in Minneapolis does Nordic food in a very trendy way.
Marcus Samuelsson is perhaps the most famous US chef with deep Nordic knowledge and skills but his current projects don't focus on that.
posted by littlewater at 10:12 PM on July 22, 2015
Marcus Samuelsson is perhaps the most famous US chef with deep Nordic knowledge and skills but his current projects don't focus on that.
posted by littlewater at 10:12 PM on July 22, 2015
The Swedish term for traditional Swedish food is "husmanskost", (house-man/owner's food). I'd look for restaurants which advertise this term, or know what it is.
Most of these foods are easy to make at home: if you are having trouble finding restaurants, give it a try at home! There are lots of online sources for some of the more unique ingredients.
posted by troytroy at 12:13 AM on July 24, 2015
Most of these foods are easy to make at home: if you are having trouble finding restaurants, give it a try at home! There are lots of online sources for some of the more unique ingredients.
posted by troytroy at 12:13 AM on July 24, 2015
While Marcus Samuelsson does hold American citizenship I think referring to him as a U.S. Chef is a little misleading, he holds citizenship in Ethiopia where he began his life and still has familial ties and in Sweden where he was primarily raised by Swedish parents and trained as a cook.
posted by Iteki at 12:41 AM on July 24, 2015
posted by Iteki at 12:41 AM on July 24, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sanka at 5:56 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]