Lives there a chowhound so blase that he’d skip the chance for an authentic Swedish smorgasbord? Well, we certainly wouldn’t, and when we visited Stockholm recently, it was our primary culinary goal.
Years ago, Joe had been to a memorable version at the classic Stockholm Opera House, and from what we’d learned, it has remained excellent–but was closed in the summer. So we headed for the aptly named Grand Hotel and its stylish Veranden restaurant, on the hotel’s veranda and overlooking the harbor. Centrally located, next to the National Museum and a stone’s throw from the Royal Palace, it’s nicely lush without being intimidating. (Another day, with some time to kill before we took a boat tour, we came in and quietly sat in the lobby without any hassle from staff.)
Smorgasbord (pronounced SHMER-gas-bird in Swedish and rollll those ‘r’s) is a word that’s been around the US since at least the late 50's, when small-town restaurants began serving buffets and calling them smorgasbord. We were led to wonder if the word crept down from Scandinavian ancestors who settled in the upper Midwest, but who knows? Technically, the word refers to bread and butter, but these days, in the land of its birth, it’s a buffet, usually lunch, that’s eaten in a particular order.
And particular is the word, although we didn’t actually see smorgasbord police cruising the rooms. But each diner at the Grand finds on the plate a brochure in English (the tourist lingua franca through most of Scandinavia) with instructions on how the meal is traditionally eaten–or, as the Grand says, "the best way to enjoy the delicious smorgasbord." The general rule of thumb we’ve always heard is herring on the first plate, other fish on the second, salads and other cold dishes on the third, hot dishes on the fourth, and then dessert. Returning for more of any particular dish is fine. The Grand refines things slightly, pointing out that the herring is usually accompanied by hot (steamed) potatoes, and suggesting that it be followed by a slice of cheese, some crispbread and a shot of aquavit chased with cold beer. Those are the traditional beverages to accompany the meal; we settled for just the beer. Clean plates for each course, we reminded ourselves, took a deep breath and headed for the room where the food was presented.
Surprisingly, a kettle of creamy asparagus soup was the first thing that greeted us. But frankly, we didn’t come for the soup. We nibbled on a crisp pastry made with a Swedish cheese that was offered as a crouton to float in the soup, and picked up our first plate.
Herring. Eight kinds of herring. Herring in mustard sauce, herring in tomato sauce, herring with beets, herring in vinaigrette-type sauces and in cream sauces. A favorite? Probably the garlic and herb, based on sour cream.
And just above the herring sat a stack of round crispbread with holes in their centers. Each was about the size of a dinner plate, and diners are invited to break off as much or as little as they wish.
On to the other fish, and in this part of the world, that mostly means salmon, or laks, as Swedes and Norwegians call it. Interestingly, the Yiddish-English word, lox, refers strictly to smoked salmon. In addition, there were three kinds of gravlax, or cured salmon, cold and hot smoked salmon, and a poached salmon with a green herb sauce. Cold shrimp in the shell,
Even the salads were mostly seafood based. A creamy shrimp salad, another, seemingly vegetarian, with beets. The most remarkable was quinoa with crab, wonderful and seasoned gently enough that the sweet crab showed well.
In the hot dishes, fewer by far than the cold selection, we were charmed by a thinly sliced leg of smoked lamb, slightly salty, very tender and savory. We passed on chicken in a sauce, but sampled beef a la Lindstrom, an old Swedish recipe for beef burgers, and were disappointed–they were tough and seemingly without the minced capers and beets that are usually included.
The most remarkable of the group was the meatballs. We know, Swedish meatballs are a decades-old cliche in American food, passed on toothpicks at cocktail parties in the Sixties. But, boy, were these good, rich and flavorful, tender from a minimal amount of handling, a dish to make us say "Wow". And that was even before we took a bite with the traditional accompaniment of lingonberries. Tart little red berries that are rather like cranberries, they’re excellent with the meatballs, and the traditional topping for Swedish pancakes.
No, no pancakes on the dessert table. But a toffee chocolate cake, an apple pie, strawberries marinated in fruit juice that included bits of grapefruit peel, which is a shockingly good combination, plus ice cream, whipped cream, sour cream or custard sauce for the strawberries. Small shot glasses of smoothies topped with a berry and a plate of assorted cookies. A choice of five Swedish cheeses and more bread and crackers for that. And a bowl of one of the most beautiful fruit salads we’ve ever seen.
The number of dishes was fewer than what Joe recalled from the Operakallern, and we realized our super-sized American expectations were coming into play. There were not, for instance, as many dishes as one would find at brunch at St. Louis’ Ritz-Carlton. This is Europe, and moreover, it was the slowest time of the year for Stockholm hotels, to the point where they were giving serious discounts to travelers (like us). But there were plenty of options, more than what we’ve discussed. . Plenty.
Not cheap, at around $70 per person before drinks from an elegant, extensive, shockingly expensive wine and beer list. But quite an experience. And we haven’t even gone into the people watching.
Veranden Restaurant
Intercontinental Grand Hotel
S. Blasieholmshamnen 8
Stockholm, Sweden
08 689 35 00
Breakfast buffet, Lunch and Dinner smorgasbord daily (but weekends only during much of winter; see website)
Credit cards: All major
Wheelchair access: Poor
What's neat to me about this experience is that the menu gave certain instructions on how to go about the buffet. That's very accommodating of them.
Posted by: Dylan Klymenko | August 21, 2008 at 03:42 PM