Hermans

Occasion: Vegetarian buffet dinner
Location: Hermans on Fjällgatan in the Södermalm neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden - nearest T-bana stop is Slussen (hermans.se)
Edibles: all the greens and beans your heart desires!

Musings: Although its menu is pretty far outside my usual preferences, I give a big thumbs up to this place. The location is fantastic - right along the water, with picnic tables in a multi-level garden. This was the view from our table:

When the sun started to set, the light gilded the plants and it was just gorgeous.

The buffet is 150 SEK (~$20). Beverages and dessert are extra, but coffee and tea are included.

There was a grill station outside where they were doing tomatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplant and other veggies. They had this great grilled tofu with a marinade of soy, sugar, garlic, ginger and sweet chili paste. Really yummy. I had about six pieces.

Inside, there was a table with all sorts of casseroles, stews, salads and a giant basket of different breads. I know it's not the best way to get your money's worth at a buffet, but is there anything as wonderful as a fresh, chewy piece of bread slathered with butter? I think the below pic was my second go-around. I probably had four plates like it.



The weather was really just perfect that day. While we were eating, about ten hot air balloons lifted off.

We lingered over mugs of tea as it got dark. A perfect end to the day, and to the Stockholm leg of our trip.

[Postscript: You know, I bet a restaurant like this would absolutely kill in Brooklyn.]

Cafe Saturnus

Occasion: Last day in Stockholm
Location: Cafe Saturnus on Eriksbergsgatan, just off the main street Birger Jarlsgatan, in Stockholm, Sweden - nearest T-bana stops are Rådmansgatan and Östermalmstorg (cafesaturnus.se)
Edibles: linguine vongole for me; tomato-mozzarella salad for Yining

Musings: A nice little cafe, close to our hotel, offering sandwiches, salads, a few hot dishes. Seating is self-serve, so you have to hover and pounce when it opens up. People do tend to linger and chat.

The pasta was pretty good, but the real winner was the giant cardamom boule I impulse-purchased. (It's hard to tell from the picture but it really was a massive bread, about the size of a head of cabbage.) Dense yet fluffy, spicy and sweet, it was the perfect thing to munch on while we waited for our food to arrive.

[Postscript: It held up well, wrapped in waxed paper, and provided some much-needed sustenance for the flight to Reykjavik.]

Svinet

"I want to go to there."

Occasion: Pork feast
Location: Svinet, the restaurant in the Victory Hotel on Lilla Nygatan in the Gamla Stan neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden - nearest T-bana stop is Gamla Stan
Edibles: en karnivors dröm ("a carnivorous dream")

Musings: The rest of the year, the restaurant is called Djuret (Swedish for "animal"). But in the summer, it focuses on the majestic pig and calls itself Svinet ("pig"). Yining found an article while researching our trip, and we immediately agreed that we had to go.

It's a pretty popular concept, and the article recommended an early arrival - around 6pm - to ensure a seat. We were in the midst of a few drizzly days so the place wasn't crowded at all. The drizzle had luckily stopped by dinnertime, and we were able to sit out on the rooftop patio.

With a sampler called "a carnivorous dream" on the menu, what else could I order? It's a pretty steep 850 SEK (~$120) for a platter for two, and comes with salad. Booze is extra. We got a pitcher of sangria which was tasty and fruity, but which I'm pretty sure had almost zero alcohol content.

You get five different meats. From the top, they are 1) sirloin on the bone; 2) neck; 3) sausage; 4) ribs; 5) some mysterious cut they called secreto de cerdo Iberico de Bellota ("secret Iberico pork").

That last one, whatever it is, is AMAZING. It's got a really fine grain and tons of flavor. It's tender and juicy, but not fatty. It tastes sort of like the pork equivalent of a skirt steak. You can get it as a single item for 255 SEK. I came *really* close to ordering another one, but we really were quite stuffed and Yining vetoed.

The other items were less exciting. The chop was probably the worst of the bunch - really dry and almost woody. The sausage was decent but nothing you can't in a million places. The rib had a nice char; the interior tended to be fatty and flavorless.

The way to go is definitely that secret Iberico pork. It's quite a culinary wonder!

Östermalms Saluhall - Tysta Mari

Occasion: Another day, another delicious lunch
Location: Östermalms Saluhall in the Gamla Stan neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden - nearest T-bana stop is Östermalmstorg. It's a landmark. You can't miss it.
Edibles: smoked salmon with boiled potatoes in creamy dill sauce; salad with shrimp, greens, tomatoes, artichokes and snow peas

Musings: The Östermalms Saluhall is a high class food court, sort of like Eataly. It does have stalls that sell meat and seafood, produce, prepared foods etc. But mostly it's restaurant stalls. And don't worry - it's not a horrible tourist trap. Locals definitely come here too.

We went with a place called Tysta Mari. Their display case looked enticing, it was clearly popular with locals, and we were able to pounce on some seats opening up. The original plan was to get another open-faced salmon sandwich, but I changed my mind after all four people ahead of me in line ordered the salad. (We'll meet another day, Scurvy.)

And no wonder that salad's so popular - it's crisp and interesting, with lots of really fresh baby shrimp. It turned out to be surprisingly filling when paired with a thick slice of dense, brown raisin bread. The salmon in the other dish was on par with the excellent Scandinavian salmon we'd had elsewhere, and those potatoes - stunning. Cooked perfectly, with a light glaze of sauce, elegant and hearty at the same time. So simple and so perfect. Add a chilled glass of house white to wash it all down. Heaven.

A lady next to us was having one of the daily special, ham (fläsklägg!!) with some kind of orange-colored purée. Sweet potato? Butternut squash? I never did figure it out due to the language barrier. It looked really good too. [Postscript: Sadly, we couldn't fit in a return trip to verify that.]

A big thumbs up for this place. Not exactly cheap but very tasty food, skillfully made.

18smaker Glassmakeri

Location: 18smaker Glassmakeri on Timmermansgatan in the Södermalm neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden - nearest T-bana stop is Mariatorget (18smaker.se)

We needed a little bit of a pick-me-up after a somewhat grim stroll through Skogskyrkogården (the Woodland Cemetary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site). And what better way to pick yourself up than a scoop of frozen dairy and sugar?

I had a scoop of the raspberry cheesecake, which was lovely. If you want to try a local flavor, go for punsch (a traditional arack liqueur) with dark chocolate chips.

Östermalms Korvspecialist

Occasion: Post-Millesgården lunch with Yining
Location: Östermalms Korvspecialist on Nybrogatan in the Gamla Stan neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden - nearest T-bana stop is Östermalmstorg [Please note that it's NOT on Nybergsgatan, which is confusingly similar-sounding and nearby street. The stand is just two blocks north of the famous Östermalms Saluhall, and you can actually see the Saluhall from the hot dog stand. It sits in front of a little parking lot, next to a post office.]
Edibles: bratwurst, alpenwurst and curry lamb sausage

Musings: I got a tip about this place from a nice half-Swedish lady who happened to be sitting next to me on the flight out. Korvspecialist, by the way, means sausage specialist. Awesome. Awesome. I want a business card that says that.

We split a bratwurst and an alpenwurst; they turned out to be pretty indistinguishable. Let me tell you, these hot dogs are pure genius. The sausages are obviously high quality, and they're served in a hollowed-out baguette. There's some kind of heavily herbed dressing that's first sloshed into the bread, followed by some kind of spicy tomato sauce (not ketchup - it's much thinner) and a few shreds of sauerkraut. The bread is simply fantastic - fresh and chewy and it does a great job of soaking in the sauces without getting soggy and falling apart. 50 kronor each, or about $7. One is definitely very filling.

But meat-tooth that I am, I also found some room to try the lamb sausage that the lady in front of us ordered. It's a curry lamb sausage, with strong mustard, served with a tiny little hot dog bun that basically just serves as a grip. Great size for a snack - I'd try another kind of sausage, though. I found the lamb a bit chewy and greasy.

But a big thumbs up for the wurst. I definitely encourage you to check out this stand if you're ever in Stockholm.

Pelikan

Occasion: Our first Swedish dinner!
Location: Pelikan on Blekingegatan in the Södermalm neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden - nearest T-bana stops are Medborgarplatsen and Skanstull (pelikan.se)
Edibles: salmon sampler to start, then we shared the Swedish meatballs and the pork knuckle - fläsklägg!! [It became my rallying cry for the rest of the trip.]

Musings: Bourdain had dinner here when he was in Stockholm, so we figured it was a safe bet. It's a pretty popular place and we had to wait about half an hour for a table. We sat outside with a beer and had some fun with a toy Papa Smurf that I'd gotten with my Happy Meal at JFK. You know, as you do.

By the way, I should note that it's extremely expensive to drink in Sweden. Our drafts were about $13. Each. [Postscript: At some point in our trip, I asked a local how Swedes can afford to get drunk. Apparently, it involves some serious pre-gaming.]

By the time we made it inside, we were pretty hungry. We started out with the salmon sampler, which featured three preparations - poached, smoked (almost like salmon jerky) and cured, with tartar sauce and pickled cucumbers. I liked the cured the best, but my only real complaint about the dish is that it wasn't bigger.

The mains were a split. Yining and I both found the Swedish meatballs pretty dry and flavorless, even with the gravy and lingonberry sauce.

The pork knuckle, on the other hand, was freaking fantastic. Really flavorful and cooked to a turn. It was served with some really pungent mustard and sauerkraut on the side. Really excellent. Fläsklägg!!

Stockholm City Guide

(Updated 2011)

VEGETARIAN:

• Hermans. You know it's good when a carnivore like me digs it.

CARNIVOROUS:

• Hot dog stand: Östermalms Korvspecialist
• Djuret (Swedish for "animal"), also known as Svinet ("pig") in the summer
• Traditional: Pelikan

MISC:

• Ice-cream: 18smaker Glassmakeri
• Market: Östermalms Saluhall

Note: You can also search for other Stockholm blog entries using the tag "SWE-Stockholm."