THE ALTHING
All things Scandinavian.
FOOD
Jens' Restaurant
701 W 36th Avenue
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
907-561-5367
www.jensrestaurant.com
This place looks pretty cool. Don't know if they were there when we were in Anchorage, but if they were I'm sorry I missed the chance to eat there.
Beaver Choice
745 West Baseline Road
Mesa, Arizona 85210
480-921-3137
www.beaverchoice.com
What the...? Had to do a double take on the name, wonder if it was some sort of innuendo. This place features Scandinavian, Polish, and Canadian cuisine, so I'm guessing the beavers are all Canadians. They actually have one hell of an interesting menu. Would love to check them out one day.
Mona's Danish Bakery
4777 East Sunrise Drive - Suite 113
Tucson, Arizona 85718
5820-579-1959
Nice looking little eatery. Seems to have a basic menu but the stuff looks tasty. Another place with no website.
Ellen's Danish Pancake House
272 Avenue of the Flags
Buellton, California 93427
888-366-7819
www.ellensdanishpancakehouse.com
Why did so many Danes end up in California? Whatever the reason, it was a lucky break for Californians. This place has been around for over sixty years. Looks like they have some pretty tasty stuff, which might account for that.
Lighthouse Café
12 Tamalpais Drive
Corte Madera, California 94925
415-945-8902
lighthouse-restaurants.com/
The place has kind of an 80's vibe from the photos on their site, but they have a page devoted to Danish menu items. They're been around awhile, so it must be good.
Copenhagen Pastry
11113 Washington Boulevard
Culver City, California 90232
310-839-8900
www.copenhagenpastry.com
Looks like these folks have a nice line of Danish baked goods in two different California locations. Good looking stuff simply presented. Something to check out whenever I get to California.
Stockholm Bakery and Cafe
1448 Draper St
Kingsburg, California 93631
559-897-3377
www.stockholmbakery.com
This place looks homey and inviting. The menu seems simple and straightforward.
Hygge Bakery
1106 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, California 90015
213-995-5022
hyggebakery.com
Some interesting looking baked goods at this LA bakery and eatery.
Lighthouse Bar and Grill
475 East Strawberry Drive
Mill Valley, California 94941
415-381-4400
www.lighthouse-restaurants.com
* -see entry above for Lighthouse Café.
Svenhard's Swedish Bakery
335 Adeline Street
Oakland, California 94607
800-333-7836
svenhards.com
Stumbled onto this place by accident, but it sure looks like a first-rate bakery with some fine, tasty products.
Poul's Bakery
770 North Tustin Street
Orange, California 92867
714-532-5101
www.pouls-bakery.com
Simply put, this looks like a super bakery, and it's also a bit like a trip down memory lane. They feature many, many of the same products we had at our bakery. They even started in roughly the same time frame (actually a bit earlier) as we did.
Copenhagen Pastry
3731 East Colorado Boulevard
Pasadena, California 91107
626-792-7200
www.copenhagenpastry.com
* - see entry above for Culver City.
Copenhagen Danish Restaurant
356 Woodside Plaza
Redwood City, California 94061
650-365-6616
Couldn't find a web site for these folks, though I didn't try real hard. Reviews, on the whole, seem to be pretty good. Maybe someone can drop me a line and fill me in. NOTE: Very likely closed for good. Sad.
Pläj
333 Fulton Street
San Francisco, California 94102
415-294-8925
plajrestaurant.com
Classy looking place. Food looks good, and (I'm guessing here) prices aren't that bad for San Francisco.
Andersen's Danish Restaurant and Bakery
1106 State Street
Santa Barbara, California 93101
805-962-5085
www.andersenssantabarbara.com
Lots of stuff to try, if I ever get out to the west coast, and the prices look pretty reasonable, too. A quick scan of their menu and I'm amazed there's any Havarti left for the rest of us. I won't wax too eloquent, because them Danes already got the big heads, don't you know. At least the ones I know.
Lighthouse Café
1311 Bridgeway Avenue
Sausalito, California 94965
415-331-3034
lighthouse-restaurants.com/sausalito
* -see entry above for Lighthouse Café.
Danish Mill Bakery
1682 Copenhagen Drive
Solvang, California 93464
805-688-5805
www.danishmillbakery.com/
The look of this place warms my heart. Gotta love a Danish bakery, and these folks have kringles that look pretty damn good.
Red Viking Restaurant
1684 Copenhagen Drive
Solvang, California 93463
805-693-4340
redvikingsolvang.com
What more can you say about a restaurant whose web site has a coupon for one free order of Æbleskivers per table? This place just looks cool, and their menu is amazing.
Paula's Pancake House
1531 Mission Drive
Solvang, California 93463
805-688-2867
www.paulaspancakehouse.com
Don't let the name fool you, this is nothing like IHOP. It's fortunate that this place is located in historic Solvang, California, a couple thousand miles from me, or I would probably weigh 400 pounds. They're only open for breakfast and lunch.
Olsen's Danish Village Bakery
1529 Mission Drive
Solvang, California 93463
800-621-8238
www.olsensdanishvillagebakery.com
As best I can tell this is strictly a mail order business, but they seem to have a full line of nice Danish baked goods. The best part is that the owner seems to be a Danish dude named Bent Olsen. I have a cousin by that name in Danmark, but I don't think he's a baker.
Taste of Denmark
1901 South Kipling Street
Lakewood, Colorado 80227
303-987-8283
www.tasteofdenmark.net
A real Danish bakery in a Denver suburb. The bakers look like they came from Danmark and the photos of their product look good enough to eat. Would have been a nice place to visit when we were in Colorado a few years back. Maybe next time.
Sweet Odin's Danish Bakery
24830 South Tamiami Trail - Suite 2100
Bonita Springs, Florida 34134
239-676-8120
sweetodins.com
A Danish bakery here in Florida has to be near and dear to my heart. This place looks new, but it looks like they're doing it right. I have family down in this area, so no excuse not to go and get some good Danish stuff.
Out of Denmark
2275 South Federal Highway
Delray Beach, Florida 33483
561-276-2242
restaurantoutofdenmark.com
This is a fine little Danish restaurant in, of all places, Delray Beach, Florida. Be warned, the place is small and can be crowded, and they do not take credit cards (at least they didn't when I went), so take cash, but this is a special treat you don't want to miss. They had closed shop for a couple years, but happily are back in business. Next trip to Delray I'll be sure and check them out.
Danish Pastry Company
2031 Tyler Street
Hollywood, Florida 33020
305-343-3455
danishpastryco.com
Just discovered this intersting eating place way down south in Hollywood. Their schtick is that they import their Danish dough from Danmark. They don't have a huge menu, but if the photos are accurate it looks like some pretty tasty stuff. Another home state place to check out one day.
JOHAN'S jöe
401 South Dixie HIghway - Suite 3
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
561-808-5090
www.johansjoe.com
The place to get a steaming cup of jöe where the elite meet to get their steaming cup of jöe. Actually may stop by for a cup myself the next time I get down that way.
Svea
5236 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60640
773-275-7738
Well, they don't have a website, but apparently they have one hell of a good Swedish breakfast, judging from the comments on various sites. Looks worth checking out.
Ann Sather
3411 North Broadway
Chicago, Illinois 60657
773-305-0024
www.annsather.com
* - see entry above for Ann Sather.
Ann Sather
909 West Belmont
Chicago, Illinois 60657
773-348-2378
www.annsather.com
Ann Sather has been a Chicago institution for over sixty years, growing from her first place where she did all her own coooking, to the four locations of today. Their Swedish Sampler looks like the real deal.
Ann Sather
5207 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60640
773-271-6677
www.annsather.com
* - see entry above for Ann Sather.
Ann Sather
3416 North Southport
Chicago, Illinois 60657
773-404-4475
www.annsather.com
* - see entry above for Ann Sather.
Tre Kronor
3258 West Foster Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60625
773-267-9888.
www.trekronorrestaurant.com
Food from a Scandinavian heritage, served with authentic Nordic flair and a warm Chicago embrace. Their menu looks pretty interesting. One day I'll get there and try that havarti cheeseburger.
Swedish Bakery
5348 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60640
773-561-8919
www.swedishbakery.com
Man, you got to love that name. Simple, descriptive, and to the point. I haven't tried this one, but they've been in business a long time, and the reviews look good.
The Stockholm Inn
2420 Charles Street
Rockford, Illinois 61108
815-397-3534
www.stockholminn.com
Rockford's most popular restaurant, with the best Swedish pancakes in the world. Neat little bit of trivia: one of their investors is Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick.
Danish Inn
4116 Main Street
Elk Horn, Iowa 51531
712-764-4250
www.danishinnrestaurant.com
Oooh, they got a buffet. Looks like they'd have to throw me out, especially on Sunday.
The Swedish Crown Restaurant
121 N. Main Street
Lindsborg, Kansas 67456
785-227-8422
www.theswedishcrown.com
This place is a real Lindsborg institution, having been around for some forty years. Apparently it closed for awhile, but has been reopened and is going strong.
Danish Pastry House
330 Boston Avenue
Medford, Massachusetts 02155
781-396-8999
www.danishpastryhouse.com
Cool looking little cafe and bakery with two Massachusetts locations.
The Kitchen Garden
PO Box 396 - 268 Baldwinville Road
Templeton, Massachusetts 01468
978-939-8558
www.kitchgarden.com
Karl Hakkarainen tipped us off to this little roadside Finnish place with baked goods and gifts. Man, their food smiles at you. You got to smile back.
Danish Pastry House
205 Arlington Street - Unit 4
Watertown, Massachusetts 02472
617-926-2747
www.danishpastryhouse.com
* - see entry for Danish Pastry House in Medford.
Harbert Swedish Bakery
13698 Red Arrow Highway
Harbert, Michigan 49115
269-469-9037
harbertswedishbakery.com
Nice looking Swedish bakery with a history going back to 1912. The current owners look like they're keeping up the traditional products.
Suomi Restaurant
54 Huron Street
Houghton, Michigan 49931
906-482-3220
Seems to be a lot of Finns up in Michigan. There are places that seem to have Finnish names, but the menus don't show a lot of Finnish content. This place apparently still does a lot of Finnish food. They don't have a website.
Olsen Fish Company
2115 North 2nd Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55411
612-287-0838
www.olsenfish.com
At last, a source for good lutefisk. I know some of you are saying is there any such thing as good lutefisk? Check these folks out and learn the truth, and it shall set you free.
Finnish Bistro
2264 Como Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55108
651-645-9181
www.finnishbistro.com
An interesting looking little place, and one I'd definitely like to try some day. Very hard to find restaurants serving a Finnish menu. This place seems to be the real deal.
Sven's Swedish Restaurant
302 South 11th Street
Omaha, Nebraska 68102
402-535-5768
karahanson.net/arestaurant
I wonder if these folks might get into a Swedish Civil War with Al Johnson over the goats on the roof. Seriously, this place is located in a cool part of Omaha. I was there years ago, and this is another reason to go back some day.
Grädde Swedish Restaurant
13 Elm Street
Westfield, New Jersey 07090
908-232-1227
They don't seem to have a web site, so hard to find out a lot about them, but reviews and articles look promising.
luksus at tørst
615 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
718-389-6034
www.luksusnyc.com
Minimalism to the extreme, so much so that I have a hard time telling just what the hell they do. Whatever it is, it's effing cool, I can tell you that.
Danish Athletic Club and Dining Room
735 65th Street
Brooklyn, New York 11220
718-748-7844
By all accounts this is the real deal, a genuine Danish eatery hidden away in deepest, darkest Brooklyn. Only Danish athlete I knew was my Dad, and he was a pretty good one.
aska
90 Wythe Avenue at N. 11th Street
Brooklyn, New York 11249
718-388-2969
askanyc.com
Unique ambience. Web site pics made me think of a DJ or a team of mad scientists. Another place shooting for that Noma vibe perhaps, but still would love to go there someday.
Nordic Delicacies
6909 Third Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11209
718-748-1874
www.nordicdeli.com
Apparently this neck of the woods used to be quite the Scandinavian enclave, back in the day, with a quarter million of them running around. Seems most of them moved out, taking their businesses with them, but this place hangs tough. Run by Bakkes. I know a Bakke or two. NOTE: Sadly, these folks have gone out of business.
n'eat
58 2nd Avenue
New York, New York 10003
917-892-6350
neat-nyc.com
Another big city eatery featuring new Nordic cuisine. Some interesting looking stuff on the menu, along with some stranger stuff.
Aamanns-Copenhagen
13 Laight Street
New York, New York 10013
212-925-1313
www.aamanns-copenhagen.com
I think this is a new place. Looks like they're blending traditional Danish eats with Noma kind of items. Looks worth checking out.
Aquavit
65 East 55th Street
New York, New York 10022
212-307-7311
www.aquavit.org
Billing itself as New York's premier Nordic restaurant, Aquavit looks like the place to eat in midtown New York.
Skál
37 Canal Street
New York, New York 10002
212-777-7518
skalnyc.com
In all honesty, can't say as I see much Scandinavian on the menu. Possibly the name is the only Scandinavian thing about the place, and perhaps that isn't real. Still, cool looking little hole in the wall I'd probably go to should the opportunity present itself.
Smörgås Chef Scandinavia House
58 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10016
212-847-9745
www.smorgas.com
* - see entry above for Smorgas Chef Wall St.
Smörgås Chef Wall Street
53 Stone Street
New York, New York 10004
212-422-3500
www.smorgas.com
These folks got it going on. Not only do they have three locations in New York, but they also own Blenheim Hill Farm in rural New York, where they produce much of the food for their restaurants. This really caught my eye, as some of my non-Scandinavian ancestors were early settlers of Schoharie County and lived on Blenheim Hill.
Smörgås Chef West Village
283 West 12th Street
New York, New York 10014
212-307-7311
www.smorgas.com
* - see entry above for Smorgas Chef Wall St.
Broder Øst
102 Oak Street - Suite 100
Hood River, Oregon 97031
541-436-3444
www.brodereast.com
Swedish restaurant where breakfast and lunch appear to be the featured meals. They don't limit the fare to Swedish items, either, as a few Danish specialties make their way onto the menu.
The Crazy Norwegian's Fish and Chips
259 6th Street
Port Orford, Oregon 97465
541-332-8601
Couldn't find a website for this place, but it looks like a gritty, interesting little fish shack. Hard to say how much Norwegian food they have without seeing a menu. Reviews are good, but speak mostly of fish and chips. Somebody please fill me in.
Broder Soder
8800 Southwest Oleson Road
Portland, Oregon 97223
971-373-8762
www.broderpdx.com
* - see entry above for Cafe Broder Øst.
Cafe Broder SE
2508 Southeast Clinton Street
Portland, Oregon 97202
503-736-3333
www.broderpdx.com
* - see entry above for Cafe Broder Øst.
Broder Nord
2240 North Interstate Avenue - Suite 160
Portland, Oregon 97227
503-282-5555
www.broderpdx.com
* - see entry above for Cafe Broder Øst.
Viking Soul Food
4262 SE Belmont Street
Portland, Oregon 97215
503-704-5481
www.vikingsoulfood.com/#home
Well, you gotta love the name and the concept, coming to you in Gudrun the food truck.
Scandinavian Specialties
6719 15th Avenue Northwest
Seattle, Washington 98117
877-784-7020
www.scanspecialties.com/
Nice looking little bakery and cafe in Seattle.
Norske Nook Restaurant and Bakery
3560 Oakwood Mall Drive
Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54701
800-294-6665
www.norskenook.com
Norske Nook is a chain of Norwegian restaurants in small Wisconsin towns, with attached bakeries and gift shops. Ken Schaub told us about them.
Norske Nook Restaurant and Bakery
Hwy 27 South
Hayward, Wisconsin 54843
800-294-6665
www.norskenook.com
* - see entry above for Norske Nook in Eau Claire.
Drugan's Restaurant
W7665 Sylvester Road
Holmen, Wisconsin 54636
608-526-4144
www.drugans.com/dining/index.php
Holy cow! Actually, this is part of Drugan's Castle Mound Country Club, a whole Norwegian resort, complete with 18 hole gold course. What are the hazards? Trolls come out and eat you? What a breakthrough - I can be a crappy golfer, and I can fear for my life. Ken Schaub provided the link.
O&H Danish Bakery
9540 South 27th Street
Oak Creek, Wisconsin 53154
414-856-1141
www.ohdanishbakery.com
Take it from someone who grew up in a Danish bakery, O&H has insanely good kringles. Don't know what a kringle is? You don't know what you're missing until you've tried one. And if you can't actually go to O&H, you can order online and bring O&H home to you.
Norske Nook Restaurant and Bakery
13804 7th Street
Osseo, Wisconsin 54758
800-294-6665
www.norskenook.com
* - see entry above for Norske Nook in Eau Claire.
O&H Danish Bakery
4006 Durand Avenue
Racine, Wisconsin 53405
866-554-1311
www.ohdanishbakery.com
* - see entry for O&H Danish Bakery in Oak Creek.
O&H Danish Bakery
1841 Douglas Avenue
Racine, Wisconsin 53402
866-637-8895
www.ohdanishbakery.com
* - see entry for O&H Danish Bakery in Oak Creek.
O&H Danish Bakery
1515 Rapids Drive
Racine, Wisconsin 53404
800-709-4009
www.ohdanishbakery.com
* - see entry for O&H Danish Bakery in Oak Creek.
Norske Nook Restaurant and Bakery
2900 Pioneer Avenue
Rice Lake, Wisconsin 54868
800-294-6665
www.norskenook.com
* - see entry above for Norske Nook in Eau Claire.
Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant and Butik
P.O. Box 257 - 10698 North Bay Shore Drive
Sister Bay, Wisconsin 54234
920-854-2626
www.aljohnsons.com
Just a great looking restaurant. The food looks good, the wait staff looks good, and their website even has a goat cam. What more could you want?
O&H Danish Bakery
717 South Sylvania Avenue
Sturtevant, Wisconsin 53177
262-898-1950
www.ohdanishbakery.com
* - see entry for O&H Danish Bakery in Oak Creek.