Within Walking Distance

When I was a kid, places that were within “walking distance” had a different meaning. There was the convenience store at the end of our street and then the one at the corner of Highland Ave. and Florida Ave., and there was the university campus, even if it was only the outskirts where the freshmen dorms resided. And I was not allowed to go to any of these places. I was, of course, too young to venture out that far and into the dangers of the world.

Eventually I was allowed to ride my bike to the store at Highland and Florida but that was only if I came directly home afterward. Today I live in a completely different world. Over the years I have lived in many different places, all different and unique in their own ways. Some of them were on quiet, residential streets, well most of them were, but some were secretly tucked away in residential pockets with restaurants, grocery stores, and various other shops and businesses on bustling streets within a short walking distance away.

Today I live smack dab in the middle of the hustling and bustling city of Stockholm. I live on the island of Södermalm on Hornsgatan, which is one the the busiest streets in the city. We are surrounded by the sounds, smells, and sights of city life. And we love it. Literally, a two minute walk in three directions and I can find five different grocery stores. Three are conventional while two of them specialize in organic products. Granted, I usually cannot find every ingredient I need in just one store, the variety available in such a short walking distance from our apartment is amazing and convenient in its own way.

In addition, there are several wonderful bakeries, a hardware store, clothing boutiques, restaurants, pubs, cafes, and on one stretch of our street there is an entire length of art galleries and shops that on several occasions each year stay open late into the evening for art gallery walks.

Unfortunately every thing we might need is not in our immediate vicinity but we could easily get by for days, even weeks, in our little neighborhood bubble. When we moved to Stockholm we chose to live without a car and for the most part I have not missed it in the just over five years that we have lived here. There are no oil changes to remember, insurance to pay, or other worries that having a car entails.

It is a wonderfully different way of life. And we love it.

The Greasy Spoon

Along a lone street on Södermalm lies a quaint, little restaurant called The Greasy Spoon. This lovely little gem serves English-styled breakfast and, in my opinion, the best breakfast in Stockholm, that I’ve had so far that is. For such a small, somewhat hole-in-the-wall, The Greasy Spoon is big on flavor and options. My breakfast partner in crime tried the Full Veggie and a pot of English tea while I chose the Scottish Pancakes, with option 1. blueberries and mascarpone, and a freshly-squeezed, grapefruit juice. 

I had eyed the pancakes as they were delivered to tables as we waited and at first I thought the scoop of unwavering cream was, in fact, ice cream. When I discovered that it was actually mascarpone I thought it was perhaps a bit overkill. It was a huge ball balanced atop the stack of pancakes. The English apparently know what they are doing however as it was actually the perfect amount of cream to compliment the blueberries and 'cakes.

And freshly-squeezed, grapefruit juice? I was in heaven. They also serve freshly-sqeezed orange juice and both are served with ice unless you request it without. The doors open at 7:30 am Monday-Friday and at 9:00 am on the weekends. My recommendation is to get there as close to 9:00 am as possible to avoid a long wait. I am not sure what their rules are on booking tables in advance but I do know that there was a party of 6 reserved at the front window table when we arrived, so large party bookings are a possibility.

So, if you find that you are in the mood for a tasty breakfast out this week, I highly recommend The Greasy Spoon. There was a yummy breakfast polenta that caught my eye, as well as a few other tasty-looking options that I would like to try, so I am sure I will be back in the near future. 

Maybe I will see you there?

Semla Hunt Update

(Thelins Konditori, Kungsholmen, Stockholm)

Well, it's official. I'm eating my way to Easter and larger pants via the Great Semla Hunt trail. I was informed by a friend recently that I should actually be fasting from semlor right now, as Fat Tuesday (Fettisdagen) was the (apparently) first AND last day to eat them until... Easter? I'm not exactly clear on that but I can say that I did follow the rule of not eating a semla before Fettisdagen. And I can say with some level of confidence that I will be continuing my "research," eating a semla or two every week, to determine the best ones in the city (with one same even coming from Gothenburg. So, so much for tradition.

You may be wondering, which semlor (plural of semla) are in the running? Well, it's really difficult to say because aside from that first, weird. chocolate one, they all taste like the absolute best one at the moment of consumption. Now that I have a few under (and over) my belt however, I can be a bit more objective. In order of consumed:

En Nypa Socker - Chocolate semla - An interesting concept with a hard, chocolate center instead of mandelmassa (almond paste), but the bread was completely dried out and tasted like it had been sitting out for several days. 

Chic Konditori - Traditional semla - My first semla of the season and actually this was the very first place I experienced a Swedish semla our first year in Sweden… so delicious! With only the chocolate one to compare it to, it is difficult to say but it was definitely the best… so far…

Gateau - Mini semla - OMG delicious! Definitely the best! Again, so far… :-p

(Steinbrenner & Nyberg, Saluhallen, Gothenburg)

Steinbrenner & Nyberg (Gothenburg) - Traditional semla - No, wait, THIS one was the best! Seriously. AND it was eaten in the hetvägg tradition in a bowl with warm milk (+ a little coffee). I thought the coffee addition was amazing. Mmmmmmmm…

(Fabrique, Kungsholmen location, Stockholm)

Fabrique - Mini semla - Okay. Hands down, THE BEST!!! Sigh… this is harder than I thought…

Thelins Konditori - Mini semla - Really amazing mandelmassa!!! It almost tasted like chocolate. In fact, I actually had to look to make sure it wasn’t chocolate. Unfortunately the bread was slightly dry. Otherwise, it could have been the best one due to the mandelmassa surprise. 

So this is where things stand thus far. Overall I would have to say that the semla from Steinbrenner & Nyberg in Gothenburg was the best to date, though the one from Fabrique runs a close second. The semla from Steinbrenner seemed to have the most balanced flavors and each bite was more delicious than the previous bite. 

There is still Vetekatten left to try and, being my favorite bakery/konditori for kanelbullar and kardemmumabullar, I have strong feelings that their semla will be quite competitive. 

Stay tuned for further updates…

Dining While in Jail?

Yes, if you happen to be at Hornsgatan 82 in Stockholm, Sweden. Located just a stone's throw away from our apartment in central Stockholm lies one of Stockholm's new best kept secrets. Häktet. (Shhh... it's still a secret!) Named for its previous incarnation as a jail, which is also the precise meaning of its name, the atmosphere is moody and haunting, though refined and stylish by today's hip and trendy standards. The original jail served the public between 1781-1872 and the location has since the 1900's served as a bar, until its most recent make-over.

The chef's creations were fresh and inspiring. Mussels in a wine and cream broth paired nicely with the bread and senap smör (mustard butter), and the hälstrad gös (grilled perch) served with asparagus salad and wine-braised spinach was the perfect meal after our all day drive to and from Vansbro for the Tjejsim (women's swim) competition. 

My husband and I enjoyed our meal and the atmosphere so much so that we made a return visit when another friend was visiting from the States just a few weeks later. The mussels were a definite repeat but for the main course I selected the "Bläckfisk och Kungskrabba" (squid and king crab) served with browned butter and lemon-scented, Beluga lentils, which were holy cow good. And aside from spilling my own glass of ice water right into my lap before we really got started, the evening was perfect and the food delicious and satisfying. We were too full for dessert but I am strongly inclined to return, yet again, for something on the menu that had to do with rhubarb. 

If you find yourself in the mood for an evening out any time soon, drinking and dining among the ghostly spirits of the old jail, I would heartily recommend Häktet. Do make reservations because it will definitely not remain a secret for long. And do plan on having a leisurely evening ahead of time, as the servers allow you plenty of privacy and lengthy spaces to enjoy each course ;-). 

I'm Going With Bold

It has been a busy week this week between work, acupuncture, getting my hair cut, ceramics class, and then running back and forth to Bågar & Glas (means "Frames & Glass") trying desperately to decide on a pair of new eyeglass frames. I have an unusually narrow noggin, which means that kids glasses generally fit me perfectly. And adult glasses leave me looking like I have the bulging eyes of an insect, or like I'm wearing old-fashioned, airplane goggles. Unfortunately the adult styles and sizes do not "fit" me perfectly. Lucky for me however, designers have started making nicer frames for quirky adults (like me) with narrow faces. 

I wanted to find frames that look artistic and make a bit of a statement. The staff at Bågar & Glas were very helpful and allowed me to bring home several pairs to try out at home. I took home the fun, funky ones that I liked and a couple that were "snälla," or "nice." Everyone else preferred the ones that were "snälla" and, while I too liked the snälla ones that suited my face and coloring perfectly, I still could not be swayed from the ones that said, "Hey! Look at me! I'm fun and artsy, with a side of quirky tucked in for good measure." 

Every time I tried them on and looked in the mirror I felt a surge of happiness. And every time I put the others on I would think, "They ARE nice.... But just a bit too boring." I decided that I'm going with bold - and a bang! Here's a preview:

The real ones will be ready sometime late next week... and I can't wait!

As a side note and follow up to my last post, my bad boy (the bike on the trainer) has been awfully lonely this week. However, my lady bike, complete with a basket and comfy seat, has gotten lots of action, despite the chilly, winter-ish spring air. The top photo was taken on my way home from work yesterday. This is my favorite part of my ride. The bike lane twists through and around Stadshust, or city hall, the "Riksdag," or government buildings, the Royal Castle, and Gamla Stan, or the old town area. It is especially nice on a clear, sunny day, even with a freezing wind chill!