I was dining out in Sweden all last week and really frustrated by the very restrictive Systembolaget government monopoly on alcohol that doesn’t allow you to bring a bottle of wine into a restaurant. Menu prices are very high and it makes you appreciate how lucky we are here in Vancouver and elsewhere with the reasonable value for price ratio we presently enjoy at our restaurants.

Three places that stood out for me as still worth a detour:

1. GRYTHYTTANS GASTGIVAREGARD www.careofhotels.com/grythyttan

Long name but a wonderful quaint unique historical spot in the countryside near Orebro that has celebrated weddings for centuries. Amazing old underground wine cellar formerly a prisoner holding cell with some special collected treasures including older vintages of Coulee de Serrant. The Grythyttan Inn follows to the letter the Slow Food Movement. Liked a pretty dish of seared scallops with a crisp cheese cracker all sitting on a puree of milk cooked garlic decorated with mirepoix-like yellow and red veg topped by fresh dill; Reindeer carpaccio with pickled chanterelles and lingonberry coulis; and seared cod and pork belly with smoked potato puree and asparagus. Highlights included four Swedish farmhouse cheeses directed to be eaten in a strict order matched with a sweeter apricot figgy wine made from cloudberries (Grythyttan Hjortron). The last cheese tasted was the renowned and expensive Bredsjo Blue Cheese (500 SK /kilo or nearly $100/kilo at the farm) from 100% sheep’s milk that resembles closely a French Roquefort. They will produce even a Woof menu for your dog.

2. FREDSGATEN 12 (F12) www.f12.se/en

Melker Andersson & Danyel Coutet rule Stockholm with their many excellent dining places.

F12 is a special restaurant with excellent French influenced cuisine. Tasting menu with matching wines both served blind at our request highlighted some of their offerings:

-Cold: One long thin strip of coiled radish marinated in oyster   -Hot: Crab on Coastal Potatoes.    2012 Fass 4 Gruner Veltliner  Ott (Wagram Austria)

-Puree slightly smoked Jerusalem Artichokes and Toasted Crumb, Fresh Water Bleak Roe (orange colour), coddled egg yolk.   2011 Silvaner Keller (Rheinhessen Germany)

-Milk Poached Perch, Foamy Crown Dill Crayfish Sauce.    2009 Albarino de Fefinanes III Palacios de Fefinanes (Galicien Spain)

-Cheek of Veal, Sweetbreads, Fresh Chanterelles and Fava Beans.    2009 Corton Pougets Louis Jadot (Burgundy France)

-Almnas Tegel (gruyere style cheese) aged 36 months, Double Malt Marmalade.  2004 Rivesaltes Ambre Domaine Singla (Languedoc-Rousillon France)

-Angssyra, Brannvin (small jar with sorrel greens on the bottom, crumbled sugar biscuit in the middle and foamy aquavit on top) quite delicious.

-White Peach, Raspberries, Almond, Meringue.  2012 Moscato d’Asti Bricco Quaglia La Spinetta (Piedmont Italy)

3. MATSALEN www.grandhotel.se

Outstanding chef Mathias Dahlgren has arguably the best restaurant in Sweden here at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm where “natural produce and natural taste are essential to the natural cuisine”. Also has the more informal bistro Matbaren.  Both feature fresh produce from local farms in a very Swedish style. Impressed talking with their young knowledgeable Sommelier Johan Andersson who is seeking out the story from each of his unique wine producers and who alone is worth your visit. He prefers European wines with higher acidity that go well with food. Johan is encouraged that with global warming Sweden might eventually make some better wines themselves like Blaxsta Vineyard who already makes a sweet expensive Vidal Icewine. The cellar is full of some choice 18000 bottles with 1800 different labels the oldest of which is 1874 Mouton. Some of the world’s best prices on old stock/old prices of DRC wines. Summary of some of our brilliant dishes with amazingly appropriate pairings:

– Tartare of cod and shrimp with ponzu, ginger, radish.    2011 Arbois Blanc Reneaud Bruyere (Jura France) with 80% chardonnay & 20% sauvignon blanc

-Beetroots & Jerusalem Artichokes, hazelnuts, truffle, watercress.    2009 Saignee de Sorbee Vouette et Sorbee (Champagne France) Pinot Noir Extra Brut Disgorged Nov. 19, 2012

-Steamed Coalfish & Bleak Roe, smoked butter sauce, Spring onions, dill.    2009 Matassa Blanc Domaine Matassa (Languedoc-Rousillon France) ripe peachy 70% Grenache Blanc

-Game from Ostermalma (Fallow Deer Filet and Wild Boar Sausage), asparagus, anchovies, lemon, capers.  2005 Les Baltailles Philippe Jambon (Beaujolais France) Morgon but that AC not allowed so shows as Vin de France as was fermented for 6 years and bottled in 2011 at 14.5 alcohol with big rich unique spicy Rhone styling. Great match for the dish.

-Swedish Farm Cheeses, Rye Bread with celery, radish, walnuts and dates.    2009 Vin de Paille Stephane Tissot (Jura France)

-Rhubarb from Flen & Yoghurt, Spanish Chervil, Vanilla.   2012 Foutre d’Escampette Domaine de l’Octavin (Jura France)  Petillant natural bubbles of chardonnay from chalky soil with a fresh slight sweetness works miracles with this dessert.

Three other highly recommended lower budget tips in Stockholm:

(a) Herring at NYSTEKT STROMMING kiosk at Slussen as you cross the bridge from Gamla Stan to Sodermalm. Really super Skane on fried rye bread, herring, sweet mustard and fresh dill for 40SK (less than $8).

(b) HOTORGSHALLEN Basement Market (Subway Haymarket) below the Filmstaden Cinema for a great gastronomical tour of food products.

(c) NK RESTAURANTS Satamakatu 18-20 have some interesting lunch choices including traditional Swedish food at the top of NK house.

Fortunate last week to study the new Nordic cuisine and try 3 of the top restaurants in Copenhagen, Denmark:
AMASS www.amassrestaurant.com

Just opened in July 2013 by ex-Noma head chef Matt Orlando in an old ship building with high ceilings. The kitchen is on the ground floor but the entrance is up one flight of stairs to the top for a panoramic view of the restaurant and then down to floor level for seating. Offered 2 menus both at 575DKK (about $115) one with no choice 8 courses and a “Simplicity menu” of 3 courses with a choice of dry-aged beef or Danish turbot both with sides of young lettuces, herbs, vinaigrette & new potatoes and egg yolk. Both menus started with fava bean, samphire, creme fraiche, St. John’s Wort & fermented flat bread. Other courses in the 8 course included salted mackeral, grilled skin, spring onion; their already famous crispy oats, hot-smoked foie gras, walnut, marigold;
chicken skin, peas, egg yolk, virgin butter; burnt cabbage, mullet roe; lamb breast, carrot, lavender, and dessert of wild cherry, milk ice cream, croutons, olive oil. Work in progress and daily menu evolving. Offer wine pairing for 375DKK but also their local beers are available. Liked their idea to pour house wine at the table out of special grand format bottles of Aligote and Barbera.
GERANIUM www.geranium.dk

Unique location opened in 2010 on the 8th floor of the Parken National Stadium by talented Chef Rasmus Koefed who won gold at the 2011 Bocuse d’Or in Lyon (after previously earning bronze and silver) and already #45 on World’s Best Restaurants (after 49 last year). Classy 16+ courses matched with 10 sommelier recommended wines.

Particularly liked the delicious Lobster & Red Elements (including beets and tapioca) matched with 2009 Meursault Charmes Francois Mikulski. Expensive but an unforgettable dining experience with artistic displays and intriguing flavours making it truly memorable!
NOMA www.noma.dk

Nordic cuisine pioneered by Chef Rene Redzepi became World’s #1 Restaurant for 3 years in a row and just beaten in 2013 by my fav El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain. Celebrating their 10th year this Fall with a 3 volume cookbook “A Work in Progress” each highlighting Recipes, Photos, or his Journal notes. For 1500DKK offered 20+ courses including 11 appetizers (moss and cep; flatbread and grilled roses; peas, pine and chamomile; caramelized milk and cod liver; leek and cod roe)and 9 mains (berries and grilled vegetables; onion and fermented pears; beets and plums; my fav of grilled cauliflower and pine boughs with cream and horseradish showing simplicity but delicious; potato and bleak fish roe; roasted turbot and celeriac with bitter greens and nasturtium was between sushi and cooked; blueberry and ants; potato and plum). Also took for 1000DKK their 8 matching wines all unique unheard of oddballs bringing the tab to over $500 per person. Controversial dinner.

A friend commented that “it was one of the worst meals I ever had” and called it “the severely handicapped Nordic diet – and not the diet of the proud strong Danish Vikings.” I agree it was more educational and inspiring to see the use of local sources and foraging than it was delicious. A tour of the kitchen displayed a really impressive myriad of dried natural foods as flavour enhancers stored in plastic containers. Certainly they are as far as possible distant from your typical meat and potatoes fare using instead exotic undiscovered local ingredients and the more familiar prepared in new ways. They continue to seek the cutting edge of a unique Nordic cuisine idea. You decide whether they are on track and whether or not it suits your palate.

For all of us on a more limited Frommer budget I suggest trying the Smorrebrod a Danish open face sandwich with a variety of toppings, the new food market and shops at Torvehallerne on Israels Plads square, and highly recommend www.zigzagrestaurant.com for wonderful fresh buffet lunch for 79DKK including tasty pizza & lasagne.

Please chime in with your comments.

I still remember when the Champagne coupe with the shallow wide bowl was de rigueur.

It was not that long ago when I enjoyed a sensational balanced still young 1988 Krug Vintage poured by the late Henri Krug at the late Thierry Manoncourt’s Chateau Figeac. The preferred vessel that evening was a lovely delicate antique Lalique coupe. The wine was fresh with lots of bubbles so the fact they dissipated quickly wasn’t crucial but the aromas were not focused in that glass shape.

Now the preferred shape seems to be the flute to retain that stream of tiny bubbles. However for me it works best where you are emphasizing the festive social occasion with perhaps a younger very cold Sparkling wine showing little if any complex developing bouquet to appreciate. Anyways it also is difficult for me to get my big nose right into that small opening of the flute glass. I now find myself continuing to prefer a more tulip shaped glass (even use your normal white wine glass) with a very thin lip to get the best out of the nose and taste. After all some experts are even recommending now decanting your Champagne so how important can those long time producing natural bubbles actually be! The bouquet and taste after all are the most important elements to fully appreciate – as they are for any wine.

Maybe we can get a straw poll going here as to those that appreciate flutes and those that prefer tulip shaped for bubbles. Express your opinion!

Cheese gets more like wine everyday with the explosion of new regions producing it and the many AOC & DOP (“Protected Designation of Origin”) designations for those such as Parmigiano-Reggiano. Seems to be a local cheese to try in almost every farming district you visit and so many shops are specialized in the sale of a wide variety of product. There are also continuing debates on pasteurized vs. unpasteurized cheeses and quotas that we won’t get into here.

We are lucky to have Les Amis du Fromage (www.buycheese.com) Vancouver’s busiest and best cheese shop – there are actually two. Long time IWFS member Alice Spurrell with her daughter Allison and their competent crew do a great job. I asked Allison to guest host this week with a few of her “hot” cheeses and tips on storage as follows:

“Top  cheeses:

For our store, we tend to sell less in the way of trendy cheeses as we do traditional cheeses. Our “cheese friends” seem to like to know the history of the cheese and find out a little about where it comes from. It’s just like learning about geography through a love of wine, the same applies to cheese. These are the really big sellers for us in July 2013:

·        Secret de Campostelle – this is one you would appreciate, delicious smooth aged sheep’s milk cheese from the Pyrenees. The taste is a little earthier than Ostari but it is a little less aged that the AOC Ossau Iraty.

·        Caccio di Bosca – this is an aged pecorino (sheep’s milk) from Tuscany made by Il Fortetto. This cheese is aged for a year and is studded with truffles. How can you go wrong!

·        Epoisses – this is one of my favourites, a classic washed rind cheese from Burgundy. Although this isn’t a cheese for everyone due to its strong smell and taste, it seem to be flying out of the store these days.

·        Abbaye de Tamie – is a monastery made cheese from the Savoie in France. This is a typical monastic cheese in style – washed rind, semi firm texture, but the similarities end there. This is  a cheese that I would travel miles for, it has a fabulous earthy taste with a finish of hazelnuts and barnyard! Intense but amazing, and it has been made by the monks since the 11^th century

·        Honeybee Goa Gouda – I know it sounds a little odd, but there is something about the touch of honey added to the curd of this cheese, that gives it a really memorable taste. The cheese itself is rich and caramelly from natural aging and the honey is just one more interesting layer.

·        Extra Aged Mimolette – this poor cheese goes though hardship in the US and Canada every few years. Apparently Agriculture and import agents aren’t as keen as we are about those little friends living on the outside of this naturally crusted cheese from the north of France. The bright orange colour and the rich tasting flavour has a group of fans though so they’re  always willing to wait for it to come back in stock

·        Bra Duro – this excellent  DOP designated raw cows’ milk cheese from the area around Bra is a little grassy, earthy with a great tangy finish. Nice with a glass of Prosecco for a summer evening.

·        Extra Mature Farmhouse Cheddar – from England. This is a stock item for many of our customers and we were out of stock for almost 4 months! Now that it’s back in stock everyone is buying it up. This is a great classic British cheddar, tangy, creamy and a little rich. Great with a nice glass of port in the winter or for a picnic lunch during the  great summer weather we’re having.

·        French Butter – does that count as cheese? I think it should J  We have been able to get French butter since January this year it has been a very happy addition to my cheese fridge. It has nice company there with the other Farmstead butters as well as all the French Camembert. Salted, unsalted demi sel – it’s all delicious!”

Allison you left out 3 of my top favs: Comte – at all ages, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and triple cream Brillat Savarin!

“Storage Tips – The way I keep cheese in my fridge in the store is in Cling film. I know some people don’t love that option but if you’ re trying to wrap a huge piece of cheese it is practical. As long as you continue to re-wrap your cheese in fresh saran wrap every time you open it, it should last for weeks in your fridge if it is a firm cheese. Soft cheese last less well once they are open, so that’s why it is always a better idea to buy just what you need for the week and shop more often. Everything tastes better when it hasn’t been hanging around in your fridge. Your fridge will probably smell better too.

There are quite a few options for storing cheese if you would prefer to not use plastic wrap. Formaticum is a great US company that makes really easy to use cheese paper sheets and bags. You can also use parchment paper although it won’t breath the same as the cheese paper, and some people feel that tin foil is a good option. I’m not sure about that myself, as I’m not sure I like the way tin foil breaks down over time. Basically you want to make sure you put cheese away free of other food crumbs so you don’t speed the growth of mold. Our fridges hold many diverse foods so if you have vegetables in your fridge and they may still have dirt attached to the roots, that dirt can transfer to the cheese if it’s not wrapped properly. If you don’t want to bother with rewrapping the cheese every time you open it, it is a good idea to keep it in a sealable container or zip lock bag.”

Wine and Cheese Pairings is another whole topic. However, you might check out the helpful information at www.winefetch.com/wine-cheese-pairings site that lets you search by either the wine or the cheese you are serving.

Please weigh in about cheeses you are enjoying presently and any other tips you have for us on this broad food and wine matching topic.