Posted by Mr. Meatball August 16th, 2007
You might think that I’m all about fancy expensive food. But think again. I love fast food. As long as it’s properly done and made out of fresh raw materials.
So what is typical Swedish fast food? Well, it’s almost the same as in the rest of Western Europe. That will be hamburgers, kebab, hot dogs etc. But Sweden also offers some unique fast food. After been walking Götgatsbacken, Södermalm up and down, overdrawing your credit card in all the cool boutiques you should make a stop at Slussens Torg and eat fried herring with mashed potatoes and lingonberry preserve for a cheap amount. It’s a true classic and absolutely superb! If you’ve been shopping around Åhlens or PUB you might end up at Hötorget where you can buy some fresh fruit at the crazy fruit market for a “special price especially for you”. After that you should try Kungsgrillen. They are specialists in any kind of traditional Swedish fastfood such as meatballs (Yihoo!) with mashed potatoes, fried herring etc. (And make sure to be real hungry because the portions are measured to please bodybuilders.) Or go down in Hötorgshallen and eat really nice and price worthy fast food mainly from the Middle Eastern region. If you would like to go for a safe card, that will be hamburgers, you should try MAX (Vasagatan or Norrmalmstorg). Heading from the north of Sweden, Stockholm wasn’t blessed with this burger until mid 90’s. Their trademark is “our burgers are always prepared to order” which make them extra juicy and better tasting. If you ask me, this is the best flat meatball you can eat in Sweden.
Your favourite meatball
Mr Meatball
Eating, Slussen, Fast Food, Heering, Meatballs, Max and Hötorget
b a n n e r
Posted by Mr. Meatball August 9th, 2007
I’m back, and I’m still dressed up like a meatball! In fact, I now feel so comfortable in my outfit, I’m a little uncertain whether I actually make any impression when I go out in town. That’s why I decided to go a little further the last time I went out for a bite!
I decided to go to a restaurant called Landet, not only because the name actually means “The Country”, but also because it lies a safe 5 minute underground ride outside the central parts of Stockholm. The area of Telefonplan is most likely named so because of the old telephone factory that was built there. Today this 20,000 square metre building is the home of approximately a thousand talented students who study at Konstfack, Stockholm’s very own University College of arts, craft and design. Opposite the school lies Landet. A safe haven outside of town for gastronomic gurus like myself. I wasted no time and took a table by the window. The lovely looking outside serving was unfortunately already seated. I enjoyed a great dinner, with their special summer menu offering me the likes of an Atlantic Halibut starter, a honey-glazed file of pork chop as a main course, and a scrumptious dessert that reminded me of rhubarb crumble. Which just happens to be my favourite dessert, all categories.
Here’s to you,
Mr Meatball
Eating, Landet and Telefonplan
Posted by Puffy August 7th, 2007
What an adventure I have been on this time! I decided to travel a little further than usual, and eventually ended up on the beautiful island of Oaxen, in the midst of the inlet that leads towards Södertälje. The closest city to Stockholm in the south.
Now, the island of Oaxen itself is strikingly beautiful like most of the archipelagic islands in and around Stockholm. What sets Oaxen apart from the rest is without a doubt the incredible restaurant that one can find here. This rather upscale place was opened in 1994, and has actually been awarded for being the best restaurant in all of Sweden for the past three years! An international magazine recently placed Restaurant Oaxen at nr. 39 on a list of the world’s 50 best restaurants. With that said, I take it it comes without saying that the food is good. Seeing as I rarely set my foot, I mean, lay anchor… inside these places very often, I can only really recommend that one goes ahead with trying the tasting menu. The most expensive choice by far, but at least you won’t have missed out on anything. Another thing not to miss out on, except if you go there by boat yourself, is the accommodation available on board the M/S Stjernorp. Originally a steamboat built in 1870, the ship today serves as a hotel, rocking all the full-up guests to sleep.
What are you waiting for?
Puff Puffy
Eating, Archipelago and Oaxen
Posted by Mr. Meatball July 25th, 2007
There’s one thing that more than anything else (to me anyway) signifies summertime in Sweden. It’s the smell of grills. You see, whenever the weather permits - everyone who owns a grill will be outdoors preparing a scrumptious meal.
Should you not own a grill, or for some reason forgot to bring it on your vacation to Stockholm - fear not! There’s a terrific alternative right here in the heart of central downtown. On Drottninggatan lies the immaculate dream for anyone who savours meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, and anything else grill-able. The name of the place is naturally Grill. Here you’ll not only find similar grill-loving friends of mine, but also an interesting mix of mingling bar guests. The place is well-decorated and bears a striking resemblance to a furniture store. Incidentally, the space was previously inhabited by a furniture store. Maybe they just bought the interior off them, what do I know? What I do know however is what to order! The food is inspired from all corners of the world, so there’s something great to discover for everyone. Being a meatball I can seldom stay away from the lamb kebab, but the “Mexican Fiesta” is another dear favourite of mine. Unfortunately they don’t grill the desserts, but the Kiwi Carrot-cake probably tastes better they way they serve it. Make sure to eat here!
Feeling stuffed,
Mr Meatball
Eating, Drottninggatan and Grill
Posted by Mr. Meatball July 6th, 2007
I might be dressed up in a Meatball outfit, and that does contain its oddities. But when it comes to getting around the narrow old alleys of Stockholm’s Old Town you can trust me, there’s no quicker way!
Not that this beautiful old part of town is one to hurry through however. Around every little corner one can find the most intriguing part of history, a store, or a restaurant that serves food worthy of the buildings in which they reside. One of the finer in this category would have to be Gyldene Freden. (The golden peace) This restaurant more or less looks exactly the same way it did when it opened in 1722. Throughout the years several famous people have dined here on a regular basis, including the painter Anders Zorn who one evening even bought the place, thus saving it from bankruptcy. Today the restaurant is thriving and they serve a mean plate of meatballs. I had my sight set for something different so I decided to head on over to Pontus by the sea. This rather fashionable restaurant lies by the seaside front of the Old Town, and allows you to enter the magical world of a proper French brasserie right in the heart of the city. They also have fresh seafood on a daily basis, and that’s what watered my mouth this time.
Your favourite meatball,
Mr Meatball
Life, Eating, Old Town, Gyldene Freden and Pontus By The Sea
Posted by Puffy July 4th, 2007
Hey everyone! Puffy the steamboat from Stockholm the Musical is back! I am utterly refreshed I tell you. Not only does a day out at sea do your soul good, it works magic what with all the sunshine and fresh air. Shame my suit doesn’t allow for a nice tan.
Lately I have ventured around the proximity of the central parts of town. Safe and sound upon the sea that is. The other day I enjoyed a nice ride up along the northeast coastline, passing
Djurgården, then under the bridge by
Lidingö, before going slightly inwards west - and eventually ending up at the beautiful scenery of
Bockholmen. Here I lay anchor and sat down in the nice sunshine, before ordering a man-sized brunch. I occasionally dream of these culinary encounters I must confess, and this was right up there on the seven seas. With no time to waste, I got back out on the open sea and headed back south. Passing by all the other sailors and performing the customary wave that we acknowledge each other with I in due course found myself on the southern coastline of the Stockholm inlet. Feeling strangely famished I decided to sit down at the lovely
Restaurant J by Nacka Strand. This place calls itself the Newport of Stockholm, so I decided on fish. The lightly grilled char served with new potato salad, green asparagus, radishes and parmesan cheese was simply put: amazing.
I hope I don’t eat until we meet again,
Puffy
Eating, Archipelago, Djurgården, Bockholmen and Restaurant J
Posted by Mr. Meatball June 12th, 2007
Although the result of imagination appears to have fallen short when it comes to the name, the restaurant Restaurangen (The Restaurant in Swedish) have done everything right when it comes to welcoming a man in a meatball suit.
This place is located in a very central part of town, on Oxtorgsgatan. The concept is simple, but leaves visitors with an incredibly difficult task. All dishes are served as smaller appetisers, prompting a selection of many goodies instead of having to settle for only a few. The menu is printed on paper and by using a pen you simply proceed to circle all the dishes you would like to have. All the meals are named after ingredients, further hinting the flavour-sensation that you are invited to explore. The excellent selection of wine is also selected using the pen and served according to your request. Seeing as I was as hungry as I always am, I went for the full fandango and had a 7-course meal. My selections included a delicious gazpacho, crispy thai pork, a mixed grill, an amazing foie gras, a well seasoned clam chowder, and a tiramisu from heaven. I like to think that a man that carries the burden of a meatball suit is well worth his dessert on any day. Do I even need to mention that I rolled out of the place when I was done? Yummy!
Eating is living,
Mr Meatball
Eating and Restaurangen
Posted by Mr. Meatball May 31st, 2007
I may be a meatball most of the time, but last night a certain flavour almost resulted in an uncontrollable urge to switch costume and become a fish. Only almost, mind you. As the saying goes: once a meatball, always a meatball.
Being a big fan of hotels, mainly for dining but occasionally falling asleep too, I finally managed to roll myself over to Stockholm Fisk. This seafood restaurant is situated on the ground floor of the Radisson SAS hotel right in the central parts of town. Dizzy from the lively view of people passing by outside on Vasagatan, I felt a bit crazy and started with the anchovy cheesecake with salmon roe and pickled red onions. Can you sense a theme there? Fried herring with potato puree & browned butter became my main course. And yes, it was a close call for my costume to be thrown away in favour for something a bit more fishy. It was delicious, can’t think of a better way to put it! Great service and amazingly fancy restrooms, too. What more can a meatball ask for? Lingonberries? Naah.
/Mr M
Eating and Stockholm Fisk
Posted by Sven May 25th, 2007
I have to tell you about last night! I went on a real blind date! Who would have thought I was one of those online-daters! Most people in my lovely city spend a lot of time online so I figured I might as well give it a go….
So last night, I finally met this underwear model named Bengt that I’ve been chatting with on this underwear model online website. I took him to the restaurant Ciao Ciao at Odenplan. We had some lovely pasta pesto that I accidentally spilled all over my white shirt. Cringe! Had to run to the bathroom and spend the rest of the evening drying up into some light-green shade. Other than that, it was fun! Bengt had seen me in the musical and was very interested in my Stockholm expertise. I really wanted to head on over to Olssons Video after dinner, a nice yet fairly fancy bar, but Bengt excused himself early on to babysit. As the saying goes, there are more fish in the sea, so I went to Olssons on my own! Sipped some red wine in the bar and met up with some friends, what lovely mid-week fun! As for my lessons in Swedish Culture, I suppose I found out the hard way why not to eat pasta on a first date, but I take it that’s a global rule!
Always jolly! /Sven
Eating, Dating, Ciao Ciao and Olssons Video
Posted by Sven May 9th, 2007
Well hello there! Pardon my absence, when life’s a party you have to dance, and there’s not much time for blogging you know! I have however had my share of wining and dining.
The other day I treated myself to a traditional Biff Rydberg at the reliable restaurant Tranan by Odenplan. I know what you’re all thinking, a biff WHAT!? Well, hang on a second and let me present to you Swedish food culture lesson 1: Biff Rydberg! It is basically chopped potatoes and beef, in perfectly fine cubes, mixed together perfectly and then topped off with an egg. Sometimes less is more, and there is no place like Tranan to get this incredible Swedish dish served perfect! Well worth a visit, so head on over! As spring has hit us big time here in our lovely city, I strolled home after dinner in the lovely sun with some classic tunes on my iPod. There’s simply no better place than Stockholm this time a year! Stay tuned for my next lesson in Swedish culture!
Until we meet again /Sven
Life, Eating and Tranan
