Garrett Popcorn, Chicago

A few days after I arrived in Chicago I realised something was amiss. People seemed to be eating something from the same patterned brown paper bags. It was subtle initially; I barely noticed the first person, who was nonchalantly waiting at the bus stop, bag in hand, munching. But sure enough, the more I paid attention, the more people I would see snacking on what I could now clearly see was popcorn. I was intrigued - was this some mysterious brown paper bag-popcorn chomping cult?

A simple web search would reveal that the popcorn (and bags) originate from a place called Garrett Popcorn. I've never really given popcorn much thought before this, but for a shop to specialise solely in popcorn you'd expect it to be pretty special, and indeed it is. The history of Garrett goes back to 1949 when the first store opened in Chicago's Loop. Today Garrett has nine shops across Chicago and one in New York. I paid a visit to my closest branch just off North Michigan Avenue, and from about a block away I could start to smell the sweet, buttery smell of freshly popped popcorn wafting through the breeze. Upon arrival I was greeted by a queue that looped twice inside the shop and stretched for a good 15 yards in the tropical summer heat outside.

Garrett's "Chicago Mix" Popcorn

I hate queues. I mean I really, really hate waiting. But such was my curiosity that I battled it out to place my order at the counter inside some half an hour later. Garrett's popcorn is air-popped in small batches in each shop; no oils or fats are used in the popping process at all, and they even grow their own corn. The end result is large, perfectly cooked popcorn that is crisp and light, with none of those annoying unpopped kernels that wreak havoc on your fillings. This popcorn is then served plain or blended with natural flavourings, whose ingredients are, as ever, a closely guarded secret. In total Garrett offers four varieties of popcorn: plain, buttery, caramel (with cashews, macadamias, or pecans), and cheese. I opted for their bestselling "Chicago Mix" (apparently a favourite of Oprah), which is a blend of the cheese and caramel flavoured popcorns.

The flavours were amazing, and it was as addictive as crack. Hands down the best popcorn I have tasted, but I suspected it would be before I even took one bite. The cheese popcorn is made using fresh melted cheddar that lends it a quite a sharp bite. It was a world away from the powdered cheesiness of, say, Cheetos or Wotsits. Meanwhile the caramel popcorn was encased in a gossamer thin layer of sugar that had a smooth, buttery taste - a bit like the topping of a crème brûlée. I couldn't wait to bring it back to my hotel and it was wonderful to eat the warm popcorn straight from the bag. I'm not convinced that mixing these two popcorn flavours together works though; I would have preferred to have them separately. Also, mistakenly, I had bought a large bag that Mrs. Nibbler and I weren't able to finish, and by the next day it had lost its freshness and bounce, entailing another trip to Garrett for another crispy, cheesy hit. But if popcorn is your thing (or even if it isn't) then a trip to Garrett is a fantastic and delicious cure for a sudden attack of the munchies.

Garrett Popcorn
625 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
USA

Topolobampo, Chicago - Restaurant Review

I find it difficult to get excited about Mexican food. My experiences to date have led me to believe that it's the jackhammer of world cuisines. BANG, there are the onions, BOOM, there's some cumin, BOSH, there's the chilli kick. All big tastes and no subtlety, right? Rice, beans, corn and more beans, a sure-fire way to gastrointestinal distress. Admittedly, my experiences of Mexican food have occurred mainly in Europe, which can hardly lay claim to being the epicentre of Mexican cooking - for many on this side of the pond a Mexican meal consists of an Old El Paso taco kit and maybe some mashed avocados (I still have nightmares about a hastily consumed burrito at the now defunct Earl's Court Taco Bell in London). I suspect that this sort of 'Mexican' food is as unrecognisable to a Mexican as General Tso's chicken would be to a Chinese person. But surely there is more to Mexican food than this Tex-Mex rubbish? After all Mexico has a rich culinary tradition dating back over 21,000 years.

So when I found myself in Chicago recently, I jumped at the chance to have lunch at Rick Bayless's Topolobampo restaurant, which is billed as a 'fine dining' Mexican restaurant. I wanted to find out if my preconceived notions of Mexican food were indeed accurate and whether this cuisine could possess a refinement I had not yet encountered.

Before coming to Chicago I had vaguely heard of Bayless when his name was mentioned as a possible candidate for Executive Chef at The White House. I later found out that Rick Bayless is a legend in his own right and is possibly the greatest champion of authentic Mexican food in the US. His first restaurant, Frontera Grill, opened in Chicago in 1987 and is designed as a casual Mexican eatery. Topolobampo opened on the same site (they share the same front door and bar) two years later and was one of the first to offer high-end Mexican food in the US. Since then the Bayless empire has grown and now includes four restaurants (with two more set to open at O'Hare airport), book deals, TV shows and even his own line of branded food products.

Although located at the same site of the informal Frontera Grill restaurant, Topolobampo retains its own, more upscale style and feels distinctly separate from its next door sibling. The dining room is coloured in bold hues of red and gold, and even though we were here at lunchtime the lighting was subdued and the atmosphere intimate, although it was somewhat spoiled by the slightly cheesy fiesta-style music playing over the sound system.

We were given menus to peruse, accompanied by large glasses of ice water and some guacamole with tortilla chips. The chips were light and very moreish, and the guacamole was fresh with a pleasant, grassy perfume, although I felt it needed the addition of a bit more chilli and maybe some lime (ironic given how I've just complained about Mexican food being all about big flavours). We skipped the margaritas made table-side and opted instead for a watermelon and lime drink which was too sweet for me.

Guacamole and tortilla chips

For starters, Mrs. Nibbler had Coctel de Atún Tropical, which consisted of cubes of tuna sashimi, an avocado and tomatillo guacamole, and a mango and grapefruit salsa. I had to fight to get a bite of this as it was simply divine, bursting with fresh flavours. No single ingredient dominated this dish; it was perfectly balanced and very good indeed.

Coctel de Atún Tropical

I opted to start with Lake Okeechobee frog legs which came with a guajillo chilli-infused polenta-style tamale, shredded snap peas, microgreens, potato crisp and a chipotle-black bean sauce. This was nicely presented and looked very delicate and refined on the plate. The frogs' legs were perfectly cooked, succulent without being too watery. The tamale was soft and creamy with a pleasant, mild chilli bite and the sauce had a deep, smoky flavour to it. The microgreens were peppery and intensely flavoured. This was quite an unusual combination of flavours for me but I really liked this dish and felt it worked well. It was delicious.

Lake Okeechobee frog legs

For her main course, Mrs. Nibbler had Camarones al Mojo "Blanco y Negro", which sounds like something Austin Powers would eat and makes me chuckle childishly every time I say it ("you stole my mojo!"). This course was comprised of grilled gulf shrimp with a black and white mojo of black garlic, white garlic, olive oil, chipotle, and lime. This was served with Swiss chard, puffed quinoa and chives and was to be eaten wrapped in warm corn tortillas. Surprisingly, although not written on the menu nor mentioned by the waiter, this dish also came with grilled scallops. Now I love bivalves, but sadly Mrs. Nibbler doesn't and I'm guessing she wouldn't have ordered this dish if she knew it would feature them so heavily. However, this was actually a good thing for me as it meant I could indulge too. This was a pleasant enough dish but it was nothing special; it just felt too heavy, the presentation was poor, and the mojo tended to overwhelm all other flavours.

Camarones al Mojo "Blanco y Negro"

For my main course I had braised pork shoulder and belly with a blue corn pipián sauce (a sauce based on toasted pumpkin seeds) made with ancho and pasilla chillies. This was served with a white corn purée, black beans, avocado leaves, garlicky braised quelites (a spinach-like leaf), charred baby Iroquois white corn and sweet corn 'air'. I didn't really enjoy this dish at all, it just seemed so busy. The pork was overcooked, and I didn't care for the rough, dry texture of the corn purée. The sweet corn 'air' seemed pretentious, which would be forgivable if it had actually tasted of something. One redeeming factor was the charred baby Iroquois corn from Spence Farm, about 100 miles south of Chicago. This was wonderfully sweet, crisp and juicy. I could have munched on just a bowl of them all day.

Puerco en Pipián de Maiz Azul

On to dessert. At the waiter's recommendation we opted for the chocolate tart, but as we were getting full we decided to share it. Bad idea, as again Mrs. Nibbler and I had to fight over it. It was sensational. Luxurious, silky-smooth, dark Mexican chocolate sat atop a thin layer of soft, gooey cajeta (goat milk caramel). This ensemble was lightly sprinkled with flakes of salt and encased in crumbly pastry. Accompanying this was a scoop of goat cheese ice cream, toasted marshmallows, and graham cracker 'gravel'. Again a menu substitution we were not informed about, but this time it was a minor one as the tart came with plump blackberries instead of the advertised strawberries. The blend of flavours here was just amazing; the richness of the chocolate was nicely cut by the fresh saltiness of the goat cheese ice cream while the cajeta and marshmallows provided delicious bursts of sweetness. Who knew chocolate and goat cheese would go so well together! I finished with some excellent Intelligentsia Black Cat espresso, while Mrs. Nibbler enjoyed a rather decadent chocolate cappuccino made with Oaxacan chocolate.

Topolobampo dessert menu

Tartaleta de Chocolate con Cajeta

Lunch at Topolobampo certainly changed my perceptions of Mexican food. I was impressed by the depth of flavours achieved. The sauces in particular tasted complex, and were overlaid with a multitude of subtle tastes. The main courses were a disappointment though and were just not good enough to be called 'fine-dining' food. The starters and dessert showed some flashes of brilliance but I'd like to go back and try some other main courses before passing final judgement. So is Mexican haute cuisine possible? Based on my lunch at Topolobampo I would say that the jury's still out, but I look forward to learning more about this region's fascinating fare.

(Update 16.11.2010: Topolobampo was awarded a star in Michelin's inaugural guide to Chicago).

Food:         7 / 10

Service:      6 / 10

Ambiance:  7 / 10

Topolobampo

445 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60654

Tel: +1 312-661-1434

Five Guys, Chicago - Restaurant Review

Great food always needs a sense of location. Bouillabaisse in Marseille, sushi in Tokyo, and fish & chips by the sea in the UK always have that certain 'je ne sais quoi' that location provides, and they taste all the better for it. America is the birthplace and spiritual home of the burger as we know it today and it has given the world some amazing burger icons; from the burger munching Wimpy in Popeye, to the Big Kahuna burger of Pulp Fiction fame, and of course the ubiquitous golden arches.

Hubert Keller's book, 'Burger Bar', examines the burger's place in America, and in it Keller paints a wonderfully evocative image of the burger:

“Built to satisfy large hungers - for juice-dripping-down-the-chin deliciousness, for the sound of fat sizzling and jumping as it hits hot coals, for Meat spelled with a capital M, for adventure embodied in glossy, grazing cattle guarded by rugged cowboys - burgers occupy a large, vital territory in American food consciousness. Quintessentially democratic, burgers belong to everyone. Biting into a thick, succulent burger, we all feel rich.”

It's almost as though burgers are the very embodiment of the American spirit.

To satisfy my burger craving when I was in Chicago recently, I went to the local Five Guys restaurant near Lincoln Park. Five Guys Burgers and Fries, to give its full name, started out as a family business in 1986 in Arlington, just outside of Washington DC. For the next 15 years DC metro-area residents would be the only ones to experience a Five Guys burgers from one of the company's five restaurants. In 2002 Five Guys started to expand and as of writing there are now 625 Five Guys locations across North America.

Five Guys operates as a fast-food style restaurant, and diners queue up, place their order at the counter and then either eat their food inside or take it away with them. Here the similarities to other large fast food chains ends. Five Guys (and I should also include In-N-Out Burger) has quite simply redefined the concept of fast food. The menu consists of basically three items: burgers, fries and hot dogs.

Everything is fresh at Five Guys. In fact, amazingly, their restaurants boast no freezers whatsoever, and all food is cooked to order. Fries are made from fresh unpeeled potatoes and are cooked in peanut oil. As a little quirky trademark, Five Guys offers complimentary monkey nuts to munch on while waiting.

I opted for a cheeseburger with everything ('all the way' in Five Guys lingo) and fries, washed down with some cold cherry coke. What arrived was a plain brown paper bag containing a dense mass wrapped in unbranded foil accompanied by a paper cup of fries that could feed a family of four. Opening the foil revealed a fantastically decadent treat; two grilled burger patties snuggled in a soft warm sesame bun with slices of melting American cheese, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard and mayo. I later learnt that one of these beauties packs a hefty 840 calories, with 60% of that coming from fat alone, so this is certainly (and literally) not for the weak-hearted. Five Guys also offers a, ahem, 'healthier' option called a 'little burger' which makes the sole concession of including just one burger patty instead of the normal two.

But I'm not here to count calories, I'm here instead to sample the finest cheeseburgers I have ever had. It was truly magnificent - the perfect amalgamation of grilled beef, fat and bread, lubricated by sauce and the freshest of vegetables. The fries were a real revelation too. Fresh from the fryer, hot and crispy, and liberally dosed with salt they were sensational and really tasted of real potatoes.

You can tell by the eccentric customer comments board that Five Guys has a loyal and fanatical following, and I can totally understand why. Five Guys showed me just how fast food should be: simple, fresh and delicious. I can't wait for my next cheeseburger 'all the way' accompanied by a little slice of Americana on the side.

Food:         8 / 10

Service:      7 / 10

Ambiance:  8 / 10

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

2368 N. Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60614

Tel: +1 773-883-8930

(20.Aug.10, PS - Five Guys has now been voted America's best burger in the 2010 Zagat Fast-Survey. This was based on the results of a poll of over 6,500 people. It has ignited quite a debate about the relative merits of Five Guys vs. In-N-Out, and inevitably it seems the East Coast-West Coast rivalry reigns supreme).

Daley Plaza Farmers' Market, Chicago - A Short Photo Essay

Chicagoans are keen enthusiasts of farmers' markets. From the first tentative signs of spring to late autumn Chi-town hosts over 40 different farmers' markets, 20 of which are sponsored by the city itself. In fact during this period there are markets open somewhere in Chicago for five days a week. Farmers come from Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana to sell their produce in various locations across the city.

The Wieners Circle, Chicago - Restaurant Review

In my quest to find the perfect Chicago hot dog, I stumbled upon a little gem that has become one of Chi-town's most (in)famous hot dog stands. The Wieners Circle started up in 1983 and, contrary to the sign above the shop proclaiming it's fame for cheddar-burgers, it is mostly known for it's chargrilled hot dogs (char dogs) and it's cheese-smothered French fries.

I came here at lunchtime and the place wasn't too busy and the staff seemed pretty friendly. On weekend nights though the place undergoes a Jekyll & Hyde-like transformation as it opens until 5am and becomes a favourite haunt for the post-bar/club crowd. The Wieners Circle's notoriety stems from the, er, 'fruity' verbal abuse that is encouraged between staff and the often drunk customers on weekend nights. I understand things can get quite heated, even nasty at times, but mostly it's good sport and staff seem to enjoy working here. I have heard though that ordering a "chocolate milkshake" here is not all it seems - it will cost you $20 and is for the brave and/or foolish only! Check out the restaurant's website (link below) for a glimpse of some of the shenanigans that goes on at The Wiener Circle.

The menu here is very simple. Essentially, hot dogs, burgers and fries. I went for a char dog with all the typical Chicago toppings. This included tomatoes, onions, kosher pickles, fiery hot sport peppers, mustard, a lurid green relish (piccalilli), and a dash of celery salt, all served in a poppy seed bun. It was by far the best hot dog I've had to date in Chicago and I'm struggling to see how it can be bettered. The grilled, naturally cased, beef wiener was so much nicer than the usual steamed or boiled versions and gave such pleasing crunch as you bit into it. The char-grilling imparting a wonderful smokey, slightly bitter taste that only cooking over red hot coals can provide. Next time I come here I'm going to also order the cheddar fries, which is basically a basket of french fries that have been obscenely smothered with a molten 'cheese' sauce.

If you're after a sample of one of the best hot dogs that Chicago has to offer then The Wieners Circle has to be one of the main contenders, preferably after a few beers too many in the small hours of the morning.


Food:          8 / 10
Service:       1 or 10 depending on how you like your verbal abuse
Ambiance:   6 / 10

The Wieners Circle
2622 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
U.S.A.
Tel: +1 773 477 7444



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Portillo's Hot Dogs, Chicago - Restaurant Review

A Chicago-style hot dog is one of the great American culinary institutions. There are some variations but one of these beauties generally involves an all-beef wiener served in a steamed poppy seed bun with a cornucopia of toppings that typically include onion, tomato, kosher pickle, sweet pickle relish (sometimes called piccalilli), sport peppers, and of course mustard (never, ever tomato ketchup - it is considered blasphemous by most Chicagoans). The whole ensemble is now, rather appropriately, said to have been 'dragged through the garden'.

For my first taste of Chicago's finest I headed off to Portillo's Hot Dogs which has become a Chicago legend. In 1963 Dick Portillo opened a lone hot dog stand on North Avenue in Villa Park and gave it the wonderful name of "The Dog House". Over the years the business grew and Portillo's now boasts branches across Chicagoland and even some in Southern California.

Each store has a different theme and reflects a particular period of 20th century American History. The one I went to on West Ontario Street was based on the 30's-40's gangster era. The interior really is one of those you-need-to-see-it-to-believe-it-only-in-America-so-awful-it's-good types. In other words, it was perfect for this sort of food. There is no table service here, Portillo's operates like a fast-food chain. I was there on a Saturday lunchtime and was greeted with a queue that seemed to be about 30 yards long. Luckily, I only waited around 5-10 minutes as the restaurant is phenomenally efficient at churning out food. The restaurant does serve dishes other than hot dogs and there is a separate queue for Portillo's Italian fayre, but given that this was deserted it says all you need to know about why people come here.

I ordered a Jumbo Hot dog with all available toppings and a side of onion rings, to be washed down with a vanilla malt shake. The hot dog arrived with all the aforementioned accoutrements. It wasn't pretty but it was a thing of beauty in my book. The first bite into the hot dog was heavenly. Not to be too poncey about this but the whole combination provided a wonderful contrast of textures, flavours and temperatures. The skin of the hot dog yielded to the teeth with a pleasing 'snap' to reveal dense, salty meat that was juicy without being too greasy with a mild smokey taste. The warm, poppy seed bun was made from heavily refined white flour that is all too comforting when combined with the fat of the hot dog. The tomatoes provided moisture, the kosher pickles a good acidic crunch, and the mustard, onions and relish gave the requisite 'oomph', with the small, hot sport peppers giving an occasional fiery bite. It was magnificent; messy, but magnificent. A real guilty pleasure. The onion rings were good too with a light, crispy coating and were not overly greasy.

If you're ever in Chicago then a trip to Portillo's really is a must. It's a perfect place to sample one of Chicago's legendary dishes.

Food:        7 / 10
Service:     6 / 10
Ambiance: 7 / 10

Portillo's Hot Dogs
100 W. Ontario
Chicago IL 60654
Tel: +1 312-587-8910



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Royal Cafe, Copenhagen - Restaurant Review

Food and china; seems an odd combination doesn't it? No, I'm not referring to the Middle Kingdom, but to Denmark's illustrious maker of all things porcelain, Royal Copenhagen. In 2007, one of the world's oldest china manufacturers got together with some other famous Danish brands and boldly branched out into the restaurant trade. The team tasked to make this happen was Danish businessman, Rud Christiansen and his wife Lo Østergaard, who are the sole owners of this venture. The idea was to create a new, exciting way of promoting these manufacturers and the end result was The Royal Cafe, located in an old building dating to 1616, sandwiched between Royal Copenhagen and Georg Jensen's flagship stores in Copenhagen.

The Royal Cafe is a fantastically quirky place. It feels like the very antithesis to those bland identikit coffee shops that now seem to have infiltrated every corner of the globe. The interior consists of a long room with chandeliers hanging from the crazy wall-papered ceiling, and is adorned with objects ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, in a style the Cafe calls "Funky Baroque". The room is littered with objects from Danish design brands such as Kvadrat, Holmegaard, Bang & Olufsen, and Fritz Hansen among others, with the plates coming from Royal Copenhagen and the cutlery from Georg Jensen. The walls are garishly pink and are graced by some enourmous portraits, a huge circular table and a long dining table dominate the two ends of the room. The overall effect is part Mad Hatter's Tea Party and part Wallpaper* magazine photo shoot.

Of course, we can't forget the food. This being a cafe they serve the usual selection of teas and coffees and also have traditional cakes and pastries. However, the main event here is smørrebrød, which is basically an open-faced sandwich that is a national obsession in Denmark. With such a unique interior you wouldn't expect The Royal Cafe to be serving plain 'ol smørrebrød, and indeed, the cafe has come up with a modern, fresh take on the classic open-faced sandwich. They combine Scandinavian ingredients to create bite sized sandwiches, that they rather ridiculously call "Smushies" - a cross between smørrebrød and sushi.

There is a selection of ten different sandwiches on offer that you can mix and match to suit your taste. I opted to try the "Fishcake with Danish remoulade", "Parisian steak with exciting topping", "Smoked salmon with egg and dill cream", and the "Chicken salad with white asparagus".  Mrs. Nibbler, on account of our forthcoming dinner at Noma that evening (see review here), opted for a lighter dish of fresh tomato soup and bread.

I was hoping for the food to be a little more adventurous. Given that The Royal Cafe bills itself as providing a new take on smørrebrød, the toppings seemed to err on the conservative side. Smoked salmon with egg mayonnaise, chicken salad with bacon, and tomato soup, although tasty, just don't live up to the promise of such a quirkily styled restaurant. The 'exciting' topping that came with the Parisian steak sandwich turned out to be nothing more scintillating than pickles, and as far as I could discern the 'sushi' part of The Royal Cafe's 'smushi' concept refers to the portion size as opposed to the actual ingredients used. The food here is not bad per se, it's just a touch underwhelming.

I don't think I'd come back here for lunch, but if you're after an afternoon pick-me-up of coffee and cakes then The Royal Cafe certainly provides a fun and unusual diversion from the cookie-cutter chains of coffee shops. The interior alone is bound to make you smile.

(Update: In October 2010, Rud and Lo opended their second Royal Cafe in the upscale Ginza area of Tokyo. Judging by the photos, the interior design looks to be every bit as eclectic as the flagship café in Copenhagen).



Food:        6 / 10
Service:     6 / 10
Ambiance: 8 / 10

The Royal Cafe
Amagertorv 6
1160 Copenhagen, Denmark
Tel: +45 33 12 11 22

We're all going on a summer holiday...

... No more working for a week or two. Well, this being Norway it's more like four weeks. Yes, I'm off on my summer hols. The Nibbler family will be in magnificent Chicago so I will not have the chance to blog as often as I'd like.

But fear not, Chicago is a foodie heaven so I'll have lots of good things to explore and write about. So far I have dinner reservations at Alinea, Moto, L2O and Topolobampo. Chicago's very first Michelin Guide comes out later this year so it will be interesting to see how these hotly tipped contenders fare (surely Grant Achatz gets three stars at Alinea?). I also want to check out Chicago junk-food legends such as Hot Doug's, Portillo's, and Lou Malnati's Pizza.

Does anyone have any good Chicago restaurant recommendations they'd like to share?

Meyer´s Deli, Copenhagen - Restaurant Review

It was the morning after the night before. Following on from our stunning dinner at Noma (see review here), Mrs. Nibbler and I decided to ease ourselves into the day with some brunch at Meyer's Deli in the smart Frederiksberg neighbourhood of Copenhagen.

Meyer's Deli is a mix of cafe, restaurant, grocery store, and take-away. It's owned by legendary Danish foodie, Claus Meyer, who also set up Noma and first opened its doors in 2005. There are also Meyer's Delis in the Magasin department store and on Kongens Have, and all three stores have been raging successes since.

Naturally, the food on offer here has a Nordic focus. In addition to providing breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, the deli has its own bakery, sells ready to eat take-away foods such as sandwiches, soups and salads, and also sells ready-to-heat food, such as casseroles and braises that you can take home and warm up. The deli also stocks a wide variety of Meyer's own label and other products such as jams, chutneys, oils, sauces, and pâtés. On weekend mornings the deli serves up brunch, which is what we are here for. For a very reasonable DKK 135 (about £15) you get yoghurt with honey toasted oats; red berry compote; grilled sausage with lovage and homemade ketchup; eggs en cocotte with cheese, spinach and bacon; salami with fennel; small pancakes with hazelnuts; cheese, rhubarb chutney and bread crisps; and a basket of bread with butter and jams. This was all washed down with a delicious frozen smoothie made with Swedish sea-buckthorn, verbena, and oats.

Everything tasted wonderfully fresh. The sausage in particular had a lovely dense, meaty texture and was almost as good as the ones in the UK (I'm on a mission to find the perfect British banger in Scandinavia, but somehow it's not something that's done very well over here). The eggs en cocotte (not pictured) was light, almost soufflé like, but maybe a touch overcooked.

I can be a real coffee bore sometimes. My cappuccino's have to be 'just so'. So it's just as well that the coffee here is great too (in fact coffee is generally fantastic across Copenhagen). Meyer's coffee beans are actually roasted in Valby by the deli's sister company. My coffee came with a nice bit of latte art, which in my experience generally characterises a well-made coffee.

I would like to come back and have dinner here one evening. The dinner menu features smaller dishes of Nordic food such as salted cod, smoked chicken, and Greenland shrimp and looks very promising. But for brunch, Meyer's Deli is a perfectly pleasant place to come for a lazy morning meal in Copenhagen. You can happily sit and linger over a double cappuccino and watch life go by on the pretty, tree-lined Gammel Kongevej.

Food:          6 / 10
Service:       6 / 10
Ambiance:   7 / 10
 

Meyer's Deli

Gammel Kongevej 107

1850 Frederiksberg

Denmark

Tel: +45 33 25 45 95