The Order:
It’s another one of those places that we always walk by, but never go in. Well, at least for AnnMarie. I’ve actually eaten there before, so when she expressed interest in Smorgas Chef I was sold. The location of this mini-chain of Scandinavian restaurants that’s closest to us is in the lobby of Scandinavia House over on Park Avenue, making it perfect for pick up (and getting a brief glimpse of Nordic culture). I went all traditional with the Swedish Meatball Lunch, while AnnMarie was feeling the desserts, ordering a combo of Riskrem and Waffles. She made me swear not to tell her mother.
The Meal:
You’ve probably tried the Swedish meatballs at IKEA, but these are a little more upscale…and you get a ton of them! They’re tender, they’ve got the graddsas, and they come with a whole heap of sides, including some tasty mashed potatoes and a killer lingonberry sauce (lingonberries always make me think of the nihilists and their pancakes in The Big Lebowski). Overall, the meatballs are a heavy, filling, and excellent lunch.
I didn’t have any room for dessert, but luckily AnnMarie was up to the challenge and had decided to make these desserts her whole lunch. The waffles were positively delicious. Light and airy with a unique texture, they were even better with a touch of the cloudberry preserves on top. Admittedly the riskrem looked strange, but looks can be deceiving, as the combo of rice cream, cherry sauce, and toasted almonds was actually pretty spectacular. With desserts like this, who needs entrees?
Smorgas Chef definitely lived up to its billing and we would certainly order from there again. Scandinavian food ain’t that common on the New York delivery circuit so since this one’s a winner, we recommend that you put that pizza down and give Smorgas Chef a try soon!
FYI – We’re located near Bryant Park in case you want to try Smorgas Chef for yourself or give us recommendations for future orders! Smorgas Chef also has locations in the Financial District, the West Village, and Midtown East.