As Thanksgiving was just a couple of days ago and holiday parties are finding their way on my calendar, mat er temaet på denne tiden av året (food is the theme at this time of year).  I was fortunate to attend 3 Thanksgiving celebrations on Thursday, 2 of which I consumed full meals at.  Some of the mat we consumed include the following:

kalkun (turkey)

flere typer poteter (several types of potatoes)

grønne bønner (green beans)

brød (bread)

stuffing (translation?)

salat (salad)

gresskar pai (pumpkin pie)

søtpotet pai (sweet potato pie)

Thanksgiving is definitely my favorite helligdag (holiday) of the year because it´s all about god mat og godt selskap (good food and good company).  It´s not a religious hellidag and gaver (gifts) are not typically involved.

As you probably know, Norwegians do not celebrate Thanksgiving.  I simply have mat on the brain right now and so I´ve been searching for Norwegian restaurants to attend in various cities around the country if and when I end up there.  I discovered the Smörgås Chef at Scandinavia House in New York City.  There are 3 locations in NYC:

1) Wall Street

2) Midtown

3) West Village

Both the mat and the atmosfære (atmosphere) look and sound amazing!

Smörgås Chef  “is proud to serve a fresh and unique menu based on the principles of “New Nordic Cuisine,” which is deeply committed to using local, sustainable, and all-natural ingredients. Smorgas owns and operates its own 150-acre farm in the Catskills.”

The 150 acre farm in the Catskills is called Blenheim Hill Farm.  The farm has a 2 acre lake which provides plenty of water for the livestock and also a place to swim on hot summer days.  There is an abundance of lønnetrær (maple trees) from which sirup (syrup) is extracted.

There are kuer (cows), griser (pigs), kyllinger (chickens), and sauer (sheep) and Blenheim Hill.  They roam freely.

Items you will find on the menu include Nordic Chips with caviar dip, Smorgas Sliders, Goat Cheese and beet salad, Aquavit Cured Gravlaks (Aquavit cured salmon), Wild Mushroom Omelette, Herring Quartet, Ham and Jarlsberg Skillet, Duck Leg Confit with Cherries, and for dessert, your options include riskrem (rice cream), raspberry almond cake, and various vafler (waffles) and sorbets.  Special drinks include Norwegian Wood, Viking Burial, Miss Bliss, and many other creatively named and mixed beverages.  There are also a number of Scandinavian beers, various kinds of Aquavit, sodas, and coffee drinks.

I can´t wait to go to one of the 3 locations and enjoy a delicious Norwegian meal in NYC!