Cool hotel in Stockholm

Life has been hectic this past week.  I started lecturing an online strategy course using Google+ as the platform.  I decided to make my distance learning class a bit more engaging from what I remembered when I was in undergrad.  So instead of creating the class, handing over the course pack and assignments and say “see you 15 weeks,” I am hosting weekly one hour Google+ Hangout sessions with my students (actually 3x/week) so we mutually get some face time together, and I get some lecture time/discussion time/Q+A time to interact and explain why on earth strategy is an interesting subject to study.  So far so good. We are on to week two and I think this platform will work.  It’s kind of fun having 10 people on a Google+ Hangout.  You still have to prepare a lecture but the delivery is different.  The other fun thing are the effects you can use in a Hangout.  Has anyone tried Hangouts before?

Back to more interesting blog topics: TRAVEL + DESIGN!!

When I visited Stockholm to attend the Meet The Blogger conference earlier this month, I stayed in a really cool hotel in the centre of the city called the Scandic Hotel Grand Central.  There was a very interesting Cordon Bleu shop directly across the street from this hotel.  I stopped in on Sunday and nearly died looking at all the beautiful kitchenware- none of which I bought- I restrained!!  I don’t need another whisk or spatula or baking pan, or gadget. I also saw a stove for 15,000 euro- a stunning piece of work, but slightly (extremely) out of my price range.

The hotel building itself is older but Scandic went through a reno in 2011 and did a wonderful job.  I think my favourite part of the property was the kitchen/dining room/restaurant which is all open concept with interesting industrial design pieces and a bold floral floor tile that pops out at you.  The room I stayed in was a comfortable size. I did not feel like I was in a shoe-box what so ever and I liked the balcony looking into the interior courtyard and all the funky wall “sayings” on each floor.

Photo Source: Scandic Grand Central Hotel

I’ve been meaning to share these hotel photos with you in case you were planning on a trip….

It was on this trip that I discovered Swedish, semla– I am not sure if you happened to catch my post on the Countlan magazine blog about my new semla obsession. Can’t wait for next year!!

Date Night #8 Bistro Boheme (a bust!)

It had to happen sooner or later.  Our seven week, “near perfect” dining streak has come to an end.  Not a bad track record if you think about it.  I had high hopes for this French restaurant, but neither my husband nor I thought it was worthy of a repeat visit, except if you want to grab a drink at their bar and feel part of a lively, energetic environment surrounded by a good looking, well dressed crowd.

Date Night #8 Bistro Boheme, was a bust.  Keeping things local (it’s still cold here!), we walked over to Bistro Boheme, a French brasserie on Esplanaden.

Photo Sources:  2, 3

The restaurant itself is a sight to see and a cool, vibe-y place for a drink.  We arrived at 8pm to a packed, double “decker” restaurant.  Two floors,warm wood, white table clothes, high ceilings, candles with drippy wax, roses in vases, French music, beautifully dressed people, wine chilling in a big silver bucket, hustle, bustle, and buzz.  We were escorted up the stairs to the top floor and sat at a table looking out over the space.  I called it our “balcony seats.”

Issue #1: Throughout the entire meal the service was SLOOOOWWWWW- downfall number one.  We could barely catch the attention of our waiter.  It was busy in Bistro Boheme this particular Friday night, so I understand potentially slower service.  However, when we asked if this level of patronage was an anomaly or normal, he responded -every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, this place is double booked.  So if it is not a once off, don’t you think you would increase the number of staff on the floor?

The second issue was the mediocre tasting food. I’ve dined in various parts of France and while I do not hold a Copenhagen French Brasserie to the same standards of what I’ve tasted, I expect to eat something with a bit more flavour than what I received.  I will praise them on food presentation. I thought the heaping pile of moules (mussels) in a copper pot and frites in a ceramic bowl was neat.  My market catch, fish (the first picture) was described to me by the waiter as a whole sole fish with a root vegetable puree.  Great! What I got was a whole sole, wrapped in philo dough and fried almost like fish and chips.  Below the fish was a leek that was so tough, I needed a steak knife to cut through it.

Our balcony view-

– The moules served in a copper pot.

– The frites. They look better than they taste.

The third aspect which killed the experience for me was the level of music to general talking noise ratio.  I think there was a competition between which could be louder.  I think the music won.  It was near impossible to have a conversation in this space.  I like to feel energy in a restaurant, but I still like to be able to carry on a conversation with someone sitting across the table from me.

You win some, you loose some.  I am happy I tried it. There are a couple more French restaurants that I am going to try.  Maybe Copenhagen is not the place for French food, or maybe Bistro Boheme is not the place for French food.  Check back and I will share my date night, dining experiences with you.

On a separate note, this weekend I am attending a Danish cooking class with Mia of CPHGoodFood.  I thought it would be useful and interesting to learn how to cook some Danish dishes. I am most excited to learn how to bake the addictive and delicious Danish rye bread.  I will post my photos next week.

Wishing you a great weekend.

Bistro Boheme, Esplanaden 8

Date Night #7 (with friends) Restaurant Cofoco

Date Night #7- lucky number seven!

Last Saturday, my husband and I turned date night into double date night with friends at Restaurant Cofoco (part of the Cofoco group).

Before I delve into the meal, I want to mention that I think I am starting to get the hang of New Nordic dining and I haven’t even scratched the surface of options or even attempted to make a reservation (three months out) at Noma!

When I read a menu in this city, I typically choose two or three dishes not really knowing what the dish will look like (dining is always a form of entertainment and an experience), nor what it will taste like (I am often not familiar with all the ingredients in a dish).

All I know, is I have yet to have a bad meal in Copenhagen, the chefs are creative and playful with food, the quality of ingredients is excellent and I am open to trying anything once- minus bugs- I am not ready for bugs yet.

At Restaurant Cofoco, between the four of us, I think we had the entire menu, or just about the entire menu.  The menu contains a mix of smaller dishes and it is recommend you select three or four courses for dinner.

Items tasted:

Appetizers: Salted nuts tossed with dried pimento, beef tartar with cream, sour malt and beetroot and a creamy mussel soup with scallops, drained cottage cheese and chamomile.

Next up a variety of main dishes which included: Chicken nuggets with a coarse grain mustard mayo and asparagus potato fries tossed in onion powder. two people tried the Danish squid with cream cheese and leaks as well as a confit of pork cheeks with warm salad and red sorrel.

Finally dessert– Coconut ice cream with cookies and coconut flakes (amazing!) and a Danish cheese plate with a homemade muesli cracker.

This is quite ironic- for me the stand out dish in the entire meal was the chicken fingers.  How juvenile, right?  These chicken fingers were crispy beyond belief and finished with a beautiful flaked salt.  The flaked salt made the dish.  The chicken meat was tender, not dried out and the grainy mustard mayo dipping sauce and asparagus potato fries offered a tangy and salty complement- simply incredible.  I can’t remember the last time I ate a chicken finger- I must have been in junior high- but these put all previous chicken fingers to shame.  Plus, they were fun to eat.

I hope you can see from the photos that all the food served had a playful element to the presentation.  Tell me, can you identify what is in the pink looking dish above?  That’s the fun. You have a sense of what the ingredients are but have no idea how they will be presented to you.  Dining in Copenhagen is anything but literal

Looking forward to the next restaurant which will be Bistro Boheme (we’re going French).

Restaurant Cofoco – Abel Cathrines Gade 7 Copenhagen

Valentine’s Day: Eat

I am usually in the mood for baking around Valentine’s Day.  Today, I don’t have the urge.  Last year I baked a chocolate beet cake with beet icing around Valentine’s Day which was fun.  The cake was way too large for two people, so we each had a slice and froze the rest.

Seeing how I will not be baking today, I thought I would post some baking inspiration for Valentine’s Day.

Later on, I think I might walk myself over to Agnes Cupcakes or Serenity Cupcakes and see what they have going on for Valentine’s Day.  Both of their cupcakes are always great.

I must say- I thought the figs and cheese picture at the bottom of this post were pretty neat!

Valentine’s Day: Pink

Copenhagen is not as Valentine’sy as some other cities I have visited.  I saw some of the chocolate stores and flower shops getting in on the action but I guess the holiday is not as commercially celebrated here as it is in North America.

As part of my day of pinning photos from Pinterest for Valentine’s Day- here is something pink and a bit non-traditional pour vous.