A Dose of Denmark in New York

When passing through Racine, Wis., on road trips, a favorite stop is the I-90 gas station with the Danish bakery showcasing kringle, the delicious, buttery, flaky, fruit or nut-filled pastry associated with Scandinavia. According to this article, the southern Wisconsin town best known for Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings is also best known as the center of Danish culture in the U.S.

So with sweet kringle on the brain, on a recent New York trip I enthusiastically trekked to TriBeCa to visit a dear friend and and experience a taste of Denmark at Aamanns-Copenhagen, now open at 13 Laight Street, sharing a building with the Tribeca Film Festival office.

From the street, Aamanns beckons with huge black and beige signage highlighting culinary treats. They had me at pork, potatoes and currants.

Inside its glass doors, the restaurant's cozy dining room, white walls and tabletops, light wood fixtures and tea lights were warm and welcoming on a chilly December afternoon (come July the same dining room will feel cool and calming relief from sweltering summer temps).

My friend recommended the house specialty, smørrebrød. That's Danish for open-faced sandwiches, and at Aamanns, each served on rye bread. My first two smørrebrød, from the lunch menu, were the smoked cod and chicken salad. They had me at hazelnuts. My friend enjoyed the gravad laks and panfried white fish, which looked as tasty as my selections; both were filling, popping with spice, and best enjoyed with knife and fork.

The Aamanns menu also tempted with herring, pâté of pork, aquavit (a Danish libation) and smørrebrød of braised duck. I'm not much of a tartare fan, but for those who enjoy their smørrebrød on the raw side, the beef or fresh kale options may entice.

I was so swept up in conversation and savory smørrebrød, I did not notice whether kringle made the menu (it did not, as Aamanns is an authentic Denmark restaurant in the U.S. not a "USA version" of an upscale Denmark restaurant), though looking at the online menu now, Aamanns' fresh Danish cookies, honey cakes and a sweet rice-infused (though not pudding) desserts look to be great treats for my next visit.

Another bonus about Aamanns is their pricing. Whether enjoyed in the dining room or for takeaway, their food is a filling and great value for a Manhattan lunch or dinner. I envision many an Edelman colleague (offices one block north), or film festival patron, enjoying Aamanns for a quick midday bite or an after work/after film treat. It was worth the trek from the Guggenheim, and from Atlanta, to experience Aamanns-Copenhagen, and I hope the folks in Racine will take notice and fly east for a taste of the real deal (rest assured, kringle also remains as real a sweet treat).

Heading to Aamanns, I had no idea that Copenhagen cuisine enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, earning Michelin stars and drawing chefs from around the world. A great New York Times article by Julia Moskin, who also wrote the first (and glowing) review of Aamanns, gave me a better background on the rise of Danish cuisine. I wish this came to my attention when Chicago, Rio, Tokyo and Madrid were duking it out, for the 2016 Olympics hosting duties, at the IOC Session in Denmark in 2009. 

To Aamanns-Copenhagen, skål!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver; Brian Harkin/New York Times; Marta S. McAdams/ms-takes.com/Tribeca Citizen; HonestCooking, Snackish, and via Gloobi

Reflections On Late 2012

With the calendar year winding down, I'm remorseful of the lack of blogging posts since election eve in November. Writing now during a flight from New York to Milwaukee, working to get a few thoughts of recent weeks on paper, err, on screen before the GoGo in-flight access shuts off, or the laptop battery runs out of juice.

Briefly, as a follow up to that election post: Thank God President Obama won re-election! I will remember the glee and relief of dozing off to sleep on election night, with NPR projecting the Obama win on my laptop. I can't imagine the last few weeks without the strong leadership, and it's exciting to anticipate that the new year may bring some meaningful discussion and changes on several fronts for the USA.

Mid-November was a fun blur of work with my 13th consecutive IAAPA Attractions Expo, the global gathering of (client) International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. We enjoyed a busy week with coverage in the Wall Street Journal, Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Business Journal, each of the Orlando TV stations (notably Central Florida News 13 and their series by Scott Fais) and the online versions of NBC News, the LA Times and USA Today.

It was fun also to collaborate on some new business pitches with friends at McRae, and I appreciate the freelance projects requested by the High Museum of Art -- early 2013 brings the arrival of some big exhibitions including Frida & Diego and the works of Georgia artist Gogo Ferguson.

Thanksgiving was fun with family in Oklahoma, and I enjoyed pre-Christmas time in the Milwaukee suburbs with my girlfriend and her family before one of the most relaxing Christmas visits to Oklahoma. It was nice to also celebrate my oldest friend's 40th birthday in Manhattan and his home in Stamford, Conn., these last couple of days, which also afforded time to visit the Whitney Museum of Art and the Guggenheim (stay tuned for reviews of their current exhibitions, and an excellent new Denmark restaurant in TriBeCa, on upcoming blog posts).

Also looking forward to celebrating my mom's 70th birthday in about a week.

This year was HUGE on many personal and professional fronts and it is bittersweet to wrap up 2012. Hope we all enjoy a productive and enriching 2013 from day one to day 365.