Three Things I love about Matbaren

Mathias Dahlgren is one of the most well known chefs in Sweden. I like that he is on top of the food trends and always willing to take some risks and renew himself. When I moved to the city, he had two restaurants: Matbaren (one star) and Matsalen (two stars). They were located next to each other on Standvägen, in the same building as the famous Grand Hotel. Since 2013, the year I moved to Sweden, Dahlgren has opened an awesome all rhye bakery, Green Rabbit; and closed down his two star establishment to open a vegeratian restauran, Rutabaga. Matbaren is a relaxed restaurant, with well prepared mid-size dishes and an awesome wine-list. And I have a special liking to the place as M took me there for my 30th birthday, which was also one of our first dates. One might even say that Matbaren is where I started my journey towards being a foodie. 

Perhaps the Best Wine Bar in Copenhagen

It is a warm and sunny August afternoon an I am strolling down towards the canals in central Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark. I am not wandering aimlessly. I have a destination. It is Ved Stranden 10, perhaps the best wine bar I know. At least the best wine bar I know in Copenhagen. Ved Stranden is also a wine shop, so if you like what you drink, you can buy a bottle to take home. I wish this kind of concept was possible in Sweden.

The Seven Varieties of Laherte Frères

It is a calm and humid morning in Champagne as we climb into a car taking us to Chavot. We have a booked tour and tasting at Laherte Frères, one of my favorite grower producers in Champagne. I say favorite so often, that what is special about this one? In addition to having some excellent entry level champagnes, Laherte Frères has a fairly rare cuvée in their selection, Les 7. It is a blend of all seven grapes allowed to be used for champagne.

Grape Love: Pinot Meunier, the Challenger in Champagne

Today I thought I would write about a relationship that has been developing for some time now: my growing love for the least known of the three main grape varietals used for Champagne, Pinot Meunier. We all know Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but Meunier as a grape is often left in the shadows. It has perhaps traditionally been considered more as a “filler” instead of the leading grape. However, Meunier can produce a charismatic and an absolutely wonderful champagne just o its own.