#kovenhaben

[dhyatt]

Tex-Dan(?) BBQ

15 August 2018, Copenhagen

At the Black Swan tonight (click here for link) I ran into a very interesting couple, Nils and Maryanne, plus Nils’ childhood friend Mark, who all grew up on the island of Bornholm -- a very odd Danish holding in the middle of the Baltic between Sweden and Poland.

I’d read that Danes have a built-in aversion to opening up to strangers, but Maryanne generously invited me to sit with the group. Mark’s English had a very American accent thanks to his family’s background in Alaska and California. Nils had lived in New York for a couple of years, and asked me if I knew of “a barbecue place in Red Hook? called...?”

“Hometown?” “Yes, Hometown.”  Of course!

Nils draws inspiration from Hometown for his current project -- starting a genuine American-style BBQ restaurant in Denmark. His first restaurant (!)

They’ve got a space picked out -- currently a high-end restaurant owned in part by a guy who was bit by a virulent spider in the South Pacific, resulting in his inability to continue to manage the place. (He’ll be busy fighting disease, not fighting crime. Wrong kind of spider.)

They’ve got an industrial smoker being shipped over -- which they ordered shortly before *rump tariffs went into effect, which allowed them to dodge an extra $6000 in import costs.

They’ve got a wait staff - the existing restaurant staff, to be re-trained in the nuances of American BBQ.  They plan on providing table service, not Texas-style trays with meats by weight.

They’ve got a lot of wood to smoke - Scandinavian Oak.  And they’ve got plans to be a bourbon tasting destination.

The menu will feature American-style smoked meats -- but not American sides. No mac & cheese, no collard greens, no cornbread.  (BOO!)  “One thing at a time... we need to ease the Danes into the meat part first.”  Okay, sounds fair.  

Scandinavians famously love smoked meat, smoked fish, etc., but Nils says their palates are all used to “cold smoking” -- exposing the meat to smoke without a lot of heat, typically under 90° F.  (Click here for link about cold smoking.) This Scandinavian style was borne from a need to preserve the meat, not cook it.

Nils has observed Scandinavians going wild for traditional BBQ cuts and entrees like pulled pork -- but without (yet) actual U.S.-style smoke going into the ~200° F cooking process. The bet is that this will be a hit.

The restaurant will be called “Smoke Stack,” located in the town of In Hillerød, an hour bus ride north and west of Copenhagen  Target opening: Feb 1. Good luck to them!

Nils, Mark, and Maryanne are interested in going to the Copenhagen Pride parade on Saturday, so we may see them again.

Meanwhile, the Black Swan is terrific!  I had one American IPA and two Danish IPAs but I don’t remember the breweries, apologies. I’ll likely be back; the Black Swan beer list runs deep.

[dhyatt]

6 September 2018 - Copenhagen

Stopped by "Bip Bip" tonight to see check out a Danish arcade/bar.

Not nearly as overwhelming as Barcade in New York, but very casual and with a lot of remarkable machines. (Frogger, Outrun...)

Pics 5-6) am I in Denmark or Brooklyn?

Pic 8) Young(er) Alec Baldwin, in pinball form.

Pic 9) An operating vintage Commodore 64, I believe?