mealtime in europe.

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Despite being sick and delirious and mostly not hungry while I was in Stockholm and London, I was determined to eat well.  And, other than a very ill-advised decision to order fish and chips at an “English” “pub” near where I was staying on my first night in Stockholm, and the ramen I ate in the apartment every morning while jetlagged and underslept, just about every meal I had in Sweden was pretty spectacular.  There was a lot of fish (yes!) and a lot cream (cringe) and A LOT of dill (an herb I’m not particularly fond of), and yet I found myself ordering creamy, dilly seafood everywhere I went.  And it was all excellent.  Even the cafeteria-style meal I had at the Moderna Museet was delicious. 

Of those meals, my favorite was probably at Lisa Elmqvist at the Ostermalms Saluhall, a great food hall full of just about everything you could imagine.  The restaurant was tucked away in a corner, and I went there one afternoon for a late lunch at the bar.   Just a simple meal of gravlax and a glass of the Gruner Veltliner (see the very first picture in the post), and yet incredibly satisfying, a brief respite from feeling unwell and congested.  My second favorite meal: the meatballs at Pelikan (pictured above), a must if you’re a carnivore and want to experience some classic Swedish fare. 

By the time I got to London, I was feeling considerably better, or at least hungrier, so I took advantage of that and went to St John Bread & Wine one afternoon, and then to the restaurant at the newish St. John Hotel for lunch another day.  So good!  A nettle soup with hazelnuts and backfat was soothing and decadent, all at once.  Duck egg on black pudding!  Pork rinds!  Squid and artichoke hearts! Bacon and baked beans!  Man oh man, was it satisfying. 

Balancing out those insane meals were differently amazing vegan meals with my London hosts, Lupe and Al, who made a great cauliflower curry and dal one night, so much food that we had leftovers for lunch the following afternoon.   On another night, they took me out for completely wonderful south Indian food at Diwana.  We feasted on various fried appetizers and then demolished our dosas with reckless abandon.  So, so good. 

Long story short: me, sick?  Looking back at these photos, I wonder how that was even remotely possible. 
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