NEW YORK and COPENHAGEN by Jack Gingrich 2015Any early Sunday morning flight after Saturday service is a little rough. I got home, packed,

showered and headed out. It always surprises me how many people are at the airport that early in the morning and I had just enough time for a quick snack in the TSA line and to board my flight for New York. The downside of flying east is that you lose three hours; the upside is that you show up just in time for dinner. Some family came into the city so we had some time to catch up over a meal at Sotto Casa, a small place in my sister’s neighborhood that serves really well crafted, wood fired classic Neapolitan pizza.

To start our Danish adventure it seemed fitting to have dinner at Daniel Burns’ Luksus in Williamsburg. I had been trying to get there the last couple times I had been in New York but in hindsight am glad it hadn’t worked out until now, particularly since Luksus had just been awarded it’s first Michelin star in the 2015 guide.

LuksusSnacksRoasted and Dehydrated Beets, Housemade Celery Salt with Garlic/Walnuts ajo BlancoBeef Tartare with Pickled Jalapeno and Black Pepper CrackerSeeded Crisps with Squid and Watermelon Radish Tartare, Lobster and Braised Cabbage, Puree of Roasted Sweet Potato, Fried OysterSourdough with Whipped Yogurt Butter

Bikini Beer, Sour Beer, Evil Twin Brewing, BrooklynDishesRoasted Maitake, Purple Potato and Uni Puree, Dandelion Vinaigrette, Potato Cracker

Orval, Trappist Ale, BelgiumLightly Cured Mackerel, Sunchoke, Sunchoke Puree, Pickled Pearl Onion, Smoked Bluefish Broth

Schlenkerla, Helles style Lager, Northern GermanyRoasted Pork Collar, Salsify, Apple, Chicory

Fresh Corn Meal, Mince Pork, Crème Fresh with Caramelized Whey CheeseHarvest Dance, Wheat Wine, Boulevard Brewing, Kansas City

Sea buckthorn Sorbet, Blood Orange SyrupCarrot Sorbet Marbled with Frozen Yogurt, Tarragon, Cumin Gingersnaps, Sugar Tuille

Prarie Ale, Saison, OklahomaChocolate Chip Cookie, Vanilla Ice Cream, Crunchy Bar

Overall our meal at Luksus was very good and I would eat there again, especially given the value. It’s a beautiful space. You walk back through Torst which has a mix of minimalist, clean lines and organic, wooden communal tables and benches, the effect of which feels very much what I imagined northern Europe to be like. Luksus is separated from Torst by a sliding wooden door and is an intimate space. You can see into the kitchen from any of the 25 seats and after a quick check of dietary restrictions (Luksus only offers a tasting menu and beer or NA pairings) we were off and running. Highlights from a food standpoint were the roasted beets with “ajo blanco”, the mackerel and blue fish broth, and the desserts (as you would expect from a former pastry chef). However, the single most display of craftsmanship was the bread. They do a three-day ferment and it is pleasantly very sour with excellent crumb. The food in general was rich in flavor but light in weight and there seemed to be no fear of bitter flavors, which were not off-putting but rather balancing. That being said there were a few moments when I thought the flavors were discordant and I would have liked the components to be more seamless. There were also some technical flaws, under seasoned vegetables on two courses, over seasoned and very tough pork collar that you wouldn’t expect from someone who was just awarded their first star. I also found the

dishes a bit repetitious, not in flavors, but in technique. There were two purees and a crispy cracker, tuille, or chip on almost every dish, but that’s just me being nitpicky. After dinner we had a lovely chat with Daniel Burns about our impending trip to Copenhagen and he was very nice and had some good suggestions for our trip. He also told us “you won’t have a bad glass of wine anywhere” and this turned out to be true. We would come to find out that the Danes take their wine (and drinking) seriously.

We flew out of Newark the next afternoon, taking off into the setting sun and then in what seemed like a quick flight (only 6 ½ hours) landed in Copenhagen with the rising sun. Copenhagen is an easy city to navigate (for the most part, depending on how much of the excellent wine you have enjoyed) and with a little help from a friendly pedestrian we made it to our flat (really cute, airy, and bright) easily. We had read that the Danes were brusque, businesslike and what may come across as rude was just their being straightforward. As with most sweeping generalizations, this was just not true. It would become a running joke of the trip that if we were a little turned around or lost we would simply have to wait 30 seconds for a

friendly local to offer assistance and point us in the right direction. The Danes are the friendliest and certainly most hospitable culture I have encountered; please ignore the fact that this is a sweeping generalization.

Two flights and eight time zones later, I was sufficiently out of whack and in need of an early morning nap. We slept for a few hours and woke up hungry. Our flat was in Norreport, centrally located in the city, and to get oriented it seemed like the best idea to head to Nyhavn, literally meaning the New Harbor. A popular destination with locals and tourists, Nyhavn is amongst the most photographed areas of Copenhagen and home to a row of cafes. The unseasonable warmth and sunshine followed me from Seattle and we sat in the afternoon sun enjoying pickled, smoked and curried herring, coffee, and funky Danish lager.

We hadn’t made any firm plans for dinner that evening but decided to try for Kadeau. Looking online I had seen that there were reservations available until 9 so we decided to walk over. We arrived at 8:30 to a very quiet, mostly empty dining room and when we inquired about a table the host went to check with the kitchen and returned to tell us that the kitchen was closing. A little disappointed at first, I think this turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened. We then decided to head to Fiskebar, what I had heard was an industry favorite. Upon arrival Fiskebar was full, and lively

with music and conversation, the perfect energy for our first night. We had cocktails and Danish oysters with a lionfish while we waited for a table. And here I started my brief, but passionate, love affair with Danish oysters. They are extremely meaty, sweet, creamier rather than briny and highly prized (over $40 US for 6).

FiskebarSnacksDanish Oysters from LimfjordenArctic Char, rye emulsion, capers, dill, burnt onionScallop, celeriac, lemon, meadLumpfish roe, pumpkin seed, spring onion, buckwheatDishesGrilled Squid, fermented blackberry, black garlic, beet, lardoSeared King Crab, cauliflower, stout, poppy seed

Hake, sunchoke, parsley root, smoked mussel, malt, buttermilk and horseradishPearl barley, tarragon emulsion

Apple, hazelnut, praline, calvadosBeet, milk, white chocolateLicorice, lemon, white chocolate, yogurt

The dishes at Fiskebar were all excellent. A good mix of traditional flavor combinations with some more modern or innovative compilations. The dishes were a little more “complex” or intricate than

what we would encounter at future meals, almost like they were trying just a bit too hard. There wasn’t quite the level of refinement we would experience later. Sarah, our server, was a lot of fun. I think she enjoyed that we had come to Copenhagen primarily to eat and had some good suggestions for us. The informal, relaxed style of service and upbeat atmosphere was a great introduction to the city. I also enjoyed the sound of dripping water echoing off cavern walls that plays in the restrooms.

The following morning we had breakfast at a café around the corner. They served excellent coffee and dark, malty, dense but soft bread, which they spread

with butter and top with cheese. I had it for breakfast every day. That morning/afternoon we took a biking tour of Copenhagen. It was a great way to see the city and some of the more touristy attractions that we might have otherwise skipped. Mike, our quirky tour guide, was passionate about the history of Copenhagen and Denmark and had some interesting insights. For lunch we tried Restaurant Kronborg, a recommendation from Mette, the woman who rented us her flat, for traditional Danish smørrebrød. These were excellent, really simple open-faced sandwiches. We had roast pork with pickled cabbage and onions, shrimp and hard-boiled egg, pickled herring and capers, all served on dense dark bread. We enjoyed some aquavit and ales with lunch (as tradition dictates) and with a quick afternoon nap I was ready for dinner that evening at Restaurant AOC, run by Soren Selin, former sommelier turned chef. I was looking forward to the pairings and wondering if I could tell if the dishes were designed with wines in mind or if the food spoke first. They had also just received their second star and I think those really pushing for something (like a second star) cook some of the best food.

Restaurant AOCSnacksScallop, peas, seaweed, cucumber/compressed cucumber, bee pollenBeef tartar in buckwheat crepe/Beef jerky in chili powderFresh cow cheese, hazelnut oil/Grated cow cheese, grated hazelnut, fried briocheDuck heart with lemon verbena/Parsnip cracker, duck liver mousse, wood sorrel Bundle of fresh herbs tarragon emulsion/Lemon thyme and apple tea

DishesDanish oyster, smoked buttermilk, wild cress

Gruner Veltliner Federspiel “Hinter Der Burg” Weingut Prager, Wachau, Austria 2014Lumpfish roe, langoustine, beet

Riesling Grosses Gewachs Forster Jesuitengarten Weingut Bassermann-Jordan, Pfalz, Germany 2013

Baked onion, elderflower, caviar

"Danish men are men of pork. Tonight my family will come over, we will eat pork, drink beer, and sing songs."

Bourgogne Blanc Pierre-Yves/Colin-Morey, Burgundy, France 2013Turbot, lardo, juniper, turbot roe, turbot bottarga

AEblefino “Wine from apples” Lot 14-03 Frederiksdal, Harpelunde, Lolland, DenmarkPotato, leek, egg yolk, spring truffle

Spatburgunder Grosses Gewachs “Burgel” Weingut Keller, Rheinhessen, Germany 2011Danish beef, sirloin and cheek, consommé, parsley, butter, pea shoots

Cabarnet Sauvignon, Corison, Napa Valley, California 2001Chamomile, honey, almond

Carmes de Rieussec Chateau do Rieussec, Sauternes, France 2011Aronia Berries, sheep yogurt, thyme, caramel popover

Frederiksdals Kirsbaervin Harpelunde, Lolland, Denmark 2012Burned Sunchoke, brown butter, malt

Colheita Port Hutchenson, Porto, Portugal 1995

What an elegant restaurant. The dining room is sparsely decorated and the 50 seats, including private dining room, are spread out under the vaulted ceiling of a cellar in a 17th century mansion. Given the backgrounds of both proprietors, chef/sommelier and sommelier, the scene was quite fitting. We started with snacks and the food matched the ambiance in style. Served in pairs of matching or similar

ingredients the snacks had their own crescendo finishing, however, with the lightest, most refreshing flavors preparing you for the main courses. Duck heart and lemon verbena was probably the most surprising of the bites but what struck me the most while eating these snacks, and something that I would go on to notice the rest of the trip, was that from a technical standpoint there were no missteps. No seasoning issues, no under or overcooking issues, no balance or textural miscues. I started to think that these cooks operated on a different level.

We delved into the main courses with my new best friend the Danish oyster. Alex, our server told us that the average size of the oyster for each dish was 80g! As we moved through the courses the level of refinement and the emphasis of refinement became clear. Two or three components or flavors to each dish max. It was focused and showcased each ingredient and the purpose of each ingredient either, center stage or supporting role, with either being no less important. There was lots of tableside service, which was fun and interactive including a tableside onion presentation. Onions cooked at 80 C for 12 hrs such that they do not caramelize but cook out the harsher, raw allium flavors, and then cut and portioned tableside. I mean, who does table side vegetable preparations? The highlight of the meal for me and contender for best dish of the trip was the turbot. The turbot was wrapped in lardo and roasted in a bundle of juniper, which is brought to the table with a pair of scissors and two small dishes of juniper salt and turbot roe emulsion with turbot bottarga. You cut open the bundle yourself, season with a bit of juniper salt and then use your hands to dip in the emulsion and eat. One of the tastiest and most fun dishes I’ve eaten.

Despite what I had thought might have been the case the menu still seemed food driven. The pairings were excellent. I thought the Spatburgunder (a Pinot Noir clone from Germany) was one of my favorite wines of the evening, although not the best pairing. That goes to Gruner with oysters – deliciously crisp and bright and the perfect weight to match.

The service at AOC was completely on point as well. Alex and Stefan (our somm) read us perfectly and after the first few rounds of snacks adopted a more relaxed and informal approach. They were able to meet our inquisitiveness about the food and wine and in fact the only thing they couldn’t speak to were some of the possibly dubious facts of Danish history and culture we had learned that morning on our bike tour.

It was with some trepidation that we left for Amass for lunch the next morning. We’d had a relatively late night at AOC and to be perfectly honest I just wasn’t that hungry. I told myself I would do the abbreviated tasting menu with the juice pairings. Amass is in a more industrial part of Copenhagen and the space is exactly what you would expect from an L.A. boy. Large, open industrial warehouse feel,

the coat closet is a non-functioning freight elevator. Graffitied walls and Euro and US hip-hop blend with huge windows and fireplaces. You get the sense that Matt Orlando is part of a newer generation of “Danish” chefs making “new Nordic” cuisine a little more accessible. We were the first guests to arrive and

were greeted so warmly. Everyone introduced themselves and we must have been the only three top for lunch service because they knew exactly who we were as soon as we walked in asking how our trips from Seattle and New York were. Kim, who would take care of us all lunch, offered us some sparkling Chenin Blanc to start. Kim also told us that Matt was really excited that we had come, was looking forward to cooking for us and hoped that we would do the full tasting menu. At that point my appetite and excitement returned and my previous declaration of abstinence was cast aside. In hindsight it was a light enough menu that I shouldn’t have worried. AmassPotato chip, lambic, salted cod, burnt lemon

Brutal, Sebastian Dervieux, Anjou 2013Seasame cracker, monkfish liver, black garlic, black trumpet

Isadora Domaine Jolly Ferriol, Roussillon 2012Squid, pickled lardo, sea lettuce, onion

Flora, Michael Gindl, Weinvirtel 2013Egg yolk, fermented grains, green garlic

Savagnin Presse, Etienne Thiebaud, Jura 201117 layer crispy chicken skin cracker, cod roe, winter pickles

Katori 90, Terada Honke, ChibaHot smoked sturgeon, bone marrow, black lime

Winifred, Gut Oggau, Burgendland 2013Chicken, celery, marzipan, elderflower

Solleone, Cascina Grillo, Piedmonte 2011Beets, chocolate, coffee, condensed milkButtermilk ice cream, burnt honey, pickled flowers

Dulce, Esencia Rural, Castilla la Mancha 2012

If the atmosphere of Amass is a little less formal, or serious, the food is anything but. It was innovative, refined, and just downright tasted good. Again, only a few components on each plate, all well thought through. Some of the highlights were the pickled lardo (who thinks to pickle lardo!?), the crispy chicken cracker (where 17 layers of chicken skin are stacked, sous vide, and then crisped so you get this layered, uber-chickeny, crisp the thickness of a Trisket) and the fish chowder-esque hot smoked sturgeon, which played directly to my east coast heart. Matt brought most of our dishes and stopped to chat each time. Before we got into the later courses he took us outside for a look at their ever-expanding garden and new greenhouse. They are employing a vertical growing system

(mostly for greens) that maximizes their greenhouse space and keeps the greens super clean. We talked for a long time about their garden and our farm and I got the sense that Matt more than any other chef I know (Herbfarm chef’s excluded) is really interested in growing his own food. For as focused on seasonal, traditional foods, as the Danes are it seems that the organic, and farm to restaurant connection is a recent trend. We ended up spending almost 5 hours at Amass and the food and overwhelmingly excellent hospitality rank this in my top dining experiences. We took a swing through the kitchen on our way out and given that we had Geranium for dinner that night we declined the sincere invitation to stay for family meal.

We walked back to our flat (most of the way), which was about an hour plus walk. It was absolutely necessary. Our walk took us through the older, waterfront part of Christiana. It was a beautiful walk with a certain aesthetically pleasing haphazardness to the architecture. I was starting to realize the emphasis the Danish place on style and design, a fact that would be driven home in a few short hours when we arrived, after a small navigational error, at Geranium.

GeraniumSnacksCrispy Grains from KornlyMilk, fermented carrot juice/King crab, sea buckthorn oil“Charred Potato”, lightly smoked sheep milk butterPear, pear vinegar, lemon verbenaSunchoke leaf, rye vinegar, walnutDried apple, apple juice, dried flowersBurnt garlic, dried beefCep mushrooms, spring truffle“Seaweed and razor clam”

Terre de Vertus, Larmandier Bernier, Champagne 2009

Dishes“Dillstone” scallops, horseradish, pickled cucumber granita

Riesling Spatlese “Steinlaus”, Stein, Mosel 2012

Bread with emmer and speltIngrid Marie Apple and Chamomile

Grilled Danish oysters from Limfjorden, fermented cabbage, thymeMeursault, Pierre Morey, Burgundy 2009

Brill, smoked lardo, mustard seeds, pickled green berriesLes Vielle Vignes des Blanderies, Mark Angeli, Anjou 2010

Lamb in juniper, celeriac, pickled pineBeaune 1er Cru “Les Reversees” J. Claude Rateau, Burgundy 2009

Wood sorrel, woodruff, white chocolateRiesling Beerenauslese, Georg Forster, Nache 2006

Tree branch, dark beer, prunes, cream with beech woodLa Paille Perdue, Domaine Labet, Jura NV

“The End”, licorice root, dark chocolateBeet root crisp with lignonberry/Onion caramel with plum/Green egg (chocolate) with pine

Geranium is a real restaurant. Its detractors say you will leave hungry, that the food is more art than food, that the presentations are done for visual effect rather than adding to the dish. They are wrong. Geranium is the perfect amalgamation of flawless technique, excellent flavor, and Danish sensibilities of style and design. We arrived in the gorgeous dining room (clean lines, modern, minimalist, but not cold) and were shown to our table right in front of the kitchen. Soren Ledet, one of the co-owners came over

and introduced himself and told us that Matt had called over and let him know that we were coming; yet another affirmation of the wonderful hospitality we received everywhere. The snacks started coming, brought out by many different members of the kitchen staff, all strictly overseen by Soren. The best single bite I had the entire trip was the charred potato with smoked sheep butter. They are brought separately and when you place the slightly charry, roasty potato on the butter it starts to melt and you end up with this warm, two creamy textures and a slightly smoky finish. The second to last snack is served in the kitchen. It’s a fun little interlude, the kitchen is immaculate, running at a feverishly, controlled pitch. You share a table in the kitchen with Rasmus Kofoed’s bronze, silver, and gold

Bocuse trophies. The main dishes were all stunning, highlights being the “dillstones” and, shocker, the Danish oysters. The oysters were actually not part of the offered tasting menu, but Soren asked them to be served to us when he heard from Matt Orlando how much we had been enjoying the Danish oysters throughout our trip. Again, I was blown away by the hospitality. Soren was everywhere in the dining room, he is true master of details, almost a bit intimidating at first. The level of professionalism in the kitchen is evident as is the level of perfection. Three times I saw a cook bring something to the pass and the sous-chef (Rasmus wasn’t there that night) send them back to redo.

The wood sorrel, woodruff and white chocolate is up there with Extabarri’s baked milk ice cream as my top desserts of all time.

After dinner we were treated to a tour of the kitchen and private dining spaces by Albert Mayr, another former Californian and el Celler de Con Roca alum. I think I’m still trying to wrap my brain around everything I experienced at Geranium but can say from a technical standpoint that our experience, on all fronts, was perfect.

The next day was our last in Copenhagen and we spent it hitting some of the touristy things we had missed thus far in our grand culinary tour. We visited Rosenborg Slot (Castle), the astronomy tower

of Copenhagen University, and Copenhagen’s favorite street food, the pølse (hotdog). At the recommendation of some of the Amass and Geranium crew we went to Bæst for dinner. Bæst serves charcuterie from Danish pigs (Durocs as we would come to find out) and cows, wood fired pizzas made from Danish wheat and house made cows milk cheeses. These guys were working through 2 whole pigs a week and 100L of milk a day. It was so satisfying. Definitely a contrast to the meals of the last several days but also another little glimpse into the “younger” generation of Danish cooks. I was really blown away by my trip Copenhagen and am anxious to return. The city is fun and exciting,

the people are friendly and the culinary experiences were exceptional. I found most interesting the blend of traditional values, innovation, modern design, and a level of refinement approaching that of the Japanese. It doesn’t surprise me that cooks from all over the world are flocking there. The mentality and approach to cooking and hospitality in general (and the interaction of the two) is on another level and inspiring. As always, the returning flights were much longer.