The final batch of selects from Copenhagen. What started as an event-free morning turned into high drama when I attempted to shoot some pictures inside the hippie/communist walled village of Christiana, a free town that enjoys protected status in Copenhagen. The problem was that people (unbeknownst to me) were partaking in some, um, illegal commerce. My camera was confiscated and the supposed digital evidence was erased, and I went on my way. No harm, no foul I guess.
Some other notes. For a city with no real skyline, Copenhagen is striking. My only gripe would be the weather; we often felt as if we brought the Northwest with us to Denmark … I also enjoy the simplicity of European breakfasts. Eggs, bacon and a few slices of rye bread were filling enough to start the day, or a bowl of strawberries with milk. For most Danes/Swedes, a cup of strong coffee and a sweet roll is all that’s needed.
One small programming note: This summer has moved along much faster than I thought, and there’s a lot of things going on in Seattle right now. Setting aside time to blog has been pretty hard.
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These photos were from our second day in Copenhagen, most of which we spent cycling around the city. I can’t champion enough the ease which you can traverse the cityscape on bicycle in CPH, thanks to protected lanes, traffic lights just for cycles, and trails that weave throughout the city. At just $17 a day, renting a bike is a far more enjoyable option than the metro. Highlights included the Little Mermaid statue, the Danish Jewish Museum, the Royal Palace and the Carlsberg factory, where you can sample a special dark version of the beer not sold in the States.
Eating out in Copenhagen is not cheap, so we cruised over to Kodbyen (literally, the Danish meatpacking district) for pizza. Our ride home was marred by a cloud-bursting rain storm, but we were having so much fun on the trip it hardly seemed to matter.
Copenhagen is a city that prides itself on functionality. A haven for creative design & urban-planning enthusiasts, Copenhagen is a place you visit and wonder, “why can’t all cities act like this.” This is the same thoughts swirling through my head as you ride on its efficient light-rail link from the airport, cruise around the city on its endless array of bike paths or wander the ample green spaces. Copenhagen is always in the cadre of cities listed as “most livable,” and it’s easy to see why.
Everything just … works. Of course, this is all by design and dedicated planning. Copenhagen didn’t just luck into its situation.
Be back soon with more photos (I took way too many). Enjoy.
It was early March. 1 a.m. Seattle time, 10 a.m. Central European time. I was stationed at one computer, with two browser windows open. Jeremy manned the phone, hitting redial repeatedly on a certain number in Copenhagen (our cell phone bill would later reveal the financial cost of his efforts.)
Our goal: secure a reservation at noma, ranked the No. 1 restaurant in the world. No, really. Renowned for its focus on Nordic cuisine sourced from the highest quality ingredients of the region, noma’s culinary cred is only matched by its exclusivity – chef Rene Redzepi’s establishment only seats about 40 people a night. Reservations open three months in advance, and would-be diners slam the online reservation system and phone line with frantic attempts to snag a seat.
Miraculously, after about 20 minutes and numerous browser refreshes, we made it into the reservation system and booked our table for two at 7 p.m. on June 7. After taking care of minor details – you know, booking Icelandair flights and lodging – three months later we found ourselves standing outside the unassuming brick building on a quiet Copenhagen block.
Walking through the Lower East Side of Manhattan, I didn’t think the nostalgia would hit me like it did. I haven’t called NYC home for almost three years now, but spending a warm June afternoon in the city made it seem so … familiar. Everything from the ambient street noise to the sweat box that is the West 4th subway stop brought back memories.
Since we didn’t have a lot of time, we had to crunch a lot of things into a few hours. Lisa and I took a walk through the magnificent High Line urban park, ate lunch at The Meatball Shop in LES, drank too much beer & wine at Marshall Stack and then met good friends for dinner of ramen and pork buns at Momofuku Noodle Bar (well worth the exhaustive hype). We capped the night with “cereal milk” soft serve from the nearby Momofuku Milk Bar, which as you can guess, tasted exactly like the leftover milk after a bowl of Frosted Flakes.
This is all a warm up, of course, to our tour de force vacation through Denmark and Sweden, with a brief stop in Iceland. We’ll be posting photos and details of our trip there when we return.
A diehard baseball fan might scoff at the idea of going to a ballpark for the food. You should go for the love of the game, right? America’s Pastime! Peanuts and cracker jack and dubious hot dogs!
But for long-suffering Mariners fans over the past couple of seasons, the well-cultivated ballpark food (and drink) is a welcome distraction from the gloomy product on the field most games. While I enjoy a street sausage or take-out banh mi as much as anyone, I also like the option of having palatable, reasonably affordable food inside the gates. For the 2010 season, the folks at Safeco Field rolled out options like poutine (we all know how I feel about poutine), a nifty grilled salmon sandwich and a gyro, accompanying the existing standbys like garlic fries and Ichiroll sushi.
This season, they’re upping the ante even further by bringing in big-name chefs Ethan Stowell, Roberto Santibañez and Bill Pustari as part of a complete remodel of the centerfield lower concourse, formerly the “Bullpen Market,” into “The ‘Pen.” Personally I’ve always referred to that outfield plaza/beer garden area as the “Meat Market” because of the rabid singles scene playing out at most weekend games. Now it’s vastly more open, with additions like a firepit and cocktail lounge. The beer stands are stocked with mass-market brews and microbrews – obviously, you HAVE to have beer at the ballgame.
But okay – the food. I was invited, along with some other local food bloggers and media, to a tasting of the new fare. In The ‘Pen, you can get…
New Haven-style pizza made with locally sourced ingredients, cooked in a custom-made oven:
Local grass-fed burgers with fries, plus sausages cooked in beer:
Crepes – sweet and savory:
Tortas (Mexican sandwiches) made with pork, chicken or beef, plus fresh-made guacamole and salsa:
My favorite was definitely the torta. Made to order, it had a soft, fresh-tasting bun, with distinct flavor and spice, including fresh avocado and jalapeños. A lot of times ballpark food is on the bland side, a result of catering to the palate of the masses. This was good enough that I would order it outside of a stadium.
My almost-completely-eaten torta:
The pizza was decent, and at $5 for a big slice, a surprisingly affordable option for a gametime snack. The crepes were fine, although I can’t really see myself ordering a crepe during a game. You could tell the burger was made with quality ingredients, particularly the bun, though again I’m not sure I would opt for a burger at the game in general. Nor would I probably pick regular fries over garlic fries, though the garlic aioli dipping sauce with these was addictive.
Overall I was pleased to see the way the new food options and ‘Pen area reflect a certain facet of the Seattle community and fanbase. Yeah, it’s the snobby, foodie facet, but what’s wrong with that? I’d rather have a local chef like Stowell showcasing his sporty side with a local flair than some generic lackluster patty.
But at the end of my visit, what I was MOST excited about (besides the $5 beer happy hour from 4:30-6 during game days)? The removal of the chain-link fences around the bullpens. Now I could, theoretically, reach out and high-five Felix Hernandez during warmups. Sweet.
This afternoon I was charged with taking the Kennelly family dog for a walk, a job offer I gladly accepted (who turns down walks with golden retrievers?). The trip through the Mt. Baker neighborhood made for an excellent photo-walk, and for the most part Kasey was a willing subject (she was too busy dominating a stick to care about the photographer).
Now that I have garden space, I plan on taking full advantage of it. So I went out this evening and bought some kale, beets, herbs, radishes and carrots from Ravenna Gardens. If nothing else, this should make for interesting blog fodder.
Cherry blossoms are out at the University of Washington. Next sunny day we get here in Seattle I’ll try and snap some pictures.
The final batch of selects from Copenhagen. What started as an event-free morning turned into high drama when I attempted to shoot some pictures inside the hippie/communist walled village of Christiana, a free town that enjoys protected status in Copenhagen. The problem was that people (unbeknownst to me) were partaking in some, um, illegal commerce. My camera was confiscated and the supposed digital evidence was erased, and I went on my way. No harm, no foul I guess.
Lisa
Jeremy
