I had a small butter incident in The Dining Room at the Spritmuseum Stockholm.  When they tried to clear the plate with a small smear of butter remaining, my hand shot out and my finger was in my mouth quick as a wink.  Just writing this, I can feel and taste it on my tongue.

Take a ferry to Djurgarden to visit some of the Museums and include lunch or dinner at the Spritmuseum.

Lunch on a beautiful, late summer afternoon made for a perfect day combined with visits to The Vasa and Abba museums.

The restaurant focuses on local, organic ingredients with a focus on vegetables.

Starting with fresh warm brown bread and hand churned butter.  Yes, thank you, we would like more.

A starter of salted pike and cucumber in elder-flower vinegar, tomato and fig leaf was a bright start.

Fermented corn soup with yeast and nasturtium was a pleasant surprise.  There was a depth of flavor you wouldn’t expect from corn soup.

Grilled beets and chanterelles with onions in a parsley puree was another hit.  The beets sweet contrasted wonderfully with the earthy chanterelles and the onions added a touch of sharpness.

We also got to try Himmelsraften a pressed hard, unpasteurized cow cheese named for a mountain in northern Sweden.  Lovely with some honeycomb on the side.

Buckwheat pancakes (like not pancake I’ve ever seen) with blueberries and cream left us with a sweet ending.

I don’t like buffets and I didn’t like herring but all that changed on a recent trip to Stockholm.

The Verandan restaurant at The Grand Hotel is a bright and cheerful room overlooking the water with equally cheerful people serving and guiding you through the original smorgasbord.  1st up start with a plate of herring some crisp bread and cheese.  I was told that the herring was best with a shot of house made snaps – 1874 Grand Aquavit, flavoured with cumin, anise and fennel and followed with a local lager.  Save room for the salmon, potatoes and meatballs.  Plan to spend some time.  Drink more Aquavit.  You’ll love Stockholm.