Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.01.2015, Blaðsíða 54

FOOD
FOR YOUR MIND BODY AND SOUL
WE DON’T SELL
WHALE MEAT
INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
Restaurants that have this logo promise not to sell
whale meat. We kindly ask you to choose
a whale friendly restaurant and to recommend
others to do the same.
Whaling is cruel and unnecessary
Don’t let your visit to ICELAND
leave a bad taste in your mouth
Choose a whale friendly restaurant
Information about whale friendly restaurants
can be found at www.icewhale.is
2014–2015
INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR
ANIMAL WELFARE
i c ewha l e . i s
A Shit Sandwich Of Gloom
Lorded over by the most bumblingly in-
efficient government in recent memory,
people found it increasingly harder to
feed themselves. For instance: at the start
of 2015, Icelanders saw rising food prices,
along with a tiny drop in the cost of ciga-
rettes and flat-screen TVs. However, the
government does win points for eliminat-
ing that stupid sugar tax, which was meant
to guide the population towards healthier
lifestyles. I celebrated by eating a heaping
bowl of sugar because it was all I had in the
house.
Dairy Behemoth Gets
A Boo-Boo
The Icelandic Competition Authority
fined dairy monopoly Mjólkursamsalan
(MS) 370 million ISK for abusing its domi-
nant market position by selling milk at a
17% higher price to its competitors than
to its own associates. Following the ver-
dict, MS and Iceland’s ruling party have
changed their relationship status to “it’s
complicated,” but we all know they’re to-
tally still into each other.
Douchelords
In October, the owners of Thai restau-
rant Krua Thai purchased the building
at Skólavörðustígur 21. They then an-
nounced that they would not be renewing
the rent agreements with beloved noodle
hut Noodle Station, local design store In-
sula, and tailored shirt store Skyrta. Krua
Thai will be taking over the bottom floor
to offer their selection of pre-cooked sugar
goop, and have voiced plans to turn the
upper floor of the property into a hostel.
Because we really need some more of that.
Still, entrepreneur Jón Ragnars-
son made the most convincing case for
Douchelord Of 2014 by kicking out long-
standing restaurant Caruso and changing
the locks a couple of weeks before Christ-
mas. Prior to this, Jón had instituted the
interesting new system of keeping all of
the restaurant's profits and subtracting
what he thought he had coming to him
before doling out the rest to Caruso’s pro-
prietor, José Garcia. José was less than
pleased with this arrangement, which led
to Jón taking action that was at best primo
douchebaggery and likely in breach of sev-
eral tenants’ rights regulations. Employ-
ees were locked out of the restaurant and
unable to access their properties, and the
kitchen staff had to suffer a spoiling inven-
tory before the authorities finally stepped
in. Beautiful.
Collectives & Pop-Up
Food Markets
2014 saw a rise in self-organizing food
collectives and social media based foodie
groups. Chef Ólafur Örn launched his
pop-up food market series Krás this sum-
mer, drafting in many of Reykjavík’s most
prominent restaurateurs, simplifying their
signature dishes into street food. Matarg-
jafir gave Facebookers a way to make food
donations to struggling families in ex-
change for likes and an express lane into
heaven.
The SUMAR food collective gave food-
ies a place to seek out rare ingredients and
play a game of endless culinary showboat-
ing, as well as staging pop-up food markets
of their own.
Facebook group “Ég ann Chili” ser-
viced the chilli geeks a spicy place to get
lost in macho one-upmanship and “Úta
borða” gave Reykjavík’s most elitist food
elites a place to discuss which restaurants
sucked and which didn’t.
Farmer’s market Búrið deserves spe-
cial mention for blazing the trail for their
seasonal food markets, as well as staging
some wonderful events of their own last
year. Nice job!
Goat Saviours
Farmer Jóhanna Þorvaldsdóttir at Háafell
has been selflessly breeding and main-
taining a heritage strain of Viking goats,
which is at risk of extinction—her farm
alone constitutes a third of Iceland’s total
goat population. Háafell has been battling
money problems for a couple of years now,
but thankfully a grassroots movement
formed on social media with the sole pur-
pose of helping out the farm, staging fund-
drives and promoting her goat products.
This resulted in the farm being saved. It
was super heart-warming. I like my heart
warm, let’s do more stuff like this.
Iceland’s heritage poultry breed has
also enjoyed success, thanks to those Vi-
king cluckers and their eggs becoming a
symbol of quality, hipness and financial
status.
The New Faux-Retro
In New York City, 2014 was apparently a
record year for new restaurant openings. I
haven’t seen the numbers, but I wouldn’t
be surprised if the same was the case in
Reykjavík, where restaurants bred like
never before. In line with the times, trends
leaned heavily towards artificially-aged in-
teriors and retro nomenclature.
Reykjavík Annexed Into
Brooklyn
Speaking of New York, The Brooklynifi-
cation of Reykjavík bars and restaurants
seems to be as unstoppable as a cigarette
vendor chilling out on a Staten Island
street corner. This Instagram-filtered pre-
sentation of the Brooklyn spirit has been
imported to most European capitals, and
in that spirit Icelandic social media over-
flowed with snaps of pulled pork, ribs, cro-
nuts and artisanal burgers, just like in the
rest of the damn world.
The gang now includes Roadhouse,
Lebowski Bar, Kex, Chuck Norris Grill,
Bunk Bar, Kol, The Coocoo’s Nest, Don’s
Donuts, Kaffihús Vesturbæjar, Dirty
Burger & Ribs, American Bar, Brooklyn
Bar—with the last three opening on the
same 100 metre stretch of Austurstræti.
The name of the game is upscale fast food,
brunch, or bistro dining. This trend seems
to be going nowhere (in every sense of the
word). Sigh.
STEP INTO THE LIGHT: 2014
Iceland's latest food trends!
Hverfisgata 12 · 101 Reykjavík
Tel. +354 552 15 22 · www.dillrestaurant.is
Lífið er saltfiskur
#109 Dill is a Nordic restaurant with its
focus on Iceland, the pure nature and
all the good things coming from it.

It does not matter if it’s the
ingredients or the old traditions, we
try to hold firmly on to both.
There are not many things that make
us happier than giving life to old
traditions and forgotten ingredients
with modern technique and our creative
mind as a weapon.