Atlantica - 01.06.2011, Page 17

A t L A n t i c A 15
This year I had enough frequent flyer miles to take a trip to Italy. Basing
myself in the central hill towns, I traveled to various parts of Umbria and
Tuscany. One Monday I took the bus into Siena. Wandering around Siena
I eventually came to Il Campo, the gigantic bricked oval in the center of town
where the annual Palio horse race is run. It’s impressive and worth seeing—at
least until your eye gets caught by the gelato stands. Ordering a cone with
biscotti con vin santo (Italian cookies with dessert wine) I stepped out onto the
Campo to enjoy my treat.
And just like that, all I could taste was Iceland.
Last time in Iceland, I met my friend Iris for lunch in Reykjavík. I got to know
Iris when she contacted me after reading my food stories in Atlantica. Now she
wanted to talk about introducing visitors to Icelandic cuisine and suggested
lunch at Café Loki in town. Café Loki is a place for traditional homemade
Icelandic food. No matter where I go, my taste buds are always seduced by
the words “homemade food.” The idea of lunching on a viking Mom’s meals-at-
home sounded just fine to me.
In an attempt to have an Icelandic sort of day (without actually reporting
for work in an office) I walked to Sundhöllin Swimming Pool in the morning
and later ambled over to Café Loki, practically in the shadow of Hallgrímskirkja
Cathedral. There, I met Iris—as pleasant in person as she was in email. We
chatted over lunch.
I’d ordered the Icelandic Special plate with portions of smoked trout cake,
hangikjöt tartare, marinated herring and eggs. This was delightful food I’d only
find in Iceland. Alongside was a dish with another Café Loki specialty—brown
bread ice cream. The café owner visited our table and explained that her brown
bread is baked in the shop. Any leftover bread is crumbled and combined with
rich vanilla ice cream to produce the dessert before me. “I think it’s starting to
melt” observed Iris. “Oh that’s fine” I gushed. “I like it that way.”
I’m a big fan of soft-serve ice cream. I’ve been known to microwave single-
serving cups of solidly frozen ice cream for about 10 seconds on high before
eating it. This turns brick-hard stuff into a miraculously melty, deliciously soft
dessert. And as an even better example, good Italians know gelato isn’t served
rock-hard, but in that slightly melting consistency that allows the flavors to
stand out for the eater. For those sharing this same weakness, here’s a tip: some
of the best-ever soft ice cream comes from Brynja, a small shop in the old part
of Akureyri in Northern Iceland. But I digress…
I scooped up the melted ice cream in the dish and tasted it. Rich with vanilla,
the brown bread gave it a crumbly texture with a buttery mouth feel. This
was pure, simple delight: one spoonful could never be enough. The Icelandic
plate had been a cultural adventure, but the brown bread ice cream was love
at first lick.
Later that afternoon, Iris and I visited the National Museum where I
wondered about the taste of food in the Settlement Era when Iceland was
founded. We laughed at the display of 1950s memorabilia, when sweets like
Bazooka Bubble gum were popular, and chewed by both of us, in Iceland and
America. Later over hot chocolate with whipped cream in the museum café, I
still couldn’t get the memory of that delicious brown bread ice cream out of
my head.
By the time I’d arrived in Siena, long after Café Loki, there were lots of new
gelato flavors to taste. So far I’d tried chocolate fondant and extra fondant,
caramel, coffee, lemon and pistachio. But that Siena cone of biscotti con vin
santo, stopped me in my tracks. It sent my mind across Europe to another
country on the continent’s westernmost tip—where most people might be
surprised to find great ice cream.
But find that taste of Iceland I did. And eat it again? I certainly will. a
Brynja Ice cream Adalstraeti 3, Akureyri.
Hours: 9 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. In the old part of town;
you can reach it by foot or with the free local bus.
café LokI Overlooking Hallgrímskirkja
Cathedral, on the second floor, above the Textíll
fabric goods shop. Lokastígur 28, Reykjavík.
Hours: Mon-Sat 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sundays 11
a.m. - 5 p.m. textil.is
HaLLgrímskIrkja catHedraL Located
at the crest of Skólavördustígur Street. Open 9
a.m. - 8 p.m. daily, a free organ recital Fridays at
noon. Admission to the church tower with a 360
degree view of the city, ISK 500 (USD 4.30).
hallgrimskirkja.is
natIonaL museum of IceLand -
tHjódmInjasafn ísLands Sudurgata 41,
Reykjavík. Hours: Summer (May 1 - September
15) daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Winter (September
16 - April 30) Tuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
During winter, admission is free on Wednesdays.
Excellent gift shop and coffee bar. Admission:
Adults ISK 1.000 (USD 8.60); senior citizens and
students ISK 500 (USD 4.30); free for children
under 18. thjodminjasafn.is
sundHöLLIn swImmIng PooL
Barónsstígur 45a, Reykjavík. If you haven’t soaked
in the thermal pools, you haven’t been to Iceland.
Built in the 1930s, Sundhöllin is centrally located
with an indoor pool and outdoor hot tubs with
a view over Reykjavík. Open weekdays 6:30 a.m.
- 9:30 p.m., weekends 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., all year.
Admission ISK 360 (USD 2.80) for adults and ISK
110 (USD 0.90) for kids, free for holders of the
Reykjavík Welcome Card. itr.is
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