Rokeriet: Dining in Sweden
We arrived early so we sat in a little park across from the harbor to wait for our friends. People lined the steps waiting for the different ferries. Some were dinner boats and some took visitors out to one of the islands of the archipelago.
We met our friends at the Fjaderholmarna ferry that would take us about twenty-five minutes from the harbor in Stockholm. The ferry had a bar where we taste tested three Swedish whiskeys. With the sun getting ready to set, it was the perfect time to be out on the water.
These buildings lined one of the harbors...boats, restaurants, shops and flats. Not far off the shores of Stockholm is a 37 miles long archipelago with 24,000 small islands and islets. That's where we were headed. Had we not been visiting locals, we would never have experienced this!
On the way to our island, we passed the Royal Palace that is on the waterfront of Old Town Stockholm. Each day at noon, there is an official changing of the guard. It is one of the most popular attractions in the area. Such a spectacular view!
Named "God our Father on the Rainbow", this sculpture/fountain really caught my attention! There are angels handing God stars to be placed in heaven. Such a meaningful work of art.The sun hit it at just the right angle. It's on the pier at Nacka Strand, where you can find shops and restaurants. This just adds to the splendor of Sweden's coastline.
We got off the ferry and walked around the small island. It had a resort for guests to stay over (which I'd love to do!). It is an artists haven... many studios. I'm sure the fantastic setting is more than inspirational. After a quick tour, we headed into the restaurant. Mattias led the way. Rokeriet is an old time smoke house. Originally, this process was used to preserve fish but now it is used to flavor! The prawns shown on the cover page are smoked... a signature dish that was outstanding!
While waiting for our table, we were served a pink zinfandel. Not usually a fan of this type of wine, today was different. The setting and great company added to the enjoyment of the selection in an unexpected way. Our friends knew one of the waitstaff who found us a seat right by the water. It was amazing to be able to eat outside in May. For dinner, I had the sea bass. It was covered with shrimp, sitting on top of a bed of potatoes. My husband is not a seafood eater so he had the signature Swedish meatballs. He said it was delicious and was definitely a special dinner. We enjoyed a bottle of red during dinner.
The sun was in full setting mode by this time... a ferry came in full of girls celebrating a Bachelorette party. They were drinking shots on the ferry... and had called ahead to order 50 shots! They were bar hopping... like a pub crawl... in the archipelago! The music was loud, the laughter was louder. Nothing more beautiful than glimmering water.
We got to have a group photo of all of us. You can see how close we are to the water! They were such a fun couple to dine with! I would go back to this location in heartbeat... but I'd stay and relax on the island for a couple days.
Our friends said they had a special treat for "dessert". Then these were delivered. They are called "Hot Shots". Simple to make, the shots have Galliano, Espresso and heavy cream. This restaurant also added a dollop of whipped cream. Yummy!!!
Surprisingly, after all we had to drink... a bottle of bubbly was opened! The way everything was served, it didn't seem like too much. Split between all four of us, we had a perfect amount of each course. It was a celebratory day with fun friends!
After takinng the ferry back to Stockholm, we had a nightcap (believe it or not). We went to a bar near to where Mattias works. Once we finished, we prepared to take public transportation and a little bit of walking back to our hotel. Sounds simple but we struggled to navigate the system in Sweden! Mona and Mattias rode their bikes the four miles back to Solna. I'm sure they arrived long before we did... but we eventually made it back to The Winery Hotel!
