Tasting Iceland, Naturally

Taste of Iceland, the annual, four-day Icelandic culture festival in Seattle (and a few other cities) turns 10 this year. October is high season for colds in my child-filled household, so I don’t always make it.

For the 10^th anniversary, Taste of Iceland is pulling out all the stops, with so many events that they have begun to overlap like a miniature multi-art Airwaves, so even if you dedicate the whole week to it, you couldn’t make it to all the events. I was therefore incredibly stoked to be invited to the press preview.

Since 2012, when I first attended the Reykjavik Calling concert at Neumo’s and got to interview Asgeir Trausti (I think I was his second English language interview, speaking with him right after KEXP) I have tried to make it to as many Taste of Iceland events as possible. The Reykjavik Calling concert has usually been my focus; I saw it again in 2014 and 2015. When they introduced a literary event, I made it to all of them: the 2014 Reykjavik Writing Jam; Eliza Reid’s talk at Elliott Bay Book Company; and the panel discussion on the sagas held at KEXP’s gathering space last year. Last year I also got to see The Weather Diaries exhibit at The Nordic Heritage Museum, which looked at fabric, fashion, and art in the Nordic countries.

The one Taste of Iceland event I have never managed to attend was the actual tasting. Every year, an Icelandic chef takes over the kitchen of a local restaurant to present an Icelandic menu. Naturally, such a menu involves lamb, and I’ve never quite been able to bring myself to pay close to $100 for a dinner when I knew I would be unable to eat the main course. Before I forget, here are the details of this year’s culinary event:

Icelandic Menu at The Carlile Room

WHERE: The Carlile Room // 820 Pine Street | Seattle, WA | 98101
WHEN: Oct. 12 – 15 | Dinner
COST: $95 4-course menu (includes service charge and tax) | $35 Beverage Pairing Menu
WHO: Chef Viktor Örn Anderson and Chef Dezi Bonow
RESERVATIONS: Online | 206.946.9720
More info on Facebook

Last night I got to attend the press preview of this event, where I got to meet lots of other writers who are doing the freelance thing better than I am, as well as Hlynur from Iceland’s Consulate, and Joe from Egil (which makes Brennivin), Michael from Icelandair, and Chef Desi from the Carlile Room (who offered up his kitchen and acted as a culinary fixer for the Icelandic guest chef). This year, that guest is Chef Viktor Örn Andrésson, 2013 Icelandic Chef of the Year, 2014 Nordic Chef of the Year, and current Executive Chef at the Blue Lagoon, where I can barely afford to swim, let alone eat.

There’s a link to the menu above, but let me spell it out here (with a bit of commentary, ‘cuz that’s what I do).

We started out with a cocktail hour:

B&T 
Brennivín, Citrus Tonic, Bilberry

My favorite cocktail of the bunch. Brennivin has such a strong flavor it’s hard to blend well, but this felt just right. A little sprig of dill and berries floating in the glass were a lovely touch.

SKYRGÁMUR 
Brennivín, Skyr, Lemon, Honey, Thyme

Named for one of Iceland’s naughty Santa Clauses, this cocktail risked the sketchy proposition of dairy in a cocktail (I know the Lebowski disagrees with me on this point). The Brennivin flavor was more pronounced in this one, but the mix of lemon, honey, and thyme almost made it seem healthful. All put together, it worked surprisingly well, but I still liked the B&T better.

RUG 
Reyka Vodka, Sweet Rye, Carlile Pickles

I love rye. I like martinis with extra olives, and I like them even better with preserved lemons. Pickles? Yeah, actually, they work too. Who knew?

Then came the food:

First Course: Grilled Langoustine, Gravlax and Shot of Icelandic Lobster Soup

Once upon a time, a chef friend of mine had an extraordinarily good wine, and his response was to shout, “Oh my god, Jesus just came down and kissed my nipples.” Apparently, langoustine can have that effect, too. Seriously, worth the price of admission, right there. I might have dreams about this dish.

Second Course: Arctic Char (Cold Plate)

The flavors were so mild and subtle compared to the langoustine that this dish was kind of upstaged, but it’s not quite fair. This is the kind of elegant, understated dish a sushi chef would offer up. A toasted grain (someone told me it was faro) added a wonderful textural quality that reminded me of the Icelandic combination of crispy onions and hot dogs, except sophisticated.

Third Course: Rack of Lamb and Leg of Lamb

First, let me preface with the statement that I have been a pescatarian for over 20 years. The last time I ate mammal was at 3 am on a Sunday morning in Reykjavik after closing out the 2012 Airwaves festival and realizing I had consumed nothing but beer in the past 18 hours. I was unimpressed with the famous pylsur, except for the onions, and woke the next day with a leaden feeling in my stomach that remained for most of the next day, as if the hot dog was still sitting there. In short, I am not qualified to comment on meat. I could not even tell which bits on my plate were which items listed on the menu. But. When a man flies all the way from Iceland to cook you dinner, you have to at least try it. So I took a bite of meat and … yeah. Murder tastes pretty god damn good.

It was tasty, but afterward the roof of my mouth felt greasy, and after the dessert course, I could still taste the meat. I was tired of meat taste by then, so I grabbed another B&T, then tasted meat all the way home while a lump formed in my stomach and just sat there, refusing to go away. Murder doesn’t pay, folks, no matter how satisfying it feels at the time.

Fourth Course: Icelandic Donuts, Icelandic Provisions Skyr with Blueberries

Did I mention I love skyr? I love skyr. I can’t cook to save my life, but I’ve tried to make skyr at home because the stuff from the store just isn’t the same as the fresh-made skyr you get at Icelandic restaurants. So naturally I tucked into skyr ice cream with blueberries with great vigor, then wished I’d grabbed seconds once I got home. The skyr was accompanied by an Icelandic doughnut with a name that translates as “love balls.” (There’s a festival in Iceland that translates to “Flying Testicles.” There seems to be a bit of an anatomical focus to the Icelandic language.) The doughnut was a little less dense (thankfully) than the Icelandic doughnuts I’ve had before, but a bit denser than what you might be used to from Top Pot. It had a little rhubarb surprise in the middle that was quite nice.

So that’s what I ate, and it was really good. If you live in Seattle and care about food at all, the $130 price tag (don’t even think about skipping the drink pairing) is typical for a proper meal out. So get your ass over to the Carlile Room this weekend. Or, you know, go to Iceland and stop at the Blue Lagoon, which is awesome, but I guarantee you’ll spend more on dinner there.

Since it’s the 10th anniversary, the Taste of Iceland culinary program has expanded to include two more events. Since they involve alcohol instead of meat, I am so there.

(Except that I’m not actually going, because my husband has to work and I’ve got the kids tonight. They are old enough to leave at home, which I probably will do on Saturday for the Reykjavik Calling concert. But since there’s an all-ages show (Laser Iceland – The Northern Lights) curated by Kevin Cole tonight, I’m taking them to that instead. (Sorry, it’s already sold out, so I’m not linking to it.) Here’s the information on the two cocktail events:

COCKTAILS | Icelandic Cocktail Class at The Gerald 

WHERE: The Gerald // 5210 Ballard Ave NW | Seattle, WA | 98107
​WHEN: Oct. 12 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
COST: Free
WHO: Icelandic mixologist Kári Sigurðsson and National Reyka Vodka Brand Ambassador Trevor Schneider.
RSVP on Facebook

DRINKS | Bar Takeover at Liberty

WHERE: Liberty | 517 15th Ave E | Seattle, WA | 98112
WHEN: Oct. 12 | 9:00 p.m.
WHO: Icelandic mixologist Kári Sigurðsson and Brandon Paul Weaver of Liberty
RSVP on Facebook