In his book “How To Be a Man”, style and etiquette guru Glenn O’Brien explains why men should, without shame, regularly eat meat. “Historically, many of man’s greatest mistakes have occurred when he has mistook himself for a god or an angel and forgotten that he is also an animal… while philosophy remains a great consolation, there is still meat to be eaten, seed to be sown, and a moon to be howled at.”
Based on the amount of restaurants focussing on quality meat at the moment, many diners – both men and women – seem to be in agreement.
Svartengrens, a cosy, informal venue in Vasastan, is one of the new eateries singing the praises of meat. The restaurant, housed in a bright space on the corner of Tulegatan and Surbrunnsgatan, has a menu consisting of locally-produced beef, pork, lamb and chicken; there are no vegetarian alternatives and no fish mains to be found in among the vintage furnishings in the dining room. The food and its origins are also taken very seriously here; the menu explains in detail where and under what conditions each animal was reared. Much of the meat is bought from the Ömärkt butchery in the Stockholm archipelago and comes from farms where the animals are allowed to graze free. The pork comes from Nibble Lantbruk in Järna, which lets its pigs grow up together with their siblings, in harmonious conditions and with lots of space to move around.
I don’t know how much the care for the animals has to do with it and how much should be credited to the restaurant’s chefs, but everything we’ve eaten at Svartengrens tastes great. The starter menu offers a few less-meaty options, so we order three different kinds of oysters (38/40 kronor for one) and a tenderloin with ramson emulsion, ramson capers, fried elderflowers and radish (165 kronor). The tenderloin lives up to its name and is wonderfully tender. The flowers add a nice crispiness to the texture. The oysters are fresh and arrive on a bed of crushed ice, simply presented with a slice of lemon and a red onion vinaigrette.
For the main course, guests pick a cut of meat or a sausage, and choose a package of side dishes to go with it. French fries come with a béarnaise sauce, a green leaf salad and a tomato salad, while the potato gratin is accompanied by ratatouille and green beans, and jalapeno and cheese croquettes with barbecue sauce and coleslaw. We order the flap steak from Uddby Gård (195 kronor) and the half rotisserie chicken from Knäred (145 kronor), with fries (65 kronor) and potato gratin (60 kronor). The chicken is juicy and has a crisp, spicy seasoning on the skin, while the meat gets top marks as well. One thing we especially appreciate is getting the meat alone on the plate and the sides separately; it gives the meal a clean look and keeps the tastes distinct.
The desserts are a chapter of their own. The Rocky Road ice cream and home-made doughnuts are something we’ll be remembering and dreaming of for a long while. The Rocky Road is like a bag of candy in chocolate ice cream, with nuts, fudge, grilled marshmallows and red currants. The small, round doughnuts are filled with chocolate, vanilla and apple, and with them, you get a small glass of home made lemonade and vanilla ice cream.
Svartengrens is not a place to go to if you like surprises; it’s a fairly safe and traditional restaurant serving honest, rustic comfort food. Many of the main courses on offer cost over 300 kronor, but on the other hand, you can always choose the less pricy alternatives and get a three-course meal and a glass of wine for around 500 kronor.
And, one last thing: before you leave, do stop by the bar. It’s famous for its hand-crushed, big ice blocks, fresh ingredients and original aquavits. We recommend the Hashi Bashi (124 kronor) with gin, Campari, grape cordial, lemon and soda; or the Crapple Martini (124 kronor) with gin, calvados, Apple Redux, lemon and bitters.
Tulegatan 24
tel 08-6126550
www.svartengrens.se
