Danish delights: the charms of Copenhagen

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Jan, 1995 by Sheila Rothenberg, Robert S. Rothenberg

With our choice finally determined as much by atmosphere as food offered, we wound up in Ristorante Canaletto, a splitlevel, intimate restaurant in an old ware-house that had been stripped down to its bare brick walls. Sitting at our second-story table, overlooking the fishing boats bobbing in the canal below, we dined by can-dlelight on crispy chicken in a wine sauce and delicately spiced grilled salmon. We passed on dessert, electing instead to pick up cones from one of the several ice cream vendors on the quay.

A more elegant subsequent dining experience was the Wiinblad at the Hotel D'Angleterre. Affectionately dubbed "The White Lady" by the Danes, the hotel had the dubious distinction of being commandeered by the German forces as their headquarters during the World War II occupation. The restaurant, named for Bjorn Wiinblad, the celebrated Danish artist whose whimsical blue-and-white handpainted tiles decorate the room, is both a visual and gastronomic delight. From the opening crisp puff pastry filled with a glazed bisque of fresh prawns through the tournedos of beef grilled to perfection on a lava grill and elegantly accompanied by Bearnaise sauce (laying to rest the thought that European chefs do not know what to do with prime beef) to the sinfully dense chocolate cake drizzled with pureed raspberries, the meal was a gourmet treat.

Of course, no trip to Denmark would be complete without a traditional smorgasbord. The experience best is tackled after a busy day of walking around the city working up an appetite. Quantity is as much a key to a successful smorgasbord as quality, with a prodigious assortment of salads, hot and cold meats, casseroles, smoked fish, vegetables, fruit, bread and rolls, puddings, pies and cakes, and beverages stretching as far as the eye can see. Invariably, that eye has a greater capacity than the stomach, but it is well nigh impossible to resist piling one's plate to near overflowing with all the bounty there for the taking. The best advice is to abandon all ideas of diet consciousness and plunge right in, pledging forbearance for another day.

The smorgasbord concept has been adopted by the Hotel Phoenix for its guests' breakfast, a far cry from the continental breakfast of coffee and croissant that is standard fare elsewhere. Should the groaning buffet of fresh-squeezed juices, home-made rolls and crusty breads, hot and cold cereals, sliced meats, the omnipresent herring and smoked salmon, yogurt, fresh fruit, and pastry prove insufficient for some unearthly reason, the staff is right there to provide omelets, waffles, bacon, sausages, and eggs done to order. With such a foundation, one is well-fueled for a full day's activities.

Copenhagen's relatively small size makes it possible to cover a lot of ground easily with a little advance planning after working with guidebook and city map. Making sure we were wearing good walking shoes and clutching our Copenhagen Cards, the "open sesame" to most attractions, we sallied forth to sample the city's museums and castles.