Restaurants—Abroad in New York

There are some mysteries upon which no light will ever be shed, and one of them is why so many people in New York will put up with restaurants where neither food, surroundings nor service are what they are cracked up to be, besides being majestically overpriced. Well, life is too short to suffer and pay for it too, so that from time to time, I’ll write of restaurants chosen for their diversity and their straightforward approach to their customers. (I’d like to add that I always go incognito, and pay for my own food.)

The Copenhagen, 68 West 58th Street, just off Sixth Avenue, is a smart, well-mannered Danish restaurant, the sort of place you can take anybody, however grand, on whom you wish to make a good impression, and be sure that at all times things will be very pleasant indeed. Reason: the Danish owners and a very competent Danish staff believe that when you go out to eat you want something more festive than what you get at home. The modern decor is soothing rather than stark Scandinavian —giving a general impression of warmth, with red banquettes under panel photographs of Copenhagen, that most ravishing and hospitable of European cities. The tables are decently separated so that you can call your conversation your own, and you are further protected by vague, soft background music which is hardly noticed, if at all. The center of the room is taken up by the Danish Kold Table (what the Swedes call smorgasbord), the Copenhagen’s outstanding feature. It is a varied and excellent board, attractively spread under a set of seasonal sugar sculptures, such as the Copenhagen waterfront in the winter, and with all the carved vegetables and trimmings to make it look pretty. The job of keeping up the visual appeal of a cold table is not to be underestimated; with dozens of varieties of fish, seafood, meats, salads, cheese, hot dishes and fruits spread out, they’ve got to be replenished continually, and keeping it all tidy is not as easy as it may seem. I recommend especially the smoked Danish eel, which should conquer anybody’s prejudices against eel; and the Danish liver paté, which is milder and creamier than French patés; the crisp cold duck and the hot Danish meatballs. Frikadeller, as they are called, are a matter of deep personal feeling with all Danes, who look upon them as a national institution. There is a certain Scandinavian etiquette to eating your way through the Kold Table, an orderly progression beginning with fish and so on through meats, salads, hot dishes, cheeses and fruit. Any of the staff, including the lovely blond Mrs. Plume, wife of the owner, will guide you with benevolence. You will be beamed on if you take repeated trips to the table; you can eat yourself silly, and many people do. Kold Table and dessert is probably the most popular meal, but I urge trying the Danish specialties. The fish is great, for example the boiled cod with mustard sauce and drawn butter; and the Gravlaks—salmon homecured with fresh dill—which beats any smoked salmon, served with creamed spinach, cucumber salad and parsley potatoes. Awakening the nostalgia in the hearts of all the handsome and prosperous Danes who eat regularly at the Copenhagen are the medisterpolse— homemade sausages served with red cabbage, sugarbrowned potatoes and cucumber salad.

NH

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Nika Hazelton

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There are some mysteries upon which no light will ever be shed, and one of them is why so many people in New York will put up with restaurants where neither food, surroundings nor service are what they are cracked up to be, besides being majestically overpriced. Well, life is too short to suffer and pay for it too, so that from time to time, I’ll write of restaurants chosen for their diversity and their straightforward approach to their customers. (I’d like to add that I always go incognito, and pay for my own food.)

The Copenhagen, 68 West 58th Street, just off Sixth Avenue, is a smart, well-mannered Danish restaurant, the sort of place you can take anybody, however grand, on whom you wish to make a good impression, and be sure that at all times things will be very pleasant indeed. Reason: the Danish owners and a very competent Danish staff believe that when you go out to eat you want something more festive than what you get at home. The modern decor is soothing rather than stark Scandinavian —giving a general impression of warmth, with red banquettes under panel photographs of Copenhagen, that most ravishing and hospitable of European cities. The tables are decently separated so that you can call your conversation your own, and you are further protected by vague, soft background music which is hardly noticed, if at all. The center of the room is taken up by the Danish Kold Table (what the Swedes call smorgasbord), the Copenhagen’s outstanding feature. It is a varied and excellent board, attractively spread under a set of seasonal sugar sculptures, such as the Copenhagen waterfront in the winter, and with all the carved vegetables and trimmings to make it look pretty. The job of keeping up the visual appeal of a cold table is not to be underestimated; with dozens of varieties of fish, seafood, meats, salads, cheese, hot dishes and fruits spread out, they’ve got to be replenished continually, and keeping it all tidy is not as easy as it may seem. I recommend especially the smoked Danish eel, which should conquer anybody’s prejudices against eel; and the Danish liver paté, which is milder and creamier than French patés; the crisp cold duck and the hot Danish meatballs. Frikadeller, as they are called, are a matter of deep personal feeling with all Danes, who look upon them as a national institution. There is a certain Scandinavian etiquette to eating your way through the Kold Table, an orderly progression beginning with fish and so on through meats, salads, hot dishes, cheeses and fruit. Any of the staff, including the lovely blond Mrs. Plume, wife of the owner, will guide you with benevolence. You will be beamed on if you take repeated trips to the table; you can eat yourself silly, and many people do. Kold Table and dessert is probably the most popular meal, but I urge trying the Danish specialties. The fish is great, for example the boiled cod with mustard sauce and drawn butter; and the Gravlaks—salmon homecured with fresh dill—which beats any smoked salmon, served with creamed spinach, cucumber salad and parsley potatoes. Awakening the nostalgia in the hearts of all the handsome and prosperous Danes who eat regularly at the Copenhagen are the medisterpolse— homemade sausages served with red cabbage, sugarbrowned potatoes and cucumber salad.