Solvang Danish Days is this weekend (September 14-16, 2018)! If you’re planning to swing through for a visit, read up on some of the delectable delights in store for this year’s festival.
Here, 11 Ways to Take a Bite Out of Solvang:
1. Aebleskiver Breakfasts ~ Served both Saturday and Sunday mornings, September 15 & 16 (8:30 AM to 12:30 PM), these festival-style feasts will fulfill your quest for those iconic Danish pancake rounds. Aebleskiver Breakfast tickets are available in advance on-line, at solvang-danish-days-2018.eventbrite.com.
Want a side of competition with your Aebleskiver? Then enter the free Aebleskiver Eating Contests, also scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday mornings (@ 11:30 AM, in the center of downtown Solvang).
2. Viking Burgers ~ The Danish Days Viking Beer & Wine Garden (also see #3, #4, #5 and #6, below) will provide you with an adventure in eating, via the Festival’s own “Viking Burger”: Medisterpølse (Danish sausage) patty topped with Swiss cheese, grilled onions and an array of condiments, served atop an onion bun.
3. The Doggy Door Hot Dog Cart ~ On Friday and Saturday (September 15 and 16), the Viking Beer & Wine Garden will also offer up creative hot dogs courtesy of Los Olivos walk-up window, The Doggy Door.
4. Open-Faced Sandwiches ~ (Or, Smørrebrød.) The Viking Beer & Wine Garden will also boast carefully-curated, modern takes on one of Denmark’s foodie faves – open-faced sandwiches – crafted by the Santa Ynez Valley’s own All Purpose Flower (open-faced sandwiches only featured on Friday, September 15). Expect international variations such as “boquerones with lemon, garlic, radish, herb butter, pickled leeks”, “chicken liver pâté, bacon, pickled daikon, cilantro, jalapeño, tobiko”, and a more familiar “gravlax, cucumber, capers, red onion, dill cream” version.
5. Danish-Fusion Cuisine ~ On Saturday, IslandMix’s food truck will do up their Filipino translation of one of Denmark’s national dishes, in the form of “Palabok noodles topped with crispy fried pork belly”. Available near the Viking Beer & Wine Garden, the truck will also serve a worldly festival food, “Turrón” – a banana/plantain wrapped in a lumpia wrapper, deep fried, and sprinkled with brown sugar.
6. Viking Beer & Wine Garden ~ Wash down all of those afore-mentioned eats at this outdoor beer and wine garden, complete with a spirited mix of imbibing options. Pacific Beverage Company will be pouring the famous Danish suds, Carlsberg, while Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. and Solvang Brewing Company will up the craft brew ante, plus Santa Barbara Wine Country labels such as local winery, Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards. {Viking Beer & Wine Garden runs Friday, 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM and Saturday, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Located adjacent to the Solvang Visitors Center, 1639 Copenhagen Drive, in downtown Solvang.}
7. Danish Pizza ~ Sometimes, you just want a pizza. When in Solvang, do as the Danish do: Toscana is offering an authentic Italian, 14-inch thin crust pizza featuring locally-made Danish sausage (for $20.00++).
8. The Danish Mint Julep + Smørrebrød + Flæskesteg ~ Stylish hotel in the heart of Solvang, Hotel Corque houses an equally stylish restaurant and bar, Root 246. And for Danish Days weekend, the restaurant and bar will be offering special treats with a nod to the hotel’s Solvang locale – “The Danish Mint Julep” (mint-infused aquavit cocktail with dark rum, for a rich and refreshing take on a Mint Julep; $11.00++) and a 3-Course “Danish Days Prix Fixe” ($28.00++ per person), including Smørrebrød (smoked local whitefish with pickled shallots and fresh dill on grilled rye bread, with small farmers lettuce salad), Flæskesteg (roasted Niman Ranch Pork with crackling, pickled red cabbage and caramelized heirloom potatoes), and strawberries with fresh cream and sugar.
9. More Aquavit (and Cheese!) ~ Cheese, wine, beer, liquor and gourmet goods emporium, Vinhus, will run a special on Aalborg Aquavit ($25.00) all weekend long, as well as a deal on Danish Fontina Cheese ($7.95 / LB). Stock up on the Viking version of picnic provisions.
10. Frikadeller ~ Historical Solvang restaurant, Bit O’ Denmark, is featuring a special open-faced sandwich plate deal for Danish Days weekend – Frikadeller and Danish Cheese with a Carlsberg Beer, for just $15.00(++).
11. More Open Face Sandwiches ~ (Or, Smørrebrød.) Year ’round, The Good Life, a craft beer & wine cellar, features one of the most unique arrays of California craft beers of any of Solvang’s watering holes, alongside a hand-picked selection of local, small production wines. And for Danish Days weekend, The Good Life will do up a Smørrebrød Platter, to include 3 traditional Danish open-face sandwiches, plus a unique selection of Danish Craft Beers.
