Around the Globe: Villa Sjotorp

We hopped on a plane from Dulles International Airport and, about 9 hours later, arrived in Gothenburg.  We were greeted by our lovely host, Emelie Persson and her friend Hannah.  We loaded our belongings into the safe and dependable Volvo and headed north to the Villa Sjotorp in Ljungkile. 

This quaint and charming place was built in 1901 and converted into a 14-room hotel and restaurant.  It feels like the comfort of home with the welcoming staff and cozy rooms.  

We filled our bellies with a tasty Swedish breakfast enjoyed outside on the veranda overlooking the sea of small islands.   

While the views were nice at breakfast, they got even better at dinner with the colors of the sunset.  Villa Sjotorp's well-renowned kitchen offers culinary delights made with local ingredients.  We were treated to the Taste of West Sweden Menu complete with wine pairings.

We began the meal with a glass of Champagne and a petite surprise to tempt our palates.  (brown bread with bleak roe and creme fraiche)  

This small treat reminded me of the Hassleback potato that I tasted on my first trip to Sweden at the Restaurant Hasselbacken.

Next we tried raw beef from Green farms that was smoked with Swedish apples and served with crumbled Dalsland goat cheese and delicately smashed currants.  This was my favorite.  The Pouilly Fume was a wonderful wine pairing.

Then we were presented with a cute pot of crayfish from North Bohuslan boiled with dill and Sutip's spring vegetables and white fish from the North Sea.  The flavor was wonderful, but the vegetables were slightly undercooked.

We ended our savory courses with the roasted venison on a bed of smooth cauliflower puree with roasted leaks, braised summer chanterelles, a lingonberry gravy and a Hasselback potato.

The meal ended with perfection with Anna's Summer Dream--berries from the neighboring farm with ice cream and lavender meringue.  

The West Sweden Summer Menu was an absolute delight.  I'd recommend checking it out even if you aren't staying at the hotel.