Portland Smorrebrod Collective?

I just walked 40 minutes in heeled boots to eat what several chefs have told me is the best “new guard “of smorrebrod cuisine in Copenhagen.  New guard, or old guard, I am in love with smorrebrod, the Danish open-face sandwich that comes with hundreds of different toppings, from a simple creamed shrimp and dill topping to pickled herring, beets, and eggs.

My long journey took me to Aamann’s, a new restaurant and deli that serves completely organic smorrebrod.  All of them are served on dense, nutty, rye bread that’s deeply rich and textural.  I ordered three. The first was topped with fresh green asparagus that had been lightly poached, along with a dill mayonnaise, half a soft-boiled egg, and a sprinkling of crispy, fried speck.  I didn’t pull out my camera until I’d finished that one, so the two pictured here are 1) a tartare of beef with cornichons, dill mustard, pickled onions, capers, and homemade potato chips that nearly melted when they hit my tongue; and 2) smoked herring, shaved cabbage, more dill mayonnaise, and sweetly pickled green tomatoes. All of them were nearly perfect, though the tartare was my favorite, with it’s oddly whipped texture, and all those pickled flavors combining with the meat. Perhaps I loved it so much, because I’ve eaten so much fish here in Scandinavia that my meat-related iron counts are feeling low.

In Portland, we have one Scandinavian restaurant that I know of: Broder. I love that place, but why don’t we have an exclusively smorrebrod restaurant or food cart?  I think people would love it. Anyone want to start one with me?  A smorrebrod collective of sorts? I’m thinking Evoe’s atmosphere and vibe, but with hundreds of combinations of smorrebrod sandwiches, cheap, cold beer, schnapps, and aquavit.