Kantine

I don’t remember exactly when I first heard about Katine, a Scandinavian cafe in San Francisco, but it feels like ages ago.  

"Kantine is a Scandinavian-inspired eatery that serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch.  We make anything and everything we love to eat ourselves using seasonal, sustainable and delicious ingredients.  It’s simply Scandinavian from scratch."

I remember being drawn in to so many items on the menu, ranging from breakfast dishes like the sweet porridge with lingonberry cherry compote, hazelnut butter and cream (!) or the savory hot 3-grain porridge with wild mushrooms, kale and farmers cheese.  I loved the sound of the hot smocked trout bowl and the cured trout sandwich with shaved fennel and dill.  Their specials frequently called out, as did most of the baked goods.   And yet, I never ventured there to try it, as it is outside my normal stomping ground.

And then, it was National Sticky Bun day (totally a legit holiday!).  My group at work organized a little social to celebrate (we love themed excuses to eat tasty things!), and decided to actually take a bit of liberty in our definition of “sticky bun” and go very non-traditional.  One co-worker proposed getting Swedish style buns from Kantine instead, and I fully supported this rogue move (as much as I do love a good caramel and nut laden sticky bun).  The result was a far more interesting and unique experience, which provided great talking points for the group too.  AND I finally got to try Kantine!

While this was my first time having items from Kantine, it was not my first time trying Swedish style buns.  I discovered the Fika at Le Sandwich a few years ago, made by local baker FikaLove, and have wanted to try more since, as those were fairly glorious.  I hoped these would compare.

Cinnamon Knots. $5/each.

"Classic Swedish pastry made from brioche dough and topped with pearl sugar."

First up, the item most similar to a standard American bakery/donut shop cinnamon roll: the cinnamon knot.  Basically just a far more elaborate and stunning design than a basic roll, twisted into a knot instead, and topped with a few bits of large pearl sugar.  This was the safe choice for those a bit apprehensive about the Swedish buns.

It was mildly sweet, certainly not as sweet as many American cinnamon rolls, as it had more cinnamon and less sugar between the folds, and did not come smothered in any kind of glaze.  The brioche base was rich, lightly puffy, and reasonably moist, although I did feel it ate a bit dry overall.  The cinnamon flavor was good.  It was different from the buns I had tried from Le Sandwich though, as those had had a bit more crispness and slight caramelization that I adored.

For me, this was a touch boring on its own - warmed up, with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream it transformed, but just as a bun, I wanted more sugar, moisture, or perhaps both.  ***+.

Cardamom Knots. $5/each.

"Tender brioche dough, buttery fragrant cardamon filling."

Next up we had the most traditional of the Swedish buns, the cardamom bun.  I’m not generally wild about cardamom, but I can appreciate the subtle and unique flavor from time to time.  

The base for these was much the same as the cinnamon knots, soft fluffy brioche dough, twisted into lovely knots.  They had a bit more sugar overall, including a very light glaze on top.  The cardamom was there, but it wasn't overwhelming, really, it just made for a complex and sophisticated bite, and complimented the warming cinnamon well.  

Since these were a bit sweeter, and a bit more complex, I preferred them over the cinnamon rolls, but I again felt they needed warming up, and a complimentary scoop of pistachio ice cream to pair with (or, more caramelization).  ***+.

Pølsehorn. $5.

"Beef hot dogs wrapped in laminated dough."

Our final treat was very rogue, nothing related to National Sticky Bun day at all, but the favorite item of the host of the event, who prefers savory treats over sweet.  Pølsehorn, or, as many soon dubbed them, "The best pigs in a blanket ever!"

They were very good, and a hit in the group.  The pastry was very buttery laminated dough, nicely golden on top, and well crisped.  Very legit pastry.  The assorted seeds (sesame, flax, poppy) gave a bit of crunch and additional savory notes and complexity.  And inside, simple little beef hot dogs, no frills, but seemingly good quality.  Slight snap to them, not too shriveled.  Basically, yes, fancy pigs in a blanket.  I somewhat wished they had the rest of "everything" spice on them, e.g. some garlic and onion to amp the flavor up, or that I had some ketchup and mustard to dunk into though.

The crowd favorite, and something I'd gladly get again.  ****.