Great North Food Hall in Midtown - NYC

When discussing with friends and family, where to go for brunch or dinner, Scandinavian food rarely, if ever, comes up as an option. But maybe it should. 

 

Sure, perhaps, going for Danish or Swedish cuisine isn't quite as sexy and exciting as reserving a table at the latest trendy Italian or Asian Fusion restaurant. However, the more you get to know Scandinavian cuisine, the more interesting it becomes.

With an emphasis on fresh seafood and seasonal vegetables as well as delectable sauces and savory meat dishes, there's a lot to like about food from the Nordic regions of Europe.

 

The best place to try out this tantalizing cuisine is at the Great Northern Food Hall, which is located in Grand Central Station's ornate and historic Vanderbilt Hall.

 

Great Northern offers destination dining for foodies and busy commuters alike who want to hit the pause button on their workday and enjoy a refreshing and satisfying meal amidst an authentic Danish ambiance and warm hospitality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The setting could not be more impressive. In the 1970's preservationists like Jackie Kennedy Onassis helped to give new life to this little used and neglected section of Grand Central Terminal.

 

Over the years, the original design and architecture were painstakingly restored to its' former glory. Vanderbilt Hall has hosted many events and markets in its' day. But the Great Northern Food Hall, a coming together of Nordic culture and culinary innovation, is something quite special.

 

The force behind this collection of pop-up cafes and stalls is none other than Danish Culinary entrepreneur and trailblazer Claus Meyer.

 

The creator of the new Nordic Cuisine Movement, Claus co-founded Noma, one of Copenhagen's most popular restaurants. With over thirty years of experience in the hospitality business, Claus was looking for a way to promote the food he grew up eating, but with a twist that would reflect his own personal style in the kitchen.

 

Claus made his name with Meyers Bageri and now this Danish artisan bakery has finally found a home in New York!

 

Rooted in old-world techniques, Claus' bakery utilizes organic flour and locally grown heirloom grains. Claus developed his signature style of baking bread by a long fermentation process that emphasized whole grains and high hydration, thus creating loaves that are moist, nutritious and bursting with flavor.

 

Even though great bread is the heart of Nordic Cuisine, the Danes do not live by bread alone. And neither will you when you eat at the Great Northern Food Hall.

 

Meyers Bageri also offers flaky vanilla cream Danishes, rye croissants and their famous cinnamon swirls. For lunch, you can order Nordic-style hearth-baked flatbreads that are topped with locally grown veggies and house-cured meats.

 

At the hall, you can also visit eight other tempting vendors including Almanac.

 

Taking its name from the annual agricultural calendar that forecasts the weather and growing conditions of the soil, throughout the year, Almanac offers a menu of breakfast treats, hearty soups, enticing salads and grass-fed meats.

 

Start your day off with a granola parfait that is made with buttermilk, skyr or Ymer, which are cultured Scandinavian milk products similar to yogurt and high in protein. When those lunchtimes or after work hunger pangs start to overcome you, head on over to Danish Dogs for a hot dog unlike any you have ever tasted before.

 

A Danish Dog is Scandinavia's deliciously different take on New York's infamous dirty water dog. All hot dogs and sausage "dogs" come from a premium artisanal sausage program that has been created by master butcher John Ratliff.

 

Variations change with the seasons, but their signature dog is always on the menu. Thank goodness!

The Danish Dog is a blend of beef and pork handcrafted sausage topped with spiced ketchup, mustard, Danish Remoulade sauce, red onions, pickled cucumbers and crispy shallots. This mouthful of goodness is served on a fresh potato bun from, where else, but Meyers Bageri.

 

Location and Hours

 

89 East 42nd Street

New York, NY 10017

(646) 568-4020

www.greatnorthernfood.com