Page 68 - WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE DISCOVERING ENGLAND

fresh oysters sparingly sauced with Today Alesund is considered the world’s to open a seafood-only restaurant was
a few ingredients that even included most concentrated collection of Art crazy. But he restored the old fish ware-
chocolate. It was much better than it Nouveau architecture, and it is simply house into a charming place with low
sounds. We followed that with grilled a jewel. wooden-beamed ceilings, white table-
coalfish (another white fish) garnished cloths and candlelight, and today it’s a
with caviar and mussels in a lemon We found Sjobua, one of Norway’s locals’ favorite. He strives to serve the
beurre blanc. Dessert was decadent ha- best fish restaurants, on the water in best ingredients the sea has to offer,
zelnut and chocolate and coconut and Alesund in a former boathouse. Ove depending on the season and the local
raspberry ice creams. Fjortfoft started the place in 1987, de- fishermen’s catch of the day. His baked
spite naysayers who thought his idea lobster soup is beloved, while the fish
Then we traveled to Alesund via railway platter with at least four selections is a
and bus, taking us through some of that gastronomic delight. Wines are wonder-
striking mountain scenery before we fully matched.
landed at one of the most photogenic
coastal villages I’ve ever seen. For lunch in Alesund, we went to an-
other locals’ favorite, Lyst restaurant,
Alesund sits on a huge harbor, and has on Kongens Gate (Kings Road), where
consistently been one of Norway’s big- those simply adorned Art Nouveau
gest fishing ports. A huge tragedy there buildings sit on cobblestoned streets
actually transformed this town into one that are mostly closed to traffic. Here
of the world’s loveliest. A devastating we were treated to enormous plates of
fire in 1904 destroyed almost the en- fresh boiled shrimp in garlic and butter
tire town -- 850 wooden buildings -- in with white bread and mayonnaise, just
15 hours. “Alesund’s great fortune was like Alesunders like them. Finger bowls
the fire coincided with a depression in with lemon slices were necessary after
Norway so costs for labor and materials peeling all that shrimp.
were low,” Bente Saxon, our guide from
Destination Alesund, told us. Norway’s From Alesund, we ventured into Gei-
finest architects and master craftsmen rangerfjord, one of those gorgeous
descended on the town and recreated UNESCO winners, where sunny August
it in that era’s new style, Art Nouveau. skies allowed the tiny green-pastured

68 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2014