Wednesday night inaugurated our adventurous cuisine outings at a little restaurant (16 seats) called Café Lapon, a combination antique shop/restaurant that features specialties from Lapland and Finland. We were a small yet burly crew who, when seeing the prices on the menu (the most expensive dish was 8 euros) decided to go all luxe and have the house aperitif. Now, I have been known to drink a carafe or two of vodka without a problem (well, just mild coordinational dysfunction, but not to the point, as Hunter S. Thompson would say, that I look like the town drunk in an early Irish novel). But this viscous et viscious Finnish vodka that the owner pulled from his freezer and poored into a glass of cranberry syrup caused semi-consciousness to set in quickly amongst the adventurers. But perhaps vodka was just the liquid courage we needed in order to psyche ourselves into the food, which consisted mostly of reindeer meat (sorry Rudolph) and smoked fish, all brought directly from Lapland by the owner himself, along with the vodka which unfortunately is not exported.

We decided to design our own personal tasting session and we had no fear. We ordered the creamed and smoked herring plate , the reindeer-potato tartine, the reindeer sausages of all kinds, and the Finnish grilled cheese, all the while butchering the Finnish language shamelessly. "We'll have the mooojaharigahda...please"

We figured the plates would be small, as they were each about 4,50 euros. We were wrong. They were huge and accompanied by industrial quantities of beets and pickles. My plate became the destination for exiled ingredients (mostly cheese and pickles) from other adventurers plates. The Elba of food items if you will. Once everyones particularities were accounted for, we dug in. Now, as in all new experiences, you win some and you lose some. I still can't stomach the herring, although I tried, and the reindeer-potato mash had a gamey kick to it that came a little too close to reminding me of the pungency of goat cheese (which for those of you who don't know, is one of my culinary enemies.) Fortunately the cranberry sauce offered a perfect counterflavor and kept me from sinking too much into goat cheese dispair. On the other hand, the Finnish grilled cheese, that consisted of a melted mild white cheese on top a bread that, as far as I can tell, was made from rye and unsweetened rice pudding (it was very moist), was delish. Other highlight of the meal was the reindeer salami, which I would like to have in my fridge at all times. Very yummy. I will have to pick some up next time I am in Lapland.

I really wanted to try a dessert (Finnish pancakes with wild strawberry jam that they made themselves from strawberries they picked themselves in Finland...) or berry-licorice birthday cake, but the vodka was having its way with us and we were getting tired and impatient. Because two of the three other tables were birthday groups, they got dessert priority and we were not about to wait for yet another round of Happy Birthday (in English, French and Finnish) for our dessert. Instead we settled for a floral infusion and ginger snaps. But I swear, next time, I want the Finnish pancakes.

So, I would just like to congratulate Finland and Café for their efficient use of reindeer meat, their perfection of vodka (how can I ever go back to Absolute Crap???), and for the invention of the ginger snap (they share this credit with Sweden, I think.) Next adventure: a Chinese restaurant for Chinese New Year. I know it is a suicide mission, but we will go down as the food martyrs we are.