Dining 2

In my youth, I enjoyed eating food in restaurants, but it always involved a special occasion. Most times, we drove down to the King Neptune seafood restaurant, on the New Westminster waterfront. On 1978-01-13, Trish and I were married twice. The first ceremony was at the Provincial Government Buildings on Sixth Street and Fourth Avenue in New Westminster. We then had lunch at the King Neptune, with my family and Jane, a friend. Later we had a Baha’i ceremony at Patricia’s parents’ house in Vancouver, with both our families as well as Baha’i witnesses.

My most exotic restaurant experience was a Polynesian dinner at Trader Vic’s, located at the Bayshore Inn, in Vancouver. It opened in 1961 and closed in 1996. I think I ate there about 1963. I still intend to visit Trader Vic’s again, but the next (and last) time will be at their flagship restaurant in Emeryville in northwest Alameda County, California, between Berkeley and Oakland, on San Francisco Bay. It is an 19 km/ 14 minute drive from my daughter Shelagh’s house, that she shares with husband Derek and son Quinn. This is not the original Trader Vic’s location in Oakland, that opened in 1934 and closed after 38 years, in 1972. The replacement opened immediately after the original closed, and has been operating for almost 53 years.

Relative poverty in the early years after moving to Norway probably influenced my current preference of not eating in restaurants. With a limited range of culinary skills, I am happy that Trish enjoys cooking. I try to reciprocate in areas where I have some competence. In the kitchen, this includes washing and drying dishes. However, it should be noted that we have had Clea N, a dishwasher since 2023-01.

Breakfasts are the most standardized of meals. On Thursdays we eat waffles, three each, usually with cheese on them, possibly with something sweet on top of that, especially the last one, which usually involves a dark syrup. On Sundays we eat pancakes, which follows the same procedures. We also eat various types of hot porridge. Twice a week this is oatmeal, with an optional, usually more exotic ingredient, perhaps once a week. This leaves two or three breakfasts with granola.

Before there was a greater choice, with several cold cereals, but these are being eliminated. The general rule is that we only buy products that contain three or fewer ingredients, in an attempt to avoid ultra-processed foods. Take Kellogg’s Rice Krispies as an example. In addition to Snap, Crackle and Pop, they typically contain rice, sugar, salt and malt flavoring. They may also include added vitamins and minerals, but specific ingredient lists vary by area. This is at least one ingredient too many.

I try to follow a daily routine, at all times, especially with respect to liquids: a cup of green tea at breakfast = 09:00, followed by glasses of water interspersed with cups of black coffee. After dinner = 14:00, I only drink water and herbal teas. Otherwise, I may drink two, possibly three, bottles of non-alcoholic beer throughout the year. No other carbonated beverages. We also eat a third meal, an evening snack = 19:00. Note: different rules apply when travelling!

Yes, people should reduce the amount of processed and ultra-processed food they eat. I have not yet eliminated everything from my diet in those categories, but am making progress. With hard, outdoor chores we allow ourselves to indulge in two cookies each, or divide a small chocolate bar between us, or even eat a pair of crown ice-cream cones = krone-is. Trish eats chocolate flavour, while I eat strawberry. Strawberry is a recent indulgence, perhaps a decade old, when I allowed myself to admit that I sometimes preferred the taste of strawberry to chocolate, at least in ice cream. One Tuesday, Trish dug out some Ukrainian chocolate that Oksana had sent us.

Inderøy has its own chesse and ice-cream manufacturer, Gangstad gårdsysteri = Gangstad farm cheese factory, located in the north of the municipality, not far from the boundary with Steinkjer. It has an interesting internet address = ysteri.no = cheesefactory.no. Its products are expensive, and we don’t normally buy products made there.

In terms of the ice-cream hierarchy, the next most expensive ice-creams commonly available are produced by Hennig-Olsen, started by Sven Hennig-Olsen (1899–1945) in Kristiansand in 1924, after a trip to Chicago. It has an ice-cream market share in Norway of 46%. Hennig-Olsen Ice Cream set a world record in 2015 with the World’s Largest Crown Ice Cream. The crown ice cream was 3.08 m high and contained 1080 l of ice cream, 60 l of chocolate and 40 l of strawberry jam. It was consumed by an audience of approximately 9000 people who were present in Kristiansand during the awarding ceremony. The ice cream is featured in the Guinness World Records book for 2018.

This is followed by Diplom Is who produce a bog standard product. This brand is owned by Tine, the Norwegian dairy co-operative. The forrunner of Diplom, launched Krone-Is in 1953, but increased its size and price (to NOK 1 = one crown) in 1954. We buy the almost identical Coop brand, which is a lower priced variant.

Gangstad is not the only Inderøy company that has a generic internet address. Take Ystgård gartneri, where we buy most of our vegetables as well as eggs, when they are not available at our local farm. It has gartneri.no = horticulure.no (according to Google translate). I would have said something more like garden centre. Located in Straumen, they advertise that they are a local supplier of flowers, vegetables, farm food, eggs and funerals in Nord-Trøndelag.

Yes, I would like people to believe that I always avoid carbonated beverages! However, that is just the situation when I am at Cliff Cottage. When travelling I can indulge myself, especially with root beer when travelling in north America. In Europe, travel may involve cola. I remember that in 2023 I drank a bottle of cola with lime (or was it lemon?) taste. This was repeated in 2025.

Once I even misunderstood Alasdair, and avoided a taste treat that I had hoped to find = non-alcoholic Guinness, in Portsmouth, England in 2024. I have regretted mishearing him ever since. I think he understood that if he encountered it in the future, he is not to ask, but just buy to buy it. His expenses will be reimbursed. I did get a chance to taste this in 2025 and have decided I do not need to repeat the experiment again.

In Inderøy, we – on occasion – support local cafes and restaurants, this includes: Kjerringa med Straumen = The old woman with the flow, which is a double play on words rooted in Norwegian literary history: Kjerringa mot strømmen = The old woman against the flow (1871), a fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen (1812 – 1885) og Jørgen Moe (1813 – 1882), inspired by the brothers Grimm. Straumen is the name of the municipal centre, but it refers to its tidal flow in and out of Børgin, the local fjord. Strøm, strømmen (with the definite article -en) is a more general name for a tidal/ river current. Also located in Straumen is the Internet Cafe, as well as a cafe run by the Sanitetsforeningen, a woman’s health group. In addition, there are eateries at Kjerknesvågen, Mosvik, Røra and Sandvollan.

Outside of Inderøy, we also stop at Biltema = Car Theme, a warehouse store that originally focused on automotive components, for various types of milkshakes, usually chocolate. This may happen once a month. We also eat pizza at specific restaurants in Steinkjer, Verdal, Stjørdal and some more distant places. In the Detroit area, Brad has encouraged us to be enthusiastic about Buddy’s pizza. I can understand his point. The frequency of these visits? Well, perhaps once or twice a year, in total.

In the distant past, and for possibly twenty years there was a Chinese restaurant in Steinkjer, and another in Verdal. We preferred to patronize the one in Steinkjer, located close to the library. However, it suddenly closed down. I suspect the owner had made his fortune, and retired to China. It was replaced by another, more upscale one, that we have avoided patronizing, except for a first visit.

At Norwegian hotels, breakfast is expected to be included, in the price of a room. It is a major performance, and includes quality ingredients. Take eggs as an example. They will be available in a minimum of hard boiled, soft boiled, scrambled and fried variants. There will always be a large quantity of different types of fruit and breads available. However, one should avoid the Scandic chain. It is now charging extra for breakfast. Outside of Norway, the quality of breakfasts quickly deteriorates.

At one time, we tried to support independent local restaurants, but this is now avoided, as there is too much variation in quality and too much salt. If we do have a meal at a fast-food chain in Norway, it is most often at a Burger King. It offers a standardized experience. However, I did appreciate eating a vegetarian burger at T.G.I. Friday’s in Bergen.

This post began when I wrote that visiting north America is usually an excuse for me to drink root beer. Theoretically, root beer is available in parts of Norway, near Stavanger. It is typically consumed by American oil engineers. Otherwise, it is not consumed, and is unavailable.

The World, including North America

Travel usually involves eating other meals in restaurants. For me, this is seldom enjoyable, because of excessive salt usage, and ultraprocessed foods. At one time, I tried to find places that looked like diners. This has become more difficult. On my travels to the Maritime provinces and Maine in 2025, I learned that I could order something to eat without fries.

A trip to British Columbia usually involves at least one dinner at a White Spot restaurant, founded in 1928, at Granville and 67th Avenue, in Vancouver. In addition, A & W = Allen & Wright Restaurants, is a preferred choice for fast food, distinguished by its draft root beer in frosted mugs. The Canadian A & W head office is located in North Vancouver. The first Canadian A&W restaurant opened in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1956. However, A & W’s origins date to 1919, in Lodi, California, south of Sacramento. It claims to be the oldest extant chain, after Fred Harvey’s Company, started in 1876 but now closed, with varying proposed dates. This is disputed by Nathan’s Famous, where Nathan Handwerker started a restaurant on Coney Island in 1916. It was only a single restaurant until 1959, when it became a chain. My dating proposal is to date chains from the time they acquired their second restaurant, so Nathan’s Famous, is far down on my list.

Two other fast-food chains I appreciate had locations in New Westminster, British Columbia, in my formative years: Dairy Queen, founded in 1940 in Joliet, Illinois; and, the International House of Pancakes (IHOP), founded in 1958 in Toluca Lakes, a neighbourhood in Los Angeles, California. Because of its proximity to my sister’s house, there is also Wendy’s, founded in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio. At the top of my list, but no longer in existence, was Beano’s, visited regularly because of its location on Sixth Street in New Westminster, with a second location on Kingsway near the Renfrew Loop = bus station, and good tasting chocolate sundaes, in the late 1970s. I prefer waffles made at the local Waffle House, in New Westminster, rather than pancakes at IHOP. Waffle House is not part of a chain.

I am not enthusiastic about all restaurant chains. I am hesitant to use: KFC, founded in 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah; and, Macdonald’s, founded in 1955 in San Bernardino, California. 1969. I am neutral towards: Denny’s, founded in 1953 in Lakewood, California; Burger King, also founded in 1953 but in Miami, Florida; T.G.I. Fridays, founded in 1965 in Dallas, Texas, and Wendy’s founded in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio. I had a very positive experience of the Rainforest Cafe at Metrotown in Burnaby, British Columbia, and was enthusiastic to repeat the experience. However, when I did try it again, in London, England, all of its charm had worn away. It was started in 1994, by a Houston, Texas, company.

In California, in addition to Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, I hope to visit the original A & W in Lodi. It is 130 km away from Shelagh, Derek and Quinn’s house. There are also several branches of In-N-Out Berger, founded in 1948 in Baldwin Park, in Los Angeles county, California. There is also one in Oakland, about 10 km away from Shelagh and family. Also on my restaurant bucket list is a meal at Carl’s Jr, founded in 1941 in Los Angeles. It allegedly appeals to hungry, young males. Depending on the route taken, there is one only 5.5 km away from Shelagh.

Note: Bog standard is a Norwegian expression, originally Danish, where bog (Danish) = bok (Norwegian) = book (English). So it refers to something done following the book = the rules.