If you're hankering for a taste of Sweden, a restaurant in downtown West Palm Beach is now offering a specially curated menu featuring a short list of dishes that channel its own take on some Nordic favorites.
Normally open for breakfast and lunch, Johan’s Jöe Swedish Coffee House & Café, has become a local favorite since opening in 2015. Specializing in coffee and light fare for hanging and grazing during the day, it's also one of the best spots in town to savor fika, the official word used to describe the Swedish coffee break.
Johan’s Jӧe promises customers the "perfect" cup of Joe thanks to its organic, fair trade coffee and tea sourced from the award-winning Löfbergs, a Swedish coffee roaster founded in 1906. This coffee, paired with cafe's selection of house-made pastries derived from favorite family recipes, offers a quiet space to enjoy your afternoon.
To take their unique concept one step further, partners and current owners — Laura Olsson and Matti Klintberg — decided to expand Johan’s unique Scandinavian experience by expanding to offer an all-new dinner menu. Starting this week, the café is now open for dinner four days a week, served Wednesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m.
Staying true to its Noridc roots, the menu of authentic Swedish-inspired fare was composed in collaboration with local award-winning chef Aaron Black, longtime chef de cuisine at PB Catch.
Since officially launching on Friday, May 21, several of the new menu dishes are already earning rave reviews. That includes the Verlasso Salmon, pan-seared and smothered in a rich black currant glaze, served with braised savoy cabbage and crushed potatoes. The Pyttipanna, a traditional Swedish hash, is also making the spotlight, prepared here with diced sausage, potatoes, and onion and topped with a raw egg.
Of course, no Swedish menu would be complete without Swedish Meatballs, made with a blend of pork and beef and served with cucumber salad, mashed potatoes, wild whole lingonberries, and an herbed cream sauce. It pairs perfectly with the café's famous Swedish Pancake, delivered as dessert lightly dusted with powdered sugar and served with homemade berry preserves, fresh whipped cream, and Nutella.
In addition to dinner service, Johan’s Joe recently enhanced its outdoor seating area to make way for al-fresco dining day or night. The space now boasts spacious seating for up to 28 guests. The café will remain open for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon fika seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
“We are thrilled to be expanding to dinner and are excited to bring a taste of Swedish dinner to our friends and neighbors,” shared Olsson. “After the last year, we knew it was time to take the leap and expand our offerings, and chef Aaron Black is one of the best around. We are honored and excited to collaborate with him."
Johan’s Jöe Swedish Coffee House & Café. 401 S Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach; 561-808-5090; johansjoe.com.