ASI is a museum, cultural center and historic mansion located just south of downtown Minneapolis.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
The Turnblad Mansion at twilight, 1/15/13.
Swedish American Institute. Outside look of the solarium.
One of the fun things Thor and I did with Ali and Eliza is go to the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. Ali’s family is Swedish so they go there a lot but it was my first time visiting! It was real nice and there was good food there too. We saw an exhibit on knitting and yarn which I liked (I’m a knitter after all!) and we saw a great goat mascot that is actually named after Thor’s mama, Freya! Thor liked seeing all the Scandinavian things and his likeness throughout the museum. He also (of course) loved all of the food at the Fika cafe.
We’re proud to call the Phillips West Neighborhood home! Peavey Park - bounded by Franklin Ave., Park Ave., Chicago Ave., and 22nd St. - is just four blocks north of ASI. The second annual Peavey Park Celebration will be held on Saturday, Sept. 15 (noon - 7 p.m.).
The 11th annual Minnesota Tile Festival will be at ASI that same day - next Saturday is apparently THE day for free festivals in our neighborhood!
FIKA (“fee - kuh”), the café at the American Swedish Institute, opened July 10 inside the new Nelson Cultural Center. On the changing lunch menu are a variety of salads, open-face sandwiches, soups and sides… and they’re as delicious as they are pretty!
With the Turnblad Mansion in full view, guests dining at FIKA can choose from an ever-changing seasonal lunch menu dedicated to regional ingredients and Nordic traditions. From espresso and pastries to salads and open-face sandwiches, FIKA features traditional Swedish delicacies alongside modern interpretations of the New Nordic Cuisine.
Guests at FIKA will choose from a menu featuring regionally sourced ingredients, guided by Chef Michael Fitzgerald, who joins FIKA from restaurants like Tilia, Sea Change, Solera and Barrio. Fitzgerald started his decade-long career at Auriga working with celebrated chef Doug Flicker.
In Sweden, fika is a daily break, traditionally involving coffee and treats… but it’s about much more than caffeine and carbohydrates. It’s a Swedish social institution, where friends, family and colleagues take time to sit down and chat about life and current events.
FIKA opens at 7 a.m. on weekdays (9 a.m. on Saturdays and noon on Sundays) and stays open until 2 p.m. Mondays, 8 p.m. Wednesdays, and 5 p.m. all other days of the week.
FIKA is on Facebook and Twitter.
Oh, and the food? Three of the sides and one salad are pictured. 1) White asparagus, gravlax (lox/marinated salmon), smoked almonds, pine syrup. 2) Fingerling potatoes, pickled onions, smoked salmon roe, herb aioli. 3) Pine needle smoked pork belly, watermelon radishes, fennel salad, green pea puree. 4) Beet salad.
The American Swedish Institute’s new Nelson Cultural Center opens tomorrow. Take a sneak peek inside with Pamela Diedrich’s photos.
We just sent the following letter to Stephen Colbert in response to this video.
Dear Mr. Colbert,
It has come to our attention that you’ve been angling to take over the official Twitter account for the country of Sweden for a week. We also understand your efforts up to this point have been unsuccessful. We surely wish you luck as you continue to pursue this worthy goal.
In the meantime, the American Swedish Institute, one of the largest Swedish-American organizations in the U.S., would like to offer you control of our American Swedish Twitter feed for one day this week or next. We know this isn’t quite the same as tweeting for an entire nation, but as a major hub of American-Swedish relations, we hope you will find it an acceptable short-term substitute. Who knows, maybe the actual Sweden will see the work you’ve been doing for us, and reconsider.
You can tweet in English, Swedish, or in some hilarious, fakey mix of the two. We leave the comedy up to you, sir.
For us, the timing couldn’t be better - the American Swedish Institute is hosting a “Grand Öpening” of our newly expanded facility in Minneapolis on Sat., June 30. The Swedish Ambassador to the US, His Excellency Jonas Hafström, will also be in attendance. Just sayin’.
We offer you the tweeting responsibilities for sometime during Grand Öpening week, or some other time that would be more convenient for you. Like today.
Yours in Swedishness,
(the American kind)
Bruce Karstadt
President and CEO
American Swedish Institute
June 30, 2012 will be one of the most important moments in the history of the American Swedish Institute, so we’re throwing a party and inviting everyone!
Low Concert at Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery, June 9
The Friends of the Cemetery had great success last year when Jeremy Messersmith played on a nice Saturday afternoon in October. They raised $30,000 for fence restoration.
This year Low and Zoo Animal are playing on Saturday June 9th. All proceeds from ticket sales will continue to go towards the fence restoration project of this Minneapolis historic landmark. If this year’s show is successful, they believe it will become an annual event. This year also promises to have another food vendor and a better sound and stage setup.
We’re looking forward to this concert, put on by our neighbors (they’re just over a mile from ASI!) and fellow historic site Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery. Last year’s concert by Jeremy Messersmith was a real treat, and this year’s benefit concert promises to be just as good if not better!
If you’re planning on going, might we recommend sticking around in the neighborhood afterwards as Northern Spark festivities kick off at the American Swedish Institute and other venues across town at 9 p.m.? Northern Spark is a free dusk-to-dawn nuit blanche (white night) arts festival taking place across Minneapolis June 9–10. At ASI, we welcome you into our Castle Courtyard where you can enjoy an outdoor performance by the Eclectic Ensemble; Swedish-style organic hot dogs served with mashed potatoes, cold beer, pop and wine at our romantically-lit outdoor food bar; and bike (or body!) yarn-bombing.
Let’s hold our thumbs (that’s Swedish for crossing one’s fingers) for beautiful weather on June 9!
Bestselling Swedish author Liza Marklund visited ASI this morning for fika (coffee time) and a tour of the Turnblad Mansion. She was an absolute joy to spend time with! Here she is (fourth from the left) with a group of ASI staff.
If you enjoy crime fiction and haven’t read her books, we highly recommend them!
