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I don’t post on Yelp all that often. I do so when I think a place is great and deserves to be recognized, and/or TripAdvisor doesn’t have a listing. There are 131 prior reviews that tell you a lot about the general features of the store and many praise the sandwiches. Let me focus on a different detail. The short of it is that I have been to this store multiple times before, rather infrequently. I went there recently because they make Swedish Potato sausages (Potato Korv). I also discovered their paté comes frozen in large and small sizes, and you can either bake it yourself, or you can buy the smaller size prebaked. The prices on both items are terrific (see below). It was a happy discovery. I will be back just for those items. The longer version of this story is that I had been buying Swedish potato sausage from an outfit in Wisconsin that in turn buys it from a producer in Illinois. You end up paying over $8/lb for it, and that does not include the shipping. When all is said and done, you have sausage with lots of mileage on it that runs you over $10/lb. The potato sausage at Nordic House is every bit as good, made on the premises, and runs you $4.95/lb. Don’t think I will be ordering that item from Wisconsin any more. The story on the paté is similar. Go to a local deli or specialty shop, and a small slice of paté will set you back over $5. At Nordic House you get a foil container, about the size of a pound of butter, and it was under $5. It is also delicious! I more recently started sampling their herring (pickled, with and without sour cream, and curried), and their crispbreads. I liked all three types of herring, and I like having crispbread around for those times when I am too busy to bake my own pain au levain and derivatives or fougasse. For those with a hankering for Scandinavian cheeses, you might want to check out their selection. To close, when I was there before Christmas, a customer was buying what looked like a full pork loin with the bones for his Christmas meal. I suspect that as you get to know the store and the people who run it, there are many other pleasant surprises. Check it out!

• Church of Sweden – Menu with Prices – 5 E 48th St, New York
• Gordon Food Service Store – Menu with Prices – 1003 Michigan St NE, Grand Rapids
• Legacy House Imports – Menu with Prices – 4221 Lien Rd, Madison
• The Spice & Tea Exchange® of Katy – Menu with Prices – 23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd E130, Katy
• Swedish Scoops Homemade Gelato & Coffee Bar – Menu with Prices – 26 N Raymond Ave, Pasadena
• Eggs ‘N’ Things – Menu with Prices – 27560 Newhall Ranch Rd #301, Valencia
• Heritage Amish Bake Shoppe – Menu with Prices – 3600 Dam Neck Rd, Virginia Beach
• Durso’s Pasta & Ravioli Company – Menu with Prices – 18901 Crocheron Ave, Flushing
• Oneco Meats – Menu with Prices – 6132 15th St E, Bradenton
• Le Macaron French Pastries – Menu with Prices – 12478 N Mainstreet, Rancho Cucamonga
• El Torito Meat Market – Menu with Prices – 2158 Lancaster Dr NE, Salem
• Tim Hortons – Menu with Prices – 1 Pine Grove Dr, Halifax

Church of Sweden – Menu with Prices – 5 E 48th St, New York

Lovely place. I used to come here a lot when my office was around the corner. Nice place to chill. Library/ cafe on the ground floor sells strong Swedish coffee, cinnamon buns, “goodis” (swedish candy), smorgos ( open faced sandwiches) and even cans of beer. They also sell cute swedish nick knacks. The usually quiet atmosphere ( sometimes swedish mothers meet here with their children) , Its like a little slice of Sweden itself. The only difference is you can’t just waltz right in and claim asylum. You have to appear before a locked door and security camera and ring a buzzer to be let in. The swedish state could learn a thing or two from its small outpost in lawless midtown Manhattan.

Gordon Food Service Store – Menu with Prices – 1003 Michigan St NE, Grand Rapids

I came here for a Yelp event, but ended up staying and shopping afterward: to be clear this review is just for my after event shopping. I had no idea what to expect when we came in, but it definitely was not “Small corner grocery story.” I was blown away about how nice the interior was, and the variety of things they had on hand. We live not far from this location so it’s great having another grocery store option. I’d put GFS as somewhere between a normal grocery store and Costco – they have bulk items like Costco has, but they have a larger variety of items than Costco, plus non-bulk like a normal grocery story has. It’s a really neat mix, and I really enjoyed just walking around and taking everything in. They had a really nice meat and deli counter, and a neat little bakery (they don’t make their bakery items in house, but have it shipped in from a small bakery in Chicago – they do decorate their items in house though). Prices are (as expected) good on a variety of items. They are better than our normal grocery store (D&W) on a lot of items, and are competitive or better than Costco on bulk items as well. There are obviously exceptions – candybars would be cheaper at Costco as an exmaple, but they had more variety so….it evens out. Anyway – Highly suggest checking this place out if you’re on the lookout for a better grocery store and live in the area.

Legacy House Imports – Menu with Prices – 4221 Lien Rd, Madison

LOVE LOVE LOVE this tearoom! You need to check it out! It’s like being invited into someone’s home. They have a variety of seating available for your tea time. You can sit on a couch and low table, or you can sit at a table near a window that overlooks a nice green space. It feels so casual and relaxed; but so darn fancy when they serve you tea and delectable treats. Their tea tray is full of sweets, breads, sandwiches and deliciousness! For two people, I would start with ordering an assorted tea tray and a pot of tea. As you enjoy your tea, you could always order additional items from their menu. The veggie sandwich was my favorite, followed by the cucumber sandwich. The scone with lemon curd, cream and jam was so divine. Yes, I said divine. We were the only table having tea this particular afternoon, but there were a few other customers who came in to the store portion and were buying items for themselves and others. The store attached has LOTS of cute and unique tea accessories and arts and crafts for sale. The prices were really good too! What a fun hidden gem right in Madison. There’s not a lot of places that serve afternoon or high tea in Wisconsin. This is a very affordable way to try such a fun tea experience.

The Spice & Tea Exchange® of Katy – Menu with Prices – 23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd E130, Katy

I had the best experience here today! It was my first time in and I stopped to buy some teas as Christmas gifts. I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for but Jocelyn; the owner helped me right away by giving excellent recommendations and samples. She answered all of my questions and gave me the run down of ingredients, etc. They had so many great options that I ended up buying six teas, some sea salts, sugars and some other miscellaneous items. I ended up buying some stuff for myself that I can’t wait to try! During this whole shopping experience I had my two year old with me that wanted to touch everything! Jocelyn was so patient and kind with him. She gave him items to play with and let him have a rock candy that he wouldn’t stop asking for. It also started to rain really really heavy while we were in the store so we stayed for awhile to let it pass and she entertained my son so sweetly and gave him glow sticks. She was his best friend quick! I had a great time there today during my extended shopping trip and came away with lots of great gifts! Great store and great owners!

Swedish Scoops Homemade Gelato & Coffee Bar – Menu with Prices – 26 N Raymond Ave, Pasadena

Have you been to Sweden? If yes and you’ve been missing their Swedish gelato, then head over to Old Town Pasadena for an incredible treat. For those people like me who haven’t been to Sweden, this is your chance to have a taste of their incredible treat. The shop is crisp and clean with a few tables to sit on. At the back of the store is the gelato lab where you’ll witness through the glass window how the magic begins. The staff is always friendly and accommodating. They had been so patient while I try different flavors. Can’t blame me as all flavors were outstanding making it really difficult to choose just one. Behind the glass shelves are an Assortment of 32 delectable creamy flavors with vegan options. You can try some of the flavors before deciding. Gelato here is made with high quality, fresh ingredients and no artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Gelato could be ordered in a cup, cones or adorable kiddie mugs. Scoops offers not only gelato but also Swedish candies, sundaes, smoothies, pastries, and other treats. The shop is also a coffee bar with hot or cold choices including teas. Sandwiches, salads, or wraps are also available. Talking about the perfect place to sit down for a meal, get coffee, and a scoop of gelato for dessert. Look no further as Swedish Scoops is the right place to be!

Eggs ‘N’ Things – Menu with Prices – 27560 Newhall Ranch Rd #301, Valencia

I really love Eggs N Things chain restaurants. Today, I stopped by at the Valencia one this morning and was very disappointed with the lack of food quality and poor management. I was in a rush to go to a meeting so I had only time for something that I was craving, which is Swedish Cepes. One of the things that is great about Eggs N Things is that they offer a complimentary two Swedish Crepes to everyone.However, what I ordered was 5 of them, thinking that I will get fresh 5 Swedish Crepes from a new batch. What I got was 5 crepes but they were cold, and a bit dry. I immediately figured out that what I received wasn’t from a fresh batch but what was likely to be given to other tables as complimentary item, the other customers would have received two for each table, and mine was a meal item. Long story short, when cashier asked me how my food was, I mentioned it was not great. Next to the counter was the manager,who the cashier looked at to make a comment or at least try to offer a refund. There was a momentary awkwardness before the manager tried to address my concern. I’ve explained that I felt like I received instead of a meal Crapes from a new batch, a mixed of crapes that were complimentary. Instead of an apology, and an inquiry about what was wrong, he began with the statement they are the same. I explained to the manager that they are not the same because mine were cold and dry…I also explained that it was unprofessional to argue with the customer and asked for my change. Although I really like this chain, I can’t see myself returning to the Valencia one.The whole interactions was unprofessional.

Heritage Amish Bake Shoppe – Menu with Prices – 3600 Dam Neck Rd, Virginia Beach

Greeted when we entered the store. The staff members were friendly our whole time in the shoppe and made sure to let them know if we needed anything. We loved walking around the shoppe. When you enter the shoppe they have that part but also if you walk down the hallway there is an expansion and there are more goods in there too. They have fresh baked goods ? cookies, brownies, pies, etc. They had spices, rubs, flour, sugar, chips, sodas, fudge, juice, handmade soap, crackers, candy, little toys, bags, pancake mixes, teas, jams, jellys, preserves, cookbooks, etc. The bake shoppe also connects to the Heritage Amish Furniture store. Plenty of parking outside and around the shoppe/furniture store. We bought a few items from the bake shoppe and have tried a few and enjoyed them and we plan to go back again soon. I love Amish shops. They are always friendly, stores are clean, and they have GREAT prices.

Durso’s Pasta & Ravioli Company – Menu with Prices – 18901 Crocheron Ave, Flushing

Italian food heaven. My family has been shopping at this place since forever. Probably about as long as it has been opened and that is a very long time now. I am talking somewhere between 30-40 years possible longer. The point is that if you love good Italian food head here. It is simply extraordinary in every way possible. The quality and variety of foods available, the the cleanest of the shop, the people that work there and their professional approach. Marvelous. They have a wide variety of prepared foods all beautifully displayed to tempt your appetite. I should add that if you go there hungry you are going to leave with more that you anticipated on buying. However, being that it is all delicious and freshly made, it is all good. Some of our favorites are chicken meatballs. Yeah, I know, I did not know that chickens had balls either. They have delicious macaroni and cheese, which is extraordinary for me to be mentioning as neither myself or my Mom like macaroni and cheese but we love their version. The green olive salad is a old favorite of ours. The sweet sopressata is probably our absolute favorite. They get it direct from some divine smoke house and there is nothing quite like it. While in Florida we frequented a wonderful Italian store near us, it simply does not compare to Durso’s, and that is especially true of the sopressata. As a matter of fact, the very first morning I woke up here, I headed to Durso’s to buy sopressata sandwiches among other delicious items to fill the fridge. I simply cannot recommend this place highly enough. Let me close with a funny story. At some point my Mom started buying the sweet dried sopressata sausage sliced and had it put in an aluminum container with a plastic cover. She put it on top of the refrigerator so our medium to large sized dog, Pepe could not easily reach it. But Pepe loved sopressata as well and I guess after she shared a couple of slices with him, he decided he wanted more. So while she was gone, he managed to shake that refrigerator and make that sopressata container come down to him and he gobbled the whole thing up. He was not even the least bit sorry either!

Oneco Meats – Menu with Prices – 6132 15th St E, Bradenton

Move aside chain stores, better cuts and tastier food is here! When driving up to big yellow sign, make sure to turn in. This is a place that is well deserving of frequent visits. Two big banners with suggestive food items on them. They’re the Philly and the Cuban. They’re amazing! Well prepared and the Philly is fresh cut! They also have breakfast items that will cause your salivary gland to go into overdrive. Deli foods are top notch with the potato salads, egg salads, and bake potatoes. To be clear, this is what a deli is supposed to be. Next, you have the best fresh cuts in all of Bradenton. Steak cut to order. You want it thin, thick, or in between? They’ll make it work. Lastly, the service is unmatchable. You smile and soon you can’t stop grinning. They are the slogan on the water tower, friendliest. Talk to the owner Scott or Patty. You’ll become regulars just to get a great laugh or fun story. The daughter is also honest and great at making suggestions. Top notch service and amazing staff.

Le Macaron French Pastries – Menu with Prices – 12478 N Mainstreet, Rancho Cucamonga

I’m beginning to think the people that have purchased here haven’t had a proper macaron or pate choux. I wanted to get a few items before our movie and I decide to give this place a try. My gut told me not to buy as much as I did based off of looks alone, but I gave it a try anyway. The feet on the macaron were spread and the shell was really shiny so I knew they were going to be dense and sugary.. The sizes were all very inconsistent and not uniform. I purchased 6 pieces @16.50. I normally dont care, especially when it’s a good quality macaron. I bit into the pistachio and it had only almond flavor, it was super sweet, and tasted as of it was frozen. Then I decided to give the salted caramel a try, once again, no caramel flavor, all almond, tasted like it was frozen, and not to mention the hair that came out with it. I was so disgusted that the other 4 stayed in the box. Next I tried the Madeline. It was pretty large and looked super moist. I took one bite and spit it out. It was dry and tasted like it had been baked on a pan that wasn’t properly cleaned so it had a burnt taste to it. Definitely a zero. Last but not least, the coffee eclair. My mom took a bite and said it tasted like old refrigerator. Which means it’s not fresh at all. I was honestly over it and didn’t care about getting my money back, but my mom insisted on going back in. When she went in she was told they dont give refunds. Which I see why because if they had as many complaints as mine, they’d be shut down. Dont trust the reviews.

El Torito Meat Market – Menu with Prices – 2158 Lancaster Dr NE, Salem

This is my favorite place to go byy authentic Mexican meats and other Foods. I almost always get the chicken fajitas and currently they been $ 2.79 pound they are awesome also their other marinated products such as carne asada. The butcher bar runs the whole width of restaurant. The butchers speak very well English. Look for homemade tamales! Take them camping or on a picnic all you really need is a small fire and the corn husks Shield it from the ash. The homemade salsa kicks! From Verde to habanero (very hot)! Starting in early spring they have a big ass wood barbecue. Was told it holds 30 chickens at a time. Some of the prices on things like beans and tortillas and potato chips soda, etcetera are little higher than a regular store would be but I am so thankful for them I want to keep them in business and I always have obliged to buy my side products there too if I’m Already There buying meat. Next time I go I will take some pictures period especially of the chicken barbecue. I’ll review the nearby bakery soon as well.

Tim Hortons – Menu with Prices – 1 Pine Grove Dr, Halifax

WASTE OF TIME. Not only is this Tim Hortons on Herring Cove/Pinegrove SLOW, many of it’s employees are incompetent. If you’re unclear on an order because of the intercom system, DOUBLE CHECK at the window. I ordered a large white hot chocolate and three oatmeal raisin cookies. It was dark, late and I didn’t double check everything. (Who does for hot chocolate and a cookie?!) I was handed a bag, and a cup, I gave her $6.50 (I wasn’t given a total so when she thanked me I figured, no biggie, just a tip)