From the brothers who brought you Roma and Patriots Tavern comes a new restaurant inspired by the ancestors of many Minnesotans. Valhalla Nordic Smoke & Ale House is the new place to get your northern European eats (and drinks) in town.
Brent and Brian Pilrain, pictured on page 16 and 17 respectively, both grew up in restaurants. “All I’ve ever done was work in kitchens,” Brent says. He started washing dishes at 13, and by the time he graduated from high school, he knew he had to take on culinary school. Brian, too, was working in butcher shops and restaurants for years before the brothers realized they should work together. “That’s how the little deli started,” Brent says. “We took the butcher side and we took my restaurant side to form a little deli and that quickly grew into what Roma became.”
They realized they were onto something with the ancient Rome- and European-themed Roma, so they found a spot in Liberty Village in Stillwater. “That whole development is built out in a colonial New England style,” Brian says. “It’s a really nice community, and the building we’re in looks like an 18th-century tavern.” So they created Patriots Tavern and “got to showcase some fun foods that we didn’t get to do at Roma,” Brian says, “and that’s really what ignited the fire, I think.”
That fire was like a burning arrow shot from a Viking ship—and it was aimed a block down from Roma at the old bowling alley. The brothers first considered moving Roma to this location so they’d be able to expand their catering business, but when they entered, the gears in their minds started turning. The dark wood interior, their northern European ancestry and their love for history sealed the deal: Viking hall.
“We take a lot pride and have a lot of fun in the research and testing of the recipes,” Brent says. The décor, too, matches the theme with shields and swords adorning the walls—handmade by Brent himself—and paintings of Norse gods by local artist Tom Stewart.
“We want our guests to come into our restaurants and feel like they’ve stepped into a theme,” Brian says.
Brent adds, “Without it being cheesy or hokey.”
Customers are in for the whole experience. Many Norwegian and Swedish classics grace the menu, including fresh cod and salmon items, Swedish meatballs “and simple meat-and-potato dishes that are very hardy and very comforting,” Brent says. “There’s a lot of Scandinavians in the Upper Midwest, and people love to eat that heavy food,” he says.
And, Brent notes, “These were Nordic Vikings that we’re going after the theme with. They were hardy guys. Big, burly, bearded guys.” So there’s a lot of protein on the menu, but things not typical on an American menu including duck, venison and rabbit. Customers seem to be more adventurous to try those items when immersed in the Viking theme, he says. “The breaded and deep-fried rabbit has been extremely popular.”
But it’s not just the proteins that make the menu Nordic. “We’re taking ingredients that would have been used as spices in the northern regions,” Brian says. “On our venison loin filet, they’re using a juniper rub to season it,” something typical in northern Europe. As for signature food items, look for the bone marrow pot pie, Brian says. “It’s got a bone sticking out of the middle of the pot pie.” The pie is delicious on its own, he says, but add the delicacy of the bone marrow and the presentation, and it’s a hit. “It comes out on the plate and people are like, ‘Wow, what is that?’ ”
If you’re there for dinner, or for their favorite meal, brunch, check out the Gulden Draakwurst—a housemade beer sausage made with Gulden Draak Belgian ale. Speaking of beer, they have about 40 on tap, both local and European beers that fit the theme. HammerHeart Brewery in Lino Lakes is doing northern European-style beers using wood barrels so their beers are on the tap list. “We’re importing the best mead we’ve ever tasted in our life,” Brent says. And its name is Viking’s Blood.
“We have other great meads, too, and you don’t usually see a mead list,” Brian says. They also carry some wines you won’t find just anywhere. “Vikings were traditionally great tradesmen,” Brian says. “So we got some Portuguese wines that they would have had access to.” Not surprisingly, the cocktail list has Scandinavian influences in its liquors featuring local companies such as Norsemen Distillery in Minneapolis.
The energy and research put in to Valhalla is shown clearly by smiles on the brothers’ faces: “It’s a 12th-century warriors hall,” Brian says proudly. “The old Scandinavian guild halls would be similar to our tap room,” with seating around a center focal point—usually the feast table or fire pit. Here, it’s the bar.
“We dig pretty deep into it and we get involved, and that’s why we have a lot of fun with it,” Brent says. “We’ve always felt we’ve got to have fun going to work. You should love what you do and have a good time at it.”
Skäl!
A Look at the Menu
Duck rillette: Made with pulled duck, fried arugula, mustard, lingonberry jam, and crostini. $9.
Gravad lox: Nova cured salmon, lemon crème fraîche, red onion, dill, capers and caviar, and rugbrod crisps. $8.
Fish and chips: Ale-battered cod with Belgian-style pommes frites. Single order, $9. Double order, $15.
Nord Fjord burger: 1/3-pound house-ground beef, with bacon marmalade, grilled apple and snofrisk cheese. $12.
