The Norseman
Where? The Norseman (L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada) Map Menu
When? Wednesday June 26, 2024
Who? John, Sunshine and David
Food Style? Newfoundland
In the historic site l’Anse aux Meadows, the Vikings made their first landing in North America. This area is beautiful, though bitterly cold and windy today. In the distance, we can see the province of Labrador on the mainland, and an iceberg drifting in the ocean. Newfoundland is proving to be an expensive place for good food, most of the stuff we find here is deep fried seafood and we're not really in the mood to have that every day, so instead, we're going to try the award-winning restaurant close by, The Norseman.
Drink
Vinland Martini: Bakeapple liqueur, iceberg ice, iceberg vodka, partridgeberries, cranberry juice
The first thing we notice is the cocktail special on one of the placards. Sunshine loves her alcohol but won’t drink if she’s the only one, so I relent and we order two Vinland Martinis. She beams at the prospect of a nice drink after the waitress takes our order. The name Vinland was given to the area by Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson, around 1000AD, and refers to the area in North America beyond Greenland that was travelled to and inhabited by the Vikings. In addition to the appropriate name, the use of local partridgeberries and the iceberg ice makes this a very thematically apt cocktail. Sunshine wants to taste the iceberg ice but she drops it and a splash of the cocktail falls on the pristine white tablecloth. I wince and cover my eyes instinctively.
Mains
Duck confit: rutabaga gratin, partridgeberry reduction
Despite the temptation to get lobster for a second day in a row, I’ve gone with the duck. Partridgeberry is a small red berry commonly found in Newfoundland, and in fact I’ve encountered this before in Sweden, where it is known as the lingonberry. I've seen it growing in bushes around the island, especially in Gros Mourne National Park. It is very tart and has many different culinary uses - I’ve seen it in ice cream, in cakes and pastries, and here in this restaurant, it’s a sauce and a drink. As the duck is served, I immediately notice its aroma. Wow. It smells amazing and the meat pulls away so easily. It’s got that delicious fatty skin and the tartness of the reduction helps cut through that richness perfectly. I want more of it. The sweet rutabaga stack is really nice and the vegetables add that freshness and crunch to the meal. It is a bit small though, I’m going to need dessert, but that was delicious.
Dessert
Figgy Duff: blueberry, screech, bread pudding, screeh butter sauce
That’s fantastic. That sauce really has some richness and depth to it beyond the sweetness. The bread pudding is so soft and moist. Screech is a kind of liquor normally accompanied by kissing a cod - locals call this being “screeched in”. I’m still hungry after all of this, I think I’ll be eating fruits back at the Airbnb.
That was a good, solid meal with great local elements, but maybe a little small on the portion sizes.
Posted by Jeremy at 3:51am on Thursday October 23, 2025 :: 0 comments :: 