Being a feebly-paid journalist does have its perks once in a while, such as giving the missus and I the opportunity to take in some food and drink at Modern American Diner (MAD – which also happens to mean ‘food’ in Danish) that opened last year.
Gotta have some hot stuff
Upon entering, the first thing I noticed was that MAD’s name complements its interior well. The modern design of the amply-spaced two-storey interior is loaded with sleek tables, bars and furniture, but just deftly lurking and suiting the place well is a smidgen of the traditional booth and stool aura that is typical of the traditional US diner.
The second thing I noticed was the hot sauce on the table. It wasn’t Tabasco. It was Frank’s Red Hot Original. I clinched a fist in jubilation. It may sound trivial, but hot sauce is a lifestyle back home. For the uninitiated, FRHO isn’t the hottest of the lot to be sure, but it does have a splendid cayenne pepper taste.
Grapes, grains, but no gripes
After being escorted to our seats by a courteous English-speaking waiter, we got stuck into the business of ordering drinks. I got a brilliant Moscow Mule, one of six cocktails on offer, while the missus got the Tom Collins, which also wet her whistle rather nicely I was informed.
MAD also has a nice selection of beers imported from the US, including a decent range of IPAs on bottle and draft, of which I ordered the tasty and slightly bitter Lagunitas IPA. They also have their own house beer from their brewery, as well as a host of wines from the US that the missus was eyeing with gusto.
A Brokeback Mountain of food
But I was ravenous now and my mouth was already watering due to the dash of Frank’s I had just sampled, so when the starter – Barbeque-marinated beef short rib and chicken wings – arrived I nearly bit the waiter’s hand as he set the food down on the table. It looked delicious and it didn’t disappoint.
The succulent meat simply slid clean off the bone and was so soft it nearly dissolved on my tongue. The chicken wings were a winner too, although the sauce could have kicked a little more.
The mains turned up shortly thereafter. The Ribeye steak was of commendable quality by Danish standards (hailing from Wyoming, I’m a tough sell on steaks) and an excellent Chilli cheese burger with a good-sized black angus beef patty was well versed with jalapenos, cheddar and chipotle mayo.
Circumspection with digestion
We were almost too stuffed for dessert thanks to the chilli fries and chipotle chilli sauce combo sides, but fortunately we managed to taste the house special, which turned out to be an absolutely fantastic Oreo-based
cheesecake.
As we slumped in our chairs digesting the meal, I couldn’t help but notice the quality location of MAD, which is right next to Tivoli on Vesterbrogade and a mere stone’s throw from the walking street.
Just across the street, we could see people lining up at a McDonalds. Pure MADness, I thought.
MAD
Vesterbrogade 1, Cph V; open daily 10:00-24:00; cheapest burger: 89kr; 3262 3623; info@madcph.dk; madcph.dk
