Lutefisk? Check. Lefse? Check. Brunost, pickled herring, and Swedish brown beans? Check, check, check.
For nearly a century, Norwegians, Swedes, Danes, Finns, Icelanders, and their MN-born descendants have lined up at Ingebretsen’s, the ultimate Midwest-Nordic emporium. The Powderhorn staple is run by Julie Ingebretsen, granddaughter of O.G. founder Charles “Bud” Ingebretsen, Jr., and Steve Dahl, son of Bud’s business partner Warren. The shop is famous for its Swedish meatball mix, which is sold year-round but draws lines out the door at Christmastime.
That’s just scratching the surface though. Ingebretsen’s sells an array of God Jul goodies, including Tomte ornaments and electric candelabras. Also: big plastic tubs of homemade fruit soup and Swedish almond cream, frozen Icelandic cod fillets, hefty wheels of Finn Crisp knäckerbröd (traditional whole rye crisp bread), canned mackerel, Icelandic chocolate bars, Carr Valley Fenn-Vusto (squeaky bread cheese), Viking pewter brooches, painted Dala horses, and Icelandic kelp soap.
As unique as the products are, the grocery store and gift shop is a hub because it’s so deeply entrenched in the local Scandinavian community. You can practice your Norwegian here, pick up tips on baking kransekake, deep dive on Danish genealogy, or take a spoon carving class. With Ingebretsen’s as your beacon, anything is possible. 🇸🇪 🇳🇴 🇩🇰 🇫🇮 🇮🇸
Ingebretsen’s
1601 E. Lake St., Minneapolis, MN; 612-729-9333.
