There is a place in Oakland, California, called the Nordic House. It is the location of all things Scandinavia (including Finland, even though that distinction can go either way). I went there after Thanksgiving to get myself some good Scandinavian grub, coffee, and of course, my yearly supply of Glögg (mulled wine for you non-Scandinavian folk). 

I am going to just say this place is one of the coolest places in all the Bay Area. Where else can you get a Danish Santa, or a Finnish children's books, or a Norwegian license plate holder, or a Swedish candy bar? Nowhere. Nowhere else. That is why the Nordic House is so fresh.

Scandinavian pop star not named Jens, Peter, Bjorn, John, Lykke, El Perro del Mar, The Tallest, Air France, Tough Alliance, etc, etc, etc...  

Have you ever been to Copenhagen and needed a sausage from the street vendors? Some of the best street food on earth...

Getting my Glögg supply... Xmas comes early.

You can get as many cheeses from far away as you can... 

Those are a whole lot of letters put together that make a word that I can't pronounce ...

Your correspondent, before your correspondent drank the Glögg. 

The one with the soccer ball... on my mantle.

"Take a Finn's advice but never use it."

I know I'm making this post lighthearted, but seriously, spots like the Nordic House are vanishing from cities across the USA, and its a really big misfortune because what takes the place of a small business with over 70 years of history is some big business PF Changs, Chili's, or Office Max that just soak up any semblance of character that urban centers used to have. San Francisco and Oakland do a good job of keeping it local, and hopefully that can hang on a bit. Office Max has Black Friday, Nordic House has decades of history and customers who come back for that community and experience. I think that is extremely important.  

The spot on Telegraph is moving apparently to somewhere near Ashby and San Pablo (local speak, apologies), but hopefully I will be at the pre-Christmas bash next year as well... they do let non-Scandinavians in.