A Swedish prinsesstårta layered with green marzipan, whipped cream and raspberry jam tops off an upcoming dinner at Centro. (Photo: Getty)
Writer: Hailey Evans
dsm Associate Editor
Hallo, velkommen.
Centro is putting Italian on pause for one special night, “Under the Northern Lights: A Feast from the Fjords.” The five-course dinner on Jan. 24 will highlight Scandinavia flavors and celebrate the winter season.
Centro sous-chef Billy Wallace (pictured) was inspired by his mother to create a menu around his family’s Norwegian heritage. “We would cook lefse together, fry rosettes or bake bread together, and my mom would tell me stories of her doing those same things with her grandma,” he said. “They’re some of her most treasured memories from her childhood.”
While he was researching dishes to include, he talked with family about memorable meals and tried out new recipes he found in cookbooks. He also credits the work of Michelin-starred chef Magnus Nilsson as a resource for Swedish cooking and traditional foods.
One of Wallace’s uncles researched their ancestry even further, and found Danish and Swedish roots, too. “Our bloodline goes back to Viking times, and it’s fun to think about how long our family has been making these dishes,” Wallace said.
Of course, the menu starts out with handmade Norwegian lefse.
“When I asked my aunts and mom how far back the tradition of lefse goes, they said that my great-great-great grandmother Else Steenerson brought it with her from Norway to America in the 1890s,” he said. “The traditional lefse that we know with butter, cream, potatoes and flour dates back about 250 years ago, when potatoes were introduced to Norway. But similar flatbreads go back even further to Viking times.”
The menu also includes Danish smørrebrød (pictured), which involves roast beef, remoulade sauce, fried shallots and herbs on a toasted dark rye bread, and then lohikeitto, a Finnish salmon chowder that started as “simple peasant food” but quickly became a staple in Nordic cuisine. “It’s hearty enough to keep you warm in the winter, but bright and fresh enough to be enjoyed year-round,” Wallace said.
Course four is the national dish of Norway, fårikål, which literally translates to “sheep in cabbage.”
And for dessert: prinsesstårta, or princess cake, a green marzipan layer cake with raspberry jam, vanilla pastry cream and whipped cream. The recipe was first documented in the 1930s Swedish cookbook “The Prinsessornas Kokbok.” The cookbook and the cake are so named because the author tutored Princess Margaret of Denmark, Crown Princess Martha of Norway and Crown Princess Astrid of Belgium — all daughters of Swedish Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland.
After the meal, diners will be sent home with goodies to be enjoyed with their tea or coffee the following morning, mimicking the Swedish cultural concept of “fika.” It roughly translates to “coffee break,” but the social ritual is treated as a deliberate break in the day to connect with others over a drink and a snack, like pastries or cookies.
Wallace said these dishes might not be well-known, but he hopes this dinner opens people up to a new culture and gets them curious to learn more.
Heads up: Tickets are limited. Centro general manager Taylor Thompson said once seats sell out, they’ll move interested parties to a waitlist but can’t guarantee spots. However, the Centro culinary team has plans for several other themed dinners throughout 2026.
