Find the most authentic smørrebrød in town at the Nordic Museum’s Freya cafe. Credit: ANDREW CARLIN

Find the most authentic smørrebrød in town at the Nordic Museum’s Freya cafe.

Find the most authentic smørrebrød in town at the Nordic Museum’s Freya cafe. ANDREW CARLIN

Fresh off a recent trip to Denmark, I came home infatuated with smørrebrød, the open-faced sandwiches found in just about every deli, pub, and snack bar north of Hamburg.

Because they’re often such perfect, dainty artworks, it feels rude to describe smørrebrød simply as “open-faced sandwiches.” Sure, they’re in the same family, but because there isn’t a piece of bread on top to smash everything down, the styling and composition is more creative, à la sushi. Overseas, the really involved smørrebrød are more like little food dioramas, so lovingly tweezed and landscaped that you can barely stand to ruin them with your dumb, clumsy mouth.

Meg van Huygen has been writing for The Stranger for half of her damn life, usually about food or local history. She was born on the Hill, grew up on Queen Anne, went to school in the CD, and presently...