Stockholm Inn
May 9, 2008by Shannon
The Stockholm Inn will be one of the very few restaurants we review that has a website, but we felt it was necessary to begin with this eatery because it is a Rockford icon. According to their website they are Rockford’s “favorite restaurant” and they serve 2,500 breakfasts each weekend. Wow! That means they must have some serious pucks and sauce.
We arrived for breakfast at 7 a.m. on a Friday and it was clear they relied on the weekend crowd to pay the bills because this day there weren’t too many people eating. The service was prompt and friendly with our waitress serving us a thermos of coffee and handing us two menus.
The menus were merely a formality as we knew what we were going to order. Of course we were going to get the biscuits and gravy, but both of us were geared up for some of their legendary Swedish Pancakes.
Within a short eight minutes after placing our order we were served our food.
The Review:
I went into the Stockholm this morning having been there once previously. I knew their Swedish pancakes were excellent, but how were they at preparing their biscuits and gravy? Let me cut to the chase. I was mostly unimpressed.
I found the biscuits to be a bit cakey (get used to the lingo folks) and lacking in texture. They reminded me of store bought biscuits (not the wannabe biscuits in a can, but the frozen discs you get in a bag) and left my mouth wanting more in texture.
There is a delicate balance between the gravy and the little round mounds on my plate. While I believe the gravy is the star of the show, it is equally important to have a good supporting cast. I don’t want the biscuit to be better than the gravy, but it must also not detract from the sauce.
The gravy was a bit pasty and a little on the thick side—but only a little thick. I didn’t taste or feel that silky texture that comes from making the gravy from the sausage grease. It was simply too floury. In addition, I thought the overall flavor was a bit flat and bland, but this is something you can expect from a restaurant who is trying to please 2,500 people. Too much salt, pepper and other spices and you won’t be selling your breakfast of champions to those over 60. The thinking is to keep in bland and let people season it to their liking at the table. This demonstrates a lack of culinary commitment in my opinion.
The flavor of the actual sausage in the gravy was good, but the pieces were a bit small not helping to provide those taste explosions we expect out of our gravy.
I’m giving the Stockholm Inn 2.5 forks as this meal was just average.
Coffee: 2 spoons
Why would someone eat biscuits and gravy at Stockholm Inn? Are they known for that? Pardon my ignorance (which I’m sure you are accustomed to doing), but aren’t they known for Swedish Pancakes? Basing a review of SI on biscuits and gravy is like basing a review of Outback Steakhouse on their chicken fingers.
I’m with you though on floury gravy. If I’m going to eat something that’s unhealthy, it had better taste good.
Oh, and by the way, I’m honored to be FIRST to comment.
Anybody that serves biscuits and gravy has opened themselves up to the scrutiny of the Greasy Fork.
Shannon, you come down here to my house right now. I will teach you to make the cream gravy you crave. The problem is you have to learn it – like I learned it from my mom who learned it from her mom, etc. I’ll be happy to try to describe it to you, but it’s really more about feel and look than amounts.
Most restaurants do not make their gravy from scratch. Almost all have a mix to which they sometimes add stuff to try to make it taste home made. I gave up on trying to find a decent restaurant version of biscuits and gravy years ago, but if you find one that serves it up right, you let us know!
Oh, I forgot one more thing. There are two gravy camps in this world: sausage and bacon. I’m in the bacon camp. I don’t know if it’s a regional thing or a family thing. It’s definitely my family’s preference.
Bacon in gravy isn’t really discussed in polite company where I grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We were served biscuits and gravy for our break times at school. Mrs. Whitely (my home economics teacher) makes the best biscuits and gravy I’ve ever had. She swears the secret ingredient is White Lily Flour only. Since I’ve moved to Rockford, I’ve never ever had biscuits and gravy that was tasty. Very disappointing. I love the website. Even though you’re both crazy.
Karyn, You will have to let me know how the B&G are in China.