Savory New Swedish Restaurant In Naples

There's a savory new Swedish restaurant in Naples that you have to put on your list of places to try. If you've been in the Palm Beach area lately, you may've seen or heard of Waxin's. Now you don't have to drive across the state to experience it. You just have to head to Mercato in North Naples for the new location.

I've only been to Sweden once and loved it. In fact, one of my top five most memorable dining experiences ever, was in the coastal town of Malmö, right across the water from Copenhagen, Denmark. So I was really excited to try this new spot.

It's only been open a few days but from my perspective and experience, ran like a well-oiled machine. If you're only experience with Swedish cuisine is in the food court at IKEA, you are in for a treat.

The menu is a mix of both Swedish and American cuisine. Just in case you can't figure out that something called Wallenbergare is not American, the menu has the designation of (SWE) to indicate the Swedish specialties.

Perhaps the most universally known Swedish food is meatballs or köttbullar. Here is what the dish looks like at Waxin's.

These meatballs come in a cream sauce and topped with lingonberries. The dish is served with a side of more lingonberries, pickled cucumber and potato puree. It's a signature and a must try item, good for sharing.

We actually began the meal with Swedish Style Caviar. The caviar is from herring and it was nice and snappy. Not too salty or fishy. It came with creme fraiche, diced red onions. We mixed it all together and spread it on the toast.

The caviar was particularly good with a glass of Chandon sparkling wine from California

Another must-try appetizer was a Swedish shrimp dish called Toast Skagen. The shrimp come from cold water, not the Gulf of Mexico.

They are sweet and dressed in a sauce of lemon-dill mayo and horseradish. Put a scoop on a piece of butter fried toast and it's fantastic. The menu suggests having it with a glass of Sancerre, a white French wine. I agree.

One of the things I love about this menu is suggested beverage pairings for each dish. It helps if you are not familiar with the flavors or are trying to learn about food and wine pairings for the optimal dining experience.

Next, look at how pretty this carpaccio is. I did not try it but could not resist posting this photo. It's on my list of things to order next time.

Because it was so cold out my date and I wanted something warm and comforting, like pasta. Plus, I wanted to try a dish that was not from Sweden to see how it was prepared. The Bucatini Bolognese did not disappoint.

The ragu was made with veal, pork and beef. The pasta was cooked perfectly. I would for sure get this again. Servers also raved about the carbonara which is made with egg yolk and aged Parmesan. Another dish on my list for next time.

The dessert menu looked inviting and we almost sprang for one, until we had a Hotshot. Look at the care the bartender takes in making this dessert shot.

It starts with a vanilla liqueur at the the bottom of the glass. Next, the bartender uses a small spoon to gently add hot expresso so it stays layered. Last step is cream. It's not something I would typically order but now I'm hooked.

This signature shot has become so popular at the Waxin's location on the east coast that on weekends, they bring in a bartender to do nothing but make Hotshots. They go through hundreds in a night.

Waxin's, the New Swedish restaurant in Naples is on the main drive at Mercato. It has a spacious outdoor area with a retractable door around the bar to make the dining room feel connected to the outdoors.

Waxin's is open daily for lunch and dinner. Book a table and try something new.