Swedish meatballs are having a moment in Twin Cities restaurants

There’s one Swedish meatball certainty: It must be served with creamy gravy. From there, meatball paths diverge.

Just as many home cooks put their own spin on the holiday classic, restaurants do, too. Ground beef and pork is the traditional meaty makeup, but you’ll also find chicken, plant-based, bison and wild rice in the mix.

Sides range from mashed potatoes to noodles and garlic toast. Lingonberries are the preferred accompaniment, but cranberries will do in a pinch, a welcome pop of color to the tasty but pale plate. Even the gravy will vary: always creamy, but sometimes with “flourishes” like mushrooms and mustard.

The hallmark of Swedish meatballs is the spices used to make them — primarily nutmeg and allspice — which is why creamy gravy is such a cozy partner. (Similarly, Italian meatballs, infused with Parmesan and oregano, make them a natural with tomato sauce.)

But no need to wait for a holiday to enjoy this Midwestern staple. These Twin Cities-area restaurants are ready to bring you comfort and, trust us, joy.

This new bar and restaurant has more than a bit of Minnesota supper club in its DNA, including the menu addition of Swedish meatballs. The difference here is that a black pepper-flecked chicken sausage stands in for the standard meat mix and it is served over cremini mushrooms. The cream gravy can be sopped up with the slices of grilled baguette included. For $16, it serves as either an entree or a hearty starter to share with friends. (Joy Summers)

$16; 656 Grand Av., St. Paul; russellsstpaul.com

This two-person pop-up inside Bar Brava’s natural wine bar knows how to build a plate of rich comfort food with Scandinavian flair. Sydney Reuter and Axel Pineda both used to work at Fika, but they also come to this cuisine through taste memory and passion: Pineda in childhood and Reuter who leaned into her Nordic heritage and travels through Norway. Together they build plates of sumptuous gravy poured over tender meatballs with just a bit of crust and top it off with the necessary pops of lingonberries over a landscape of mashed potatoes. The result is heavenly and pairs exceptionally with an Alsatian riesling, which Brava owner Dan Rice recommends to balance and enhance those decadent flavors. (J.S.)

$15; 1914 Washington Av. N., Mpls., barbravamn.com

If you need a little help feeling jolly, there’s no better time to visit the American Swedish Institute. Dressed in its holiday best, it’s a winter wonderland, and sitting in the award-winning cafe with a plate of the iconic Swedish meatballs makes it feel like you’re the guest of honor at Christmas dinner. Gently juniper-spiced meatballs are served on a pillowy bed of potato purée, with a creamy mustard sauce, dill oil and cucumbers rounding out the flavors. It’s lighter than many variations, and it’s divine — as is most of the Nordic cafe’s menu. (Be sure to save room for bakery treats.) Bonus: You can order the meal to go, too. (Nicole Hvidsten)

$19; 2600 Park Av. S., Mpls., asimn.org

Not that Swedish meatballs were begging for reinvention, but this North Loop Galley food hall stand gave it to us anyway, and it works. The traditional dish is treated like a Northeast-style meatball sub, with a hearty portion of meatballs slapped onto an oblong crusty roll and doused in a light gravy, mustard seeds and fried onions. Fronds of dill give it a bite of Nordic freshness, and the pickled cucumbers underneath give it all the tang it needs. Want more? Feel free to add a side of lingonberry jam ($1.50); if nothing else, it’s a surprisingly exciting dip for fries. (Sharyn Jackson)

$18; 729 Washington Av. N., Mpls., northloopgalley.org

Talk about a restaurant that knows its audience. At a recent visit, lutefisk dinner was the daily special at the daytime cafe, and rosettes and krumkake were flying out of the bakery case. Lingonberry sauce and drink mixers were available for purchase, as were gnomes, lefse and lefse-scented candles. It was hard not to get caught up in the Nordic moment, hence the Swedish meatballs. There’s the standard version, served over mashed potatoes, but we opted for the “stroganoff,” served over noodles with a slice of garlic toast and lingonberries. The meatballs were tender, the creamy gravy flavorful, and the lingonberries a tart foil for the rich meal. Not only is it a solid entry in the local Swedish meatball canon, it’s a relative bargain, too. (N.H.)

$11.99; locations in North Oaks, Little Canada and Bloomington, tasteofscandinavia.com

Because when it comes to meatballs and gravy, there are never too many options:

Hazel’s Northeast: A traditional blend of pork and beef meatballs is served with creamy gravy, garlic mashed potatoes and lingonberries. $17; 2859 NE. Johnson St., Mpls., hazelsnortheast.com

Mason Jar Kitchen & Bar: This suburban gem makes its meatballs with bison and wild rice, and serves it up with garlic mashed potatoes, creamy wild mushroom demi-glace and lingonberry sauce. Available after 4 p.m. $23; 1565 Cliff Road, Eagan, masonjar.kitchen

Farmer’s Kitchen + Bar: Full disclosure: The farmer-sourced restaurant doesn’t bill the bison-wild rice meatballs on the appetizer menu as Swedish, but with roasted mushrooms, rosemary cream sauce and fresh herbs, we thought they fit in nicely. No mashed potatoes, but there is bread to sop up the delicious sauce. $23; 750 S. 2nd St., Mpls., farmerskitchenandbar.com

Finnish Bistro: Of course they’re called Finnish meatballs here, and they’re made with a combination of elk and beef. (Interesting, in the best way.) It’s more stroganoff-style, with creamy mushroom gravy and sour cream, but served with creamy mashed potatoes. $17; 2264 Como Av., St. Paul, finnishbistro.com

Bassett Hound: Checking out the North Loop Green’s new Christkindl Market? Bassett Hound, the restaurant down on the Green, has a menu of fun shareables to keep you toasty, including a platter of oven-roasted meatballs dripping with a housemade cream sauce and dollops of lingonberry jam. $17; 350 N. 5th St., Mpls., bassetthoundnlg.com

Ikea: There’s a reason the superstore sells more than 1 billion meatballs a year — they are the very definition of comfort food. Served with creamy gravy, mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam, settling into the cafeteria can take the edge off a long day of shopping. (There’s a plant-based option, too.) You can also buy frozen meatballs and gravy packets in the market to prepare at home. Feel free to pass them off as your own. From $9.99; 800 Ikea Way, Bloomington, ikea.com

If you’re craving the dish or want a boost in making them for a crowd, there are stores ready with an assist.

Ingebretsen’s: The iconic Lake Street store is stocked with all the Scandinavian foods and gifts for any season. Their Swedish meatball mix is available at the deli counter — you can buy gravy and fixings separately — but note that the deli/market is cash or check. Give yourself some time to browse — and to wait in line. If you’re lucky, you’ll get an “I waited” sticker for your efforts. 1601 E. Lake St., Mpls.; ingebretsens.com

Hagberg’s Country Market: In the freezer section of the meat market are ready-made meatballs available in regular and in a gluten-free option. Beefy cream gravy is also available nearby. 11325 Stillwater Blvd. N., Lake Elmo; hagbergsmeats.com

Lorentz Meat: Lunds & Byerlys carries this Cannon Falls, Minn., meat maker’s special beef and pork blend for rolling up and frying Swedish meatballs at home. (It’s OK to pass it off as your own.) Bonus: The stores also carry lingonberry jam. Multiple locations, lundsandbyerlys.com