Press

For years, Las Vegas has been a culinary destination, bringing celebrity chefs in to show off their incredible culinary talents to the entertainment capital of the world. But as locals to Sin City, we know that the delicious eats go even further than beyond The Strip and right into our own backyards in Summerlin, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City and Las Vegas itself.

Scandinavia and Las Vegas have as much in common as pickled herring and high-stakes poker. Nonetheless, this sleek breakfast/lunch spot on Eastern Avenue is always humming with regulars — folks who lust for Swedish waffles, “Danish Dogs” (Denmark’s unique contribution to the tube steak oeuvre), and the most unusual sandwiches in Vegas. The waffles come either flat or folded, stuffed with savory fillings, or dripping with berries and sour cream. One bite and you’ll see why chef/owner Gert Kvalsund proudly displays his “best waffle” accolades, and has pretty much retired the award.

If all you know of Scandinavian cuisine are IKEA meatballs, get yourself to Saga pronto for a crash course in Nordic specialties like Arctic shrimp or smoked salmon served open-faced, in a baguette or wrapped in lefse.

Las Vegas Review – Journal Best of Las Vegas 2019 Winner Best Waffle

If you are a fan of the Scandinavian cuisine, chances are you haven’t missed the appetizing pictures of waffles and sandwiches from Saga Pastry + Sandwich on Instagram. The small restaurant opened in Henderson, Nevada two years ago, and is the heart project of Norwegian chef, Gert Kvalsund.

What goes best with coffee? How about sweets you can only find in this corner of the Valley? Start at Saga Pastry + Sandwich (10345 S. Eastern Ave. #100, 702-260-0860), where the national cakes of both Sweden and Norway are represented, as well as a Danish sweet roll called a semla.

In Southern Nevada where, a couple of times a year, people gather to dine on lutefisk — the Scandinavian dried fish that’s treated with lye, soaked for days and cooked to a gelatinous state — more accessible food from the region has been much more difficult to find. Gert Kvalsund is changing that.

If you enjoy snacking at IKEA after perusing ready-to-assemble furniture sets, think of Saga Pastry + Sandwich as a culinary cousin specializing in elevated Scandinavian cuisine. Located on the corner of a Trader Joe’s strip mall, the sunshine-filled local restaurant specializes in open-faced sandwiches, a style of dining popular in Northern Europe.

Saga Pastry + Sandwich Nordic waffles and Swedish pancakes top the breakfast menu, and rosemary ham, smoked salmon and Arctic cold-water shrimp are lunchtime staples. Before you leave, relish in the Swedish coffee break tradition known as fika by relaxing with an espresso and a pastry.

Dig in like a sweet-toothed Viking at this bright Henderson nook, where the delightful Nordic waffle ($8) is made in a fourfold, heart-shaped grill. The eggy Scandinavian-style batter has a hint of citrusy cardamom, and the waffles are sizzled thinly into something like epic crêpes.

Vegas seems to have it all for the food lover, but that said, authentic Nordic cuisine has been missing on most menus there—until just recently. At Saga Pastry + Sandwich, located in a strip mall in the suburb of Henderson, about 16 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, chef Gert Kvalsund, who hails from a tiny town of Moltustranda in western Norway, is changing all that.

Vegas seems to have it all for the food lover, but that said, authentic Nordic cuisine has been missing on most menus there—until just recently. At Saga Pastry + Sandwich, located in a strip mall in the suburb of Henderson, about 16 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, chef Gert Kvalsund, who hails from a tiny town of Moltustranda in western Norway, is changing all that.

There’s a lot more to Scandinavian food than Swedish meatballs. While most Americans’ associations with that region of Europe might involve inexpensive, difficult-to-assemble furniture, one man is setting out to change that, one sandwich at a time. His name is Gert Kvalsund, and he’s the owner and chef at Henderson’s Saga Pastry + Sandwich.

Diners looking for casual dining with authentic “Scandinavian Flair” can now head to Henderson and new arrival Saga Pastry + Sandwich. Taking over the shuttered Crepe Shack close to the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Horizon Ridge Parkway, owner Gert Kvalsund has taken inspiration from the entire region for his menu and also added a collection of retail items, including a selection of imported candy to rival Ikea.