PHOTOS BY KRISTY GRAVER

Since 2019, Nik Forsberg and Sarah LaPonte have been making waves in the culinary industry with their traveling pop-up Fet-Fisk.

Now, they’re dropping anchor with a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Bloomfield. A grand opening celebration will be held March 28 through April 1 from 5 p.m. to midnight. Reservations go live at noon on March 25. Keep an eye on Instagram for more news.

Over the weekend, I got a preview of the new space at 4786 Liberty Ave. The former Lombardozzi’s Restaurant — an Italian institution that closed in 2020 after nearly 50 years — received a nautical makeover with a Nordic menu to match. If the only aquatic eats you’ve had are popcorn shrimp and Lenten fish sandwiches, it’s time to cast your nets wider.

Forsberg, who was a James Beard Award Semi-Finalist for Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic Region in 2023, has Swedish roots that are reflected in his cooking style. The name Fet-Fisk means “greasy fish” in Swedish and the font reminds me of Mötley Crüe’s debut album, so I found myself humming “Too Fast For Love” while eating raw oysters with my girlfriend.

You’ll want to take your time at Fet-Fisk though. The interior is dark with wood paneling, red lighting and subtle nods to the sea throughout the dining room and bar area, including ocean-inspired oil paintings and a ship’s wheel surrounded by retro cookbooks. The decor is moody maritime rather than touristy crab shack.

Our main dish was a whole grilled Branzino with dulse butter, celery and breadcrumbs. It was beautifully plated — and a little intimidating. I’m not a regular seafood eater, but the bartender gave us instructions on how to cut the mild, white fish.

Branzino by itself is a light meal, so we ordered scallop crudo and sourdough spaetzle on the side and a slice of chocolate mousse cake with lingonberries and creme for dessert. We settled our stomachs by sipping house-made marigold schnapps and aquavit. The flowers and other ingredients are grown on a farm in the city’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood.

If you’re more of a landlubber when it comes to dining out, the Fet-Fisk menu features meals for meat lovers, too. During my visit, the offerings included a 16-ounce strip steak with lobster butter hollandaise and a roasted half chicken.

I got my first taste of Fet-Fisk during a pop-up series hosted by Kate Romane’s Black Radish Kitchen in Point Breeze last year. There, I devoured Fortune oysters and saffron risotto with squid, mussels, salt cod, shrimp butter and tomato. The eatery also found a foodie following at farmers markets, where smoked meats and fish, pickles and breads were sold under Fet-Fisk’s prepared foods line, Royal Market.

I’m glad the Fet-Fisk crew (Crüe?) has docked in Bloomfield to bring Scandinavian style to Little Italy’s dining scene. Get ready to dive in.