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Schloss Hotel Swiss Chalet: Royal Dining with Class

08 Jun 2010 - Toulouse LeTrek

The Swiss Chalet, part of the Schloss Hotel

On Nina’s birthday, I surprised and delighted her by booking a reservation at the fine dining restaurant Swiss Chalet, across the street from its associated Schloss Hotel, where we were staying, in the cozy village of Merlischachen.

What? You didn’t think a cool travel cat like me could make a reservation in Swiss German, let alone pick up the phone? Ye of little faith!…I have paws—and the girl at the front desk likes me: “Bitte, könnte Sie machen einen Vorbehalt für mich und meinen verrückten Freund an Ihrem Restaurant?”

The Swiss Chalet was originally a large farmhouse built in the 17^th Century. In the late 1960s Prince Joseph converted it to a restaurant with lodging upstairs, preserving some of the quaint charm of the original interior such as the beamed ceiling and wooden walls, and bottle-bottom windows (like that

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The Swiss Chalet Restaurant

found in the Chillon Castle on Lake Geneva) also called crown-glass or Butzenfenster.

Original family rooms of the farmhouse were transformed into cozy fine-dining stubes (parlors), with an elegant rustic richness that only the Swiss can achieve. Intimate clusters of tables are nestled in what used to be the livingroom in front of the old stove that once serviced the kitchen. The white linen-covered tables were tastefully adorned with vases of single roses, large 12-inch finely crafted pewter plate chargers (decorative underplates with the Prince’s name engraved on them) and candles set in pewter holders.

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Our excellent breakfast spread in the old distillery

The restaurant continues on downstairs, where they used to distill schnapps. This is also where hotel patrons across the street or upstairs or in the Jagdschloss up the hill have breakfast (the buffet and café crème is worthy of a whole other post! :-3)

Prince Joseph met us at the door and took our coats, displaying the noble and humble spirit of a true restaurateur and gracious host. As we took our seats inside the Merlischacher Stübli one of the small rooms or nooks in the old “livingroom” (which includes the Buurestube, and Richterstube) I feasted my eyes on the rich ambience of antiques and original lithographs and old photographs of the Prince’s ancestors.

The restaurant offers a rich and varied menu of main dishes, desserts and delightful hors d’oeuvres such as terrine aux morilles or mousse de canard and Chef Werner Meier’s recommended Escargots à la bourguignonne (Burgundy snails

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Toulouse savoring his escargots in Cafe de Paris

in herb sauce). Of course, Nina ordered the escargots, done with a Café de Paris sauce and served with fresh crusty bread (to sop up the exquisite herb butter sauce, of course!). The escargots were large and firm with a complex flavor of smoke and nuts. We selected an aromatic 2005 Speri Amarone wine with a vigorous complex character. I took a bite of the escargots then sipped the robust wine and let it play with the Café de Paris sauce on the tongue. My whiskers curled with a frisson of sensual delight. I glanced up at Nina, who grinned in birthday-glee. I smiled. This was heaven. She was totally enjoying her birthday supper. And that was just the beginning…

As we sat back, digesting Chef Meier’s elegant escargots, the waiter surprised us with a tantalizing Toulouse-size bowl of soup to tease our appetites for more. Celebrating the season for asparagus, Chef Meier had prepared a frothy spargelcrème suppe (asparagus soup with cream), garnished with verdant chives. It melted over my little pink tongue like a song of joy. The joy of spring, of course… :-3

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Our shared Chateaubriand

We continued on with the main course of Château Briand à l’argenteuil: double loin cuts from the grill, accompanied by in-season white asparagus in Hollandaise sauce, mixed vegetables and potato-croquettes. Some butchers have mistakenly confused the Chateaubriand with a thick Top Sirloin Steak, which is an altogether different cut. The Chateaubriand steak is a recipe of a particular thick cut from the tenderloin, which, according to Larousse Gastronomique, was created in the 18^th Century by personal chef Montmireil, for Vicomte François-René de Chateaubriand, the author and diplomat who served Napoleon as an ambassador and Louis XVIII as Secretary of State. This dish is typically offered as a serving for two, as there is only enough meat in the center of the average fillet for two portions. That was perfect for us. The term à l’argenteuil is a French expression for a dish accompanied by asparagus as a side garnish. Argenteuil is actually a northwestern suburb of Paris, France, and world renowned for—you guessed it—its asparagus.

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Chef Werner Meier sizzles in the kitchen

The Chateaubriand was genuinely Swiss and exquisite as with most things Swiss. The tenderloin melted like butter and filled my mouth with joy (yes, more joy! :-3). The asparagus, done perfectly, sang in my mouth with earthy elegance. Along with the Holladaise sause, it created a complex marriage of subtle and bold flavors with the rest of the meal. We ate in the silence of rapture, punctuated only by a glance, smile and sigh.

The glass of Amarone wine drained effortlessly. Its intense and spicy bouquet created rich, aromatic notes that lingered wonderfully on the palate, ideal with the dish we were having. This delightful wine requires four years to process. It begins with soft-pressing the grapes after picking in September, a 120 days of drying, then 35 days of maceration, separation of skins and fermentation, followed by 24 months aging in Allier oak tonneaux with further 12 months in a Slavonian oak barrel and final 12 months aging in the bottle.

We might have ordered another bottle of Amarone; I’m not sure, partly because the Prince’s own apfel schnapps, called Merlischacher Quellenwasser erased any memory of the details. At the end of the meal our waiter presented us with this pale-green opaque ambrosia, a slushy-like digéstif served half-frozen in a pre-frosted glass. The drink ran down my throat hot and cold— cooling the tongue and firing the soul. The potent essence of apple refreshed and invigorated while the over-25% alcohol/volume unleashed the spirit; and, unfortunately, Nina’s singing voice along with it. Merlischacher Quellenwasser is the Prince’s signature recipe from his father and it is only sold at the Swiss

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Adrian Huber and Marc Mueller have fun creating cullinary masterpieces

Chalet. The secret to this incredibly tasty and potent drink is that it is pre-frozen and served half liquid-half ice. Ooh La La!

Swiss Chalet’s chef, Werner Meier, has been creating (along with his staff of fifteen cooks) unique culinary creations at the Swiss Chalet since 1982: countrified-gourmet French cuisine à la Suisse. The Prince was himself a chef for many years and still cooks his specialty—beef tenderloin flambé—in front of his customers with the panache, finesse and aplomb of a true royal. He later told us that he had traveled and studied and apprenticed in cooking and the restaurant/hotel business all over the world, including Arabia, Asia, France and Switzerland and had served in various capacities in Buckingham Palace for several years.

Groups may also book the elegant dining hall in Astrid Hall, particularly suited for wedding receptions (it includes “royal” suites upstairs), large business meals and birthday parties. It was renovated in 1980 from an adjoining barn

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Astrid Hall, ideal for large receptions

and dedicated to the Belgian queen who died nearby in a car accident in 1935. The hall seats upwards of 120 guests with a lively piano bar upstairs, a rich medieval style “pub” that reminded me of a classy Harry Potter’s Leaky Cauldron: altogether, the makings for a rip-roaring time—especially if you add the Prince’s apfel schnapps into the fray.

The Swiss Chalet is currently listed in the Michelin Guide and registered with the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs (2008/2009), and the Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateur for those who have a special knowledge of or interest in wine and spirits. Besides these endorsements of excellent dining, the place is just plain fun. And the Prince rocks! :-3

If you’re planning on making a reservation or want more

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Prince Joseph toasts our health

information, here’s their contact information:

Luzernerstrasse 204
6402 Merlischachen, Switzerland
Tel. no. +41 (0)41 854 54 54

info@schloss-hotel.ch

http://www.schloss-hotel.ch/Frames/Welcome.htm

Photos by Nina Munteanu & Schloss Hotel

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Schloss Hotel Swiss Chalet: The Vision of a Prince

30 May 2010 - Toulouse LeTrek

The Schloss Hotel in Merlischachen, Switzerland

Nina will tell you that she found this charming luxury 4-star hotel, located on Lake Lucerne. Well, she did drive there, so, I suppose that from an existential point of view you could say that she “found” it; but it was I who discovered it during my extensive and meticulous internet research. And, truth be told, I navigated us to the Schloss Hotel, in the heart of the pastoral village of Merlischachen (otherwise, I might be writing this from Italy!).

The Schloss Hotel complex celebrates Prince Joseph Seeholzer’s vision of luxury living and dining in a castle (schloss is German for castle). In 1969, the prince converted his original 17^th Century farmhouse into a restaurant-inn, the Swiss Chalet, a gourmet restaurant with charming guest rooms upstairs. He followed in 1980 with construction of two hotels, the Schloss Hotel and Château Golden Gate. At the same time he converted the barn adjoining the original farmhouse into a large

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Prince Joseph 1st befriends Toulouse

eating and meeting facility, Astrid Hall , with additional bridal suite (e.g., the Storchenzimmer) and a cool bar, the Queen’s Club. In 1991 he built the Jagdschloss Château Golden Gate (hunting castle), up the hill and in 2006 added a 3^rd floor to the Schloss Hotel with themed luxury rooms like the Moulin Rouge Suite, Egyptian Suite, Cowbell Suite, and Jaguar Suite (Yes! You sleep in a real 1964 MK 10!), among others.

Nina parked the rental car in the parking lot and we made our way into the lobby of the rustic castle-style Schloss Hotel. The lobby opened into an expansive hall with large beamed ceilings and rustic walls, decorated with portraits of “chivalrous individuals” and medieval weaponry (e.g., Swiss halberds or pole axes, goedendags or spiked clubs, and bills).

Nina proceeded to charm the staff with her signature smile and broken German and we got our key. We made our way to our room on the second floor, past antiques of farming tools, knight’s full trappings, and large wooden doors with small armor shields as door markers.

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Our room in the Schloss Hotel

Our door opened into a spacious and elegantly rustic room that faced the lake. The Swiss Alps rose majestically beyond, drawing the eye into a picture-perfect view. In keeping with the country castle theme, the room was draped in rich burgundy and wood and consisted of a comfortable bed, small “parlor” with desk and table and elegant chairs, wooden-latticed windows and French door that opened to a balcony overlooking the hotel gardens and small beach of Lake Lucerne. The bathroom was designed in a modern practical Euro-style that suited Nina’s taste for urban-travelling comfort.

Guests of the hotel complex get a complimentary buffet breakfast in the Schnapsbrennerei Bränte (the old distillery of the original 17^th Century farmhouse, where they used to make schnapps). As with the rest of the converted farmhouse, the Prince preserved the quaint charm of the interior by using the original wooden walls, beamed ceilings and bottle-bottom windows, like that found in Chilon Castle on Lake Geneva. Every morning a full buffet of cereals, yogurts,

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The Swiss Chalet restaurant

boiled eggs, fresh croissants, butterzopf and pastries, along with quality cold meats and cheeses, and fruits and juices was spread out for the taking. Every morning Nina and I ordered café crème and feasted like royalty. En guete!

The restaurant upstairs from the distillery, offers fine dining with a rich and varied menu of delightful hors d’oeuvres, main dishes and desserts and a wine list with over 35 pages to choose from. Jörg Bächler, the residence manager, took us on a tour of the hotel complex and the first place Nina wanted to go was the wine cellar. Jörg obliged—after he showed us the rest of the complex, which included the adjoining Astrid Hall and Queen’s Club: an old barn that had been converted into a reception hall for weddings, and business and other group meals. The building houses several meeting/eating areas like the Küferstube, Bacchus Stübli, Foyer, and Astrid-Hall. Capable of seating 120 guests, the hall provides an elegant and

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The Bacchus Room

rich venue for receptions, followed by rollicking good fun upstairs in the cozy piano bar, the Queen’s Club, open nightly until 2 am. The prince dedicated Astrid Hall to the Queen of Belgium, who had tragically died in 1935 in a car accident a few miles away, near the town of Küssnacht. The walls are lined with old photos and memorabilia, timeless images and intriguing documents of pre-second World War Europe.

Jörg led us through the kitchen on our way to the wine cellar. There, we met Master Chef Werner Meier, who has been (along with his team of fifteen cooks) creating exquisite Swiss-countrified gourmet French cuisine at the Swiss Chalet since 1982. We watched, entranced, as a few of the cooks created a gourmet meal, before descending down the stairs to the wine cellar. At the entrance, inscribed on a large crate for all to see was their motto: “Weintrinker sehen gut aus, sind intelligent, sexy und gesund!” (Drinkers of wine look good, are intelligent, sexy and healthy!). Good motto, I thought, as Nina nodded her approval to me.

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The Swiss Chalet Wine Cellar

Racks full of bottles of red and white wines from all over the world lined the cellar walls. We wandered through the cellar, kept at a high humidity and a cool and constant temperature to ensure that the wines age and store well. As my eyes swept the dark room, I recalled that their wine list runs over thirty-five pages, and includes a wide range of varieties and types from the most popular wine, the Prince’s own Schlossweine (Cuvée du Châtelain), a Merlot Reserva from Chile (at FCH 49.80) to a 1999 Bordeaux Blanc (the Château d’Yquem), le Roi des Sauternes (at FCH 358.50).

Testing the iron barred gates guarding each wine rack, Nina asked if they were meant to keep the wine in or the people out. Jörg winked at me and suggested that if they sent food down the dumbwaiter, Nina could happily live here indefinitely.

To experience the entire complex, Jörg put us up in The 4-star Chateau Golden Gate- Jagdschloss (hunter’s castle),

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The Reception Area of the Jadgschloss-Chateau Golden Gate

situated up the hill from the other two buildings, and overlooking the village, Lake Lucerne and the Swiss Alps in the distance. The hotel celebrates the tradition of European hunting and is decorated with hunting trophies and portraits of hunters in various Swiss hunting garb, along with the signature armor; beams and heavy doors of an old castle. We were greeted at the door by a knight’s full armor then continued into a rustic lobby with hanging candle-lamps, long solid-wood meeting table, fireplace, and bottom-bottle windows (also known as crown glass or Butzenfenster). Our room on the third floor was large, bright and comfortable. Nina opened the sliding door to the Juliette balcony that overlooked the lake. The soothing tinkling of cow bells rose up to greet us as Swiss cows foraged in the villagers’ back yards below. This was definitely Switzerland and, yes, every cow has a bell.

One evening, we went to the rooftop terrace of the Jagtschloss and watched the sun set over Lake Lucerne as we feasted on a picnic supper of Butterzopf, Brie and sprouts, cold Cervelat (Swiss cooked sausage), Kartoffelsalat and a

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Genuine Swiss cows just below our hotel balcony

bottle of Pinot Gris (Malvoisie) from Valais. Nina brought Swiss chocolate for dessert. We ate, sipped wine and listened to the cheerful music of cow bells on the hills behind us as the deepening sky unveiled the blushing secrets of the snow-covered mountains.

The Schloss Hotel and its associated hotel buildings are situated on Luzernerstrasse 204, in the heart of the quiet village of Merlischachen. Amenities of both 4-star buildings include: pet friendly rooms, free wireless internet in rooms and public areas, buffet breakfast, conference rooms, solarium, indoor swimming pool with sauna & gym, and close proximity to a train station. One of the hotel’s most endearing features was the exquisite charm of its location in the tiny farming village of Merlischachen. Every night I fell asleep to the soothing murmur of cow bells. Merlischachen is a short drive from the bustling Luzern with convenient public transit (e.g., a train leaves Merlischachen every hour for Luzern).

You can book a room at the Schloss Hotel, the Swiss Chalet, or The Château Golden Gate (Jagdschloss) up on the hill at:

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Can you see me in the Jag?...Meow!

Luzernerstrasse 204
6402 Merlischachen, Switzerland
Tel. no. +41 (0)41 854 54 54

info@schloss-hotel.ch

http://www.schloss-hotel.ch/Frames/Welcome.htm

Photos by Nina Munteanu & Schloss Hotel

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Traveling in Switzerland: The Merula Bar in Merlischachen, where Brazil meets Switzerland

23 May 2010 - Toulouse LeTrek

A Happy Toulouse sips his Caipirinha on Lake Lucerne

Alexander, my new friend on Facebook, calls it “Caipirinha”. At least that’s how he advertizes this exotic drink at the Merula Bar that he and his wife Maira run on the shore of the Lake Lucerne in the little farming village of Merlischachen.

Located about 5 miles east of Lucerne, this charming village reflects the root of its name, which Alexander tells me loosely translates to “merry little town by the lake”. That’s only one story; the locals give several stories of how the place got its name. One is that it was named after a brave knight Hermanno de Merlischachen, who apparently lived in a tower on the peninsula where an estate called “Burg” (fortress) still exists today. Alexander told us that the name Merlischachen also derives from the Latin word “merula,” which means blackbird, and from the German word “Schachen,” meaning a small forest on a lake or stream; one of the reasons he called his bar the Merula Bar. Yet another story comes from the local coat of arms which is a green branch of an alder tree, “Erlenzweig,” hung with flowers and fruit on a gold background. It’s reminiscent of “im Erlischachen”, hence Merlischachen. While Nina gravitated to the romance of the knight (after googling him, she found nothing about this mysterious knight), I liked the “forest on a lake with blackbirds” explanation. It is an apt name for this quiet and charming village, where the only sound that stirs as you fall asleep each night is the constant lullaby of cow bells.

We were staying at the Schloss Hotel-Swiss Chalet complex in Merlischachen and during our daily walks in the

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Lake Lucerne from Mount Rigi

village, we visited some of our Merlischachen friends, two Swiss cows grazing in a neighbor’s back yard, just below our suite. Our walk on the Schloss Hotel grounds park led us along Lake Lucerne. Called the Vierwaldstättersee (“lake of the four forested Cantons”) Lake Lucerne is the fourth largest lake in Switzerland with meandering arms that cut through steep valleys and stretch from the city of Lucerne to the mountains of Rigi and Pilatus.

Nina will tell you that she heard the lively music first; but I know that it was my impeccable nose for Croque Monsieur that led us down the park path from the Schloss Hotel to this lively cantina-bar. Other locals had already discovered this little haven on the lake and were basking in the warm sun with a great view of the Swiss Alps.

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The Charming Village of Merlischachen

We ordered two Croque Monsieurs and were thinking about what local beer we hadn’t yet tried when Alexander suggested the Caipirinha. Immediately intrigued, Nina asked him what it was.

Caipirinha is a traditional Portuguese Brazilian drink prepared with Cachaça (pronounced Ka-SHA-sa), lime juice, sugar and ice, Alexander explained. He then proceeded to mesmerize Nina by showing us how this wonderful drink from Brazilian cane sugar brandy is made. First he created a juicy “mash” of fresh limes (both flesh and peels) with Ypioca (Cachaça) using a mortar and pestle. Then he added ice (some people like to use crushed ice but we had chunks of ice) and brown sugar to taste.

Cachaça is the essential ingredient in Caipirinha, the national spirit of Brazil, Alexander told us. It is the spirit of Carnival, “the spirit of a country enjoying life.” Cachaça is a product of sugar cane and has a character somewhat

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Toulouse joins Alexander and Maira Eisenmann at the Merula Bar

similar to, though drier, than white rum (also made with cane sugar). However, while rum is produced from the molasses made from the sugar cane, Cachaça is produced directly from the juice of the cane. Ypióca Cachaça, the largest selling brand in Brazil, is produced only from the first crush. Locals drink Cachaça neat in small shot glasses. Others prefer a mix of Cachaça with lemon, passion fruit, tamarind, sugar and ice in a drink called a batida. Yet others drink it with limes, sugar and ice as a Caipirinha.

We sat on the patio and ate our Croque Monsieurs, feasting our eyes on the view of jeweled lake and snow-covered mountains. Within moments our exotic taste of Rio came. The potent and colorful “mash” of Caipirinha did an lively Spanish dance in my mouth and awoke my taste buds with a song of tart freshness. My whiskers curled with delight.

Nina laughed at me: “Your cheeks are puffing out again, Toulouse!”

She was one to talk; her cheeks were “puffing out” too… LOL!

Here is the recipe:

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Ypioca Cachaça, the Brazilian ambrosia

Caipirinha is made using 1 lime cut into 4 pieces, 2 1/2 ounces Cachaça, 1 to 2 Tbs. fine cane sugar, and crushed ice. First you crush the pieces of lime with the sugar thoroughly, preferably with a mortar and pestle. Then you add the ice, Cachaça, and stir or shake well in a tumbler. The lime pieces should remain in the glass, adding brilliant color and texture to this playful and zesty drink.

Photos by Nina Munteanu

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Asparagus Season in Switzerland

13 May 2010 - Toulouse LeTrek

Spring pasture with Swiss cows near Arth

Springtime is a magical season. It’s a time when the Earth ”awakens” and forests, orchards and meadows spring into a riot of vibrant color.

In Switzerland—a land of dairy farms, milk, fine cheeses and chocolate—spring also heralds one of Nature’s most elegant culinary delights: the white asparagus, nicknamed “white gold” by Europeans and “sparrowgrass” by the British.

Nina and I were driving through Switzerland in April, at the height of “spargelzeit”—when chefs from all over the world import white asparagus from Germany, Switzerland and France (and now Britain too!). Practically every restaurant we dined in offered its own dish of white asparagus. Dishes varied from exquisite asparagus cream soup, to grilled, boiled or steamed asparagus served with Hollandaise, Café de Paris sauce, or melted butter. We were in asparagus heaven!

The white asparagus, once considered a luxury, is milder and more tender than the green asparagus and coveted by restaurants as the epitome of gourmet dining during its season (April to June). White asparagus needs a specific combination of soil, temperature

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White asparagus ("White Gold")

and rain to develop its perfect taste. Dirt is mounded around the emerging stalk, keeping out the light and the plant from producing chlorophyll, which makes a plant green.

The taste of asparagus defies description. It’s neither overwhelming or bland. When asked to describe its taste, most people stumble with words and metaphor appears to work best. One friend tried by describing what asparagus is not: such as sweet or sharp. When Nina pressed her, she described it as “clear”, an interesting term that resonated with a truth of sorts. But what the heck does “clear” really mean?

Asparagus was used from early times as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavor and diuretic properties. It has anti-oxidant properties, can help prevent heart disease, stroke, possibly cancer and boosts energy. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans cultivated and ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter.

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View of Lake Lucerne and Swiss mountains from Seelisberg

Asparagus is low in calories and sodium and contains no cholesterol. It’s a great source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fibre, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium. The

amino acid asparagine gets its name from asparagus.

I didn’t mind that Nina got us thoroughly lost driving through the Swiss Alps (well, we weren’t ever really lost—I had a map; “Let’s try this road, Nina,” I’d suggest. ”Ok!” she would happily respond and cheerfully veer into the tiny one-lane road in the spirit of adventure). It seemed that at every scenic winding turn a tiny village emerged, and we found a restaurant or café that offered something with asparagus. Besides the obligatory café crème, we always ordered a dish with asparagus. For instance, in the little village of Merlischachen on Lake Lucerne, we had an exquisite Château Briand à l’argenteuil,

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Pork and morels with white asparagus at the Rossli

(the French village of Argenteuil is renowned for its asparagus). The asparagus was steamed with a delicate Hollandaise sauce, prepared by Werner Meier, chef of the Swiss Chalet. The asparagus paired wonderfully with the robust 2005 Speri Amarone, a spicy rich and aromatic wine that lingered on the palate to form a complex and zesty marriage with the asparagus and the beef.

On a drive along the east shore of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee), we discovered Rotschuo, a hotel/restaurant nestled in the craggy shoreline in Gersau. We sat on the patio and our waiter, Carsten, served us a Gebratenes Kalbsteak mit einer Sauce Hollandaise an frischen Spargel mit jungen Kartoffeln in der Schale (46 FCH). LOL! That translates to: veal and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and young potatoes. We paired our meal with a hearty German wheat beer, a Hacker-Pschorr Weissebeir, which made Nina very happy.

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Toulouse about to devour a Pork steak with asparagus at Rotschuo

One of my personal favorites was the “spargel crèmesuppe” (asparagus cream soup). We were first introduced to this elegant soup by Werner Meier, chef of the Swiss Chalet, who surprised us with a tiny “Toulouse-size” cup at the beginning of the meal. Thick, faintly olive green and garnished with a froth of crème and parsley leaves, the soup was just enough to delight and tease the palate for more. Its faint earthy aroma filled my nose with the wholesome elegance of Mother Nature. What better way to celebrate the season of spring and the awakening of the Earth! We enjoyed the soup so much that the next day we ordered a full bowl each to go along with our escargots (another post!) and Speri 2005 Amarone wine, which made ME very happy… :-3

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Toulouse savors "spargelsuppe" at the Rossli

On another day, as we drove along one-lane country roads just east of Baar, we came across the village of Schönenberg and stumbled upon a wonderful hotel/restaurant run by Rita Bloesch, owner and chef of the Rössli. Rita is known for her fine grilled meats and barbeques and her inn is always packed with local farmers who like her beer and the ambience of the place; but, it was her spargel crèmesuppe (9.50 FCH) that particularly delighted my palate. As with the Swiss Chalet in Merlischachen, Rita’s soup was elegantly creamy with a full aromatic body that went extremely well with the fresh bread and tomato-butter and joyful Oeil-de-Perdrix Rosé de Pinot Noir we ordered to accompany it. We returned to Rita’s restaurant another day and feasted on pork filets with morel sauce, steamed asparagus and baked new potatoes. I had to lick my whiskers after!

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Drive along the Wagetaler See

On yet another excursion to the Swiss Alps, I directed Nina to a “hidden lake valley” of enchanted forests and breathtaking views of craggy snow-covered mountains. There, we discovered a jewel: the Gasthaus StausseSee in Innerthal on the shores of the tourquise Wagertaler See. Nina and I sat on the outside terrace with a view of the sparkling lake. After several café crèmes (perhaps the best coffee I have ever tasted—and I’ve been to Paris!) we ordered the spargel crèmesuppe to go with our open-faced mozzarella-tomato sandwich and salad. We were delightfully surprised when Priska arrived with a huge bowl of thick soup. Was it the fresh alpine air? The breathtaking view? Nina’s jokes?… This thick and almost nutty soup was vigorously earthy. Its exquisite aroma sprang out with an elegant clarity that spoke of snow-covered mountains and a bracing breeze off an alpine lake. We’ll be back… :-3

Wine pairing with asparagus: Most sommeliers suggest a Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon pairing with asparagus. “Brooklynguy

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Priska befriends Toulouse at the Gasthaus-Stausee

” says, “The biggest mistake is to pair asparagus with a fruit-driven wine, which means avoiding most American wine, and most new world wine in general. Asparagus are the anti-fruit, and they don’t work well with fruity wine. Please, whatever you do, be very careful mixing asparagus with rosé wine.” Nina and I proved that a carefully chosen rosé can provide a wonderfully complementary pairing with asparagus. The take-home message is be imaginative and adventurous. Try different wines you like. Try a Pinot, for instance. Then tell me what you think.

Photos by Nina Munteanu

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Trendy Italian Cuisine Zurich Style: Ristorante Cucina

14 Apr 2010 - Toulouse LeTrek

Pizza Meister Saritas enjoys his craft

We’d been strolling Zurich’s trendy Kreis 5 neighborhood, along Heinrich-Strasse (our destination was eventually the Abaton Movie Theatre), when my nose—and practiced eye—caught sight of Ristorante Cucina, situated on a quiet corner of Luisenstrasse and Heinrich-Strasse. We weren’t in a hurry and my tiny tummy decided to “purr” loudly. Nina smiled and nodded. Within a moment she was climbing the small staircase and opened the great wooden door. Cucina’s stylish Mediterranean interior of crimson walls and leather chairs invited us in and we found a table by the window facing Heinrich-Strasse.

Our waiter, Johir, who comes from Bangladesh and has lived in Zurich for eight years, took our order and served us bread and olives. We selected the Cami 2006 Amarone red wine dela Valpolicella, a robust full-bodied and aromatic wine that just fills your mouth with elegant pleasure and lingers with fine scents of dried fruit. The

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Toulouse enjoys the ambience of Cucina

elegant roundness and sense of adventure of Amarone makes it one of Italy’s wine treasures and a great choice to go with a flavorful Italian meal. We’d first ordered a glass each, but after a sip, Nina looked at me and we both nodded: we needed a bottle.

The combination of dark and green olives with artichoke hearts and exquisite wine sent us both spinning into a sensual paradise. According to Johir, the olives are olive oil-cured with fine herbs and presented with artichokes. The green olives were likely French provencal (imported from France); recognized for their excellent association with bread and cheese. The dark olives were likely the petite French niçoise olives blessed with a sweet nutty flavor, and known for their delicious pairing with bread and wine (fancy that! Just what we had). They may also have been Italian ligura, gaeta, or lugano olives. Either

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Toulouse eyes the olives

way, they were exquisite and we just had to ask for more of them too.

Nina poured some Fiorucci aceto balsamico di Modena into a golden pool of extra virgin olive oil (Cubrol oro) and let the bread soak up the delectable mixture. As she gazed up in distracted euphoria I stole several more olives.

The award-winning restaurant (open since 1994) is best known for its brick-oven pizza, lovingly made to perfection by Herr Pizza Meister Saritas and his team of pizza makers. It’s no surprise that the Zurich Radio 24 cited Cucina as the best pizza place in Zurich, and possibly all of Switzerland! Saritas, who bakes with gusto and penache, invited me to oversee his team make their pizzas. Oval individual-sized pies are imaginatively created on a table by the oven then baked in the Cucina wood-burning stove and served on wooden cutting boards. The imaginative variety of pizzas is immense. The choice occupies at least two pages on their menu that includes antipasti, zuppe (soup), salatoni (salad), pasta fatta in casa (house-made pasta), risotto, carne (meat dishes) and pesci (fish dishes). Their pizzas al forno a legno (from wood burning stove) include a delectable variety of over thirty choices (that I counted on the menu) such

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Toulouse and Meister Saritas discuss oven-baked pizzas

as the Genovese (tomato mozzarella, ricotta and pesto), the Carnivora (tomato mozzarella, herb butter and sliced veal) and the Vichinga (tomato mozzarella with salmon and rocket lettuce). Intriguing ingredient selections include truffle oil, reisencrevettenschwanze, capers, raw rindshuft, rucola, rocket and eggplant.

Of course, being who we are, we didn’t order pizza. Instead, we both ordered something from their hausgemachte pasta. Nina ordered Tagliatelle (noodles) ai funghi porcini (noodles with mushrooms in a Weisenwein sauce—oohlala! It was fun and zesty with a lingering sweetness). I chose the Cannelloni alla fiorentina (Cannelloni filled with ricotta and spinach with mozzarella baked on top in a creamy rose sauce—“Perfeto!” or as they say in Switzerland, “Ausgezeichnet!”). This “comfort food” pinged all the sensual pleasure sites in my brain and sent my whiskers curling with the elegantly married tastes of cheese, spinach, pasta and sauce. The Italians have made the “marrying” of flavors an art and this dish was the equivalent to a Rembrant. We shared and congratulated one another on our “ausgezeichnet” choices then fell into eating in a reverent silence

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Toulouse drools over his Cannelloni alla fiorentina

punctuated only by sighs and deep breathing. In both cases, the meals paired exquisitely with the wine and the olives.

We had no room for desert (having filled on second-helpings of antipasti) but the ristorante serves some wonderful deserts according to the menu. Meals are advertized as going on average of 55 CHF when you count all the dishes and wine. Main dishes average 21.50 to 24.50 CHF.

When you’re in Zurich, treat yourself to a dinner and a movie on Heinriche-Strasse. Go check out Ristorante Cucina and say hi to Meister Saritas from me. :-3

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