[Culturechat] Food

[Brian Taussig-Lux]

This newsletter was making my mouth water, so I thought I'd share an excerpt...

>>To view this newsletter in html format, to read Nick Malgieri's biography 
>>and to get access to an archive of previous newsletters, please go to 
>>http://cdb.stnet.ch/link.cfm?uuid=22081&tid=57&url=usa.myswitzerland.com/e 
>>n /na/food/foodandwine.cfm

>>1. Discovering the Seeland, Part One of Three
>>
>>The area below the lakes of Biel/Bienne, Neuchatel and Murten is 
>>collectively know as the Seeland or lake country. In the mostly 
>>bi-lingual (French and Swiss German) part of the Bern Canton, the Seeland 
>>is Switzerland’s garden. The area grows most of Switzerland’s vegetables 
>>and has a wonderful, fresh local cuisine based on them. History, fine 
>>food and beautiful countryside conspire to make the Seeland one of 
>>Switzerland’s best kept secrets for shrewd travelers. Here are a few 
>>highlights and a great restaurant:
>>Murten: A lovely medieval town on the banks of Lake Murten, the town’s 
>>arcaded main streets recall those of Bern, Switzerland’s capital. A walk 
>>around the perimeter of the town can include a visit to its many-layered 
>>walls, parts of which were built over hundreds of years of the town’s 
>>early history. A paid guided tour in English can be arranged through the 
>>Murten tourist office. When I visited, my guide was a sprightly ex-pat 
>>lady from California who now lives on the other side of the lake with her 
>>Swiss husband of thirty years. In Murten don’t miss the Cofiserie 
>>Monnier, an excellent pastry shop, or neglect to stop by the Kaeserei 
>>(Dairy) Wieland, for some cheese or a few pots of their exquisite yogurt.
>>For lunch, take off further down Lake Biel to Twann, to the Hotel 
>>Fontana, and enjoy fish specialties from the lake. Sit outside on a 
>>beautiful terrace, relax with a glass of crisp, white Chasselas that 
>>probably comes from a vineyard within walking distance of the restaurant 
>>and soak up the sunshine. The Fontana Family has been dedicated to 
>>providing the best food. Lodging and service in the region for over forty 
>>years and it shows. I enjoyed some crisp salads that were probably grown 
>>a few kilometers away, followed by excellent perch from the lake, quickly 
>>sautéed and seasoned with a squirt of lemon juice. A wedge of buttery 
>>apple tart for dessert and I was ready to conquer new sights for the afternoon.
>>
>>Hotel Restaurant Fontana
>>On the Lake Shore
>>CH-2513 Twann
>>Phone from the US: 011 4132 315 0303
>>Fax from the US: 011 4132 315 0313
>>____________________________________________________
>>
>>5. Zurich Restaurants
>>
>>Whenever I stay in Zurich, I make a beeline for Bierhalle Kropf for my 
>>first lunch, no matter what season. Sporting a menu of very traditional 
>>Zurich and Swiss German specialties, it is my favorite place for soaking 
>>up some old-time Zurich atmosphere along with great boiled beef -- sounds 
>>dull, but only sounds that way ­ it’s sublimely tender, flavorful and 
>>comforting and just the thing for the weary traveler. There’s also the 
>>Kropf sausage plate, served with the Swiss national potato dish, roesti ­ 
>>a half circle of buttery and perfectly golden shredded homefries, like no 
>>other potato dish that exists. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
>>Bierhalle Kropf is in the old town on the West bank of the Limmat, not 
>>far from the St. Peter church and the Fraumunster. In fact, it’s just 
>>steps from Paradeplatz, the traditional center of the city. The building, 
>>called Kropf, or “bulge” has existed since the middle of the fifteenth 
>>century, way before the restaurant came to be. The present restaurant 
>>dates from the last quarter of the nineteenth century and has gloriously 
>>painted walls and ceilings to prove it. Mostly tiny angels holding great 
>>steaming platters of food and overflowing beer steins, the ceilings and 
>>murals evoke a time when going out for a plate of boiled beef was a big 
>>occasion. I understand perfectly, since I am always happy when I’m in 
>>Zurich, staying at my favorite hotel that’s just around the corner and 
>>eating lunch at Kropf.
>>
>>Restaurant Bierhalle Kropf
>>In Gassen 16
>>CH-8001 Zurich
>>Telephone form the US: 011 411 221 1805
>>Fax from the US: 011 411 212 3754
>>Closed Sundays and holidays
>>
>>A little further up the slope from Kropf, right beyond one corner of the 
>>St. Peter Hofstatt, the beautifully-proportioned square in front of the 
>>St. Peter church, lies another Zurich landmark restaurant, Peter 
>>Brunner’s Kaiser’s Reblaube. The name of the restaurant is the Kaiser 
>>family’s grape arbor and Kaiser refers to the name of a previous owner of 
>>the restaurant, not the German emperor. Really two restaurants in one, 
>>Kaiser’s Reblaube is the larger ground-floor restaurant that serves 
>>typical Zurich specialties. One flight up is the Goethe Stuebli (Goethe’s 
>>lttle Parlor) a small room that seats about 30 diners at a time. Here 
>>Brunner serves traditional Swiss food with a modern twist. A Swiss friend 
>>who joined me at the Goethe Stuebli for dinner remarked that it was like 
>>his grandmother’s cooking but prepared by a brilliant chef ­ and that’s 
>>exactly what it is.
>>The mid-winter meal I had started with three little pots of spreads to 
>>play with while waiting for the first course ­ they were made from duck 
>>liver, black olives and celery root respectively. The first course was a 
>>parsnip soup with oatmeal and a garnish of shredded salty-sweet cured ham 
>>from Willisau near Lucerne. Next, a ragout of diced calf’s foot with 
>>Jerusalem artichokes and black truffles ­ I almost swooned, this was so 
>>good. The main course was a rack of baby lamb with polenta and a herb 
>>salad that included dill, tarragon, celery leaves and mache, called 
>>“Nuessli” in Swiss German. Dessert was a slice of barely cooked beet, 
>>providing an earthy counterpoint to a compote of preserved sour cherries, 
>>a sour cream ice cream and scoop of a quite bitter chocolate mousse, 
>>perfectly echoing the earthiness of the beet. I think I’ll have to go 
>>back to see what Brunner is concocting in each season. I love this type 
>>of approach to food -- it stretches the boundaries and comes up w!
>>ith a surprising touch that makes perfect flavor sense in each dish, 
>>without making them bizarre for the sake of bizarre.
>>
>>Kaiser’s Reblaube/Goethe Stuebli
>>Glockengasse 7
>>CH-8001 Zurich
>>Telephone from the US: 011 411 221 2120
>>Fax from the US: 011 411 221 2155
>>E-mail: rest.reblaube@bluewin.ch

Brian Taussig-Lux
Idyll, Ltd.

(888) 868-6871 x33