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| American Dream Cuisine™ |
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La
Marmite
Corviglia, St. Moritz receives |
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Society - Extraordinary |
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6 Stars
& 5 Stripes for
Extraordinaire - Society Cuisine &
Service |
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The Ultimate
Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes ™ |
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| The
cog
train brought us to the top of Corviglia to have lunch at Reto Mathis's
restaurant La Marmite, a super special and unexpected gem of a dining
experience. |
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Corviglia-Yacht |
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Reto went against the odds by
establishing himself at the top of a mountain, which was limited to skiers
eager to get a bite to eat for lunch. That was the traditional wisdom and
needless to say Reto set up a gourmet venue, which through the tireless efforts
of his wife and himself has reversed the tide of the norm. The proper marketing
and promotional efforts have produced results, which allow people to enjoy
truly exceptional cuisine, a banner wine selection featuring hand picked
regional wines of Graubunden and a panoramic view to rival that of a soaring
hawk. |
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| Upon meeting this exceptional man in the middle of a
very busy day, he took the time to treat us to a bottle of his very special
sparkling wine. This alone would have left us with quite an impression but Reto
did one better; he took us outside and around the corner of his restaurant
almost to the sheer drop of the mountain's edge into a large yacht (as in ocean
going). |
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We were told by Reto that his
yacht was designated as a member of the 'Highest Yacht Club in the World' even
though it is surrounded by water in the state of snow. As if to drive home the
point,
Reto
now decided to open his very special bottle of Verve Clicquot Ponsardin in the
'Sabrage'
method, or opening a bottle with a sword.
Apparently, if done
correctly the pressure of the Champagne always insures that no glass falls back
into the bottle. Just as the bottle cracked and the cork flew into the snow,
someone brought a
thin
crust pizza in covered with thin slices of black truffle. I dared not think
of how much this might cost if one were to order it for lunch. Nevertheless,
the addictive aroma of the earthy truffle seduced us into partaking in a few
slices, along with the newly opened silky smooth champagne. |
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Reto Mathis |
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| With the magnificent Engadine valley directly below
the precipitous yacht, Reto beckoned us to return to the restaurant so that we
could begin our special meal of locally produced fare. After 10 years at the
top of Corviglia, Reto and his wife Barbara have built up quite a gourmet
reputation for doing things to perfection in their flagship restaurant La
Marmite. On our way in we passed an eye catching arrangement of superb looking
pastries and confections that just begged to be tasted. |
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| The ambiance of the whole restaurant is one of
eclectic originality with many locally made paintings, sculptures and other art
objects spread all over. We were shown to our table located directly by a
beautifully bright window with a view of the Yacht and valley below. Our hosts
proposed a toast to our new friendship and ushered out an assortment of rather
large thin bottles of Gerhard Hammerle Himbeer Edelbrand specialty raspberry
schnapps from the region. We were soon drinking to our health as if joined at
the hip with our new found friends of this fabulous 'mountain kingdom'!
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Lunch arrived at the precise
moment that the raspberry 'schnapps' began to reach its cerebral destination.
For Phyllis it was a Corviglia bestseller the 'Carrousel' which
consisted of a free-form arrangement of local foie gras and duck liver pate,
smoked salmon and gravlaks (marinated salmon) with dill sauce. The foie gras
was silky smooth and rich in flavor, truly a pure luxury that improves like
fine wine.
For me it was tuna sashimi cloaked in black truffles
and extra virgin olive oil and salmon caviar. Graceful slices of tuna belly
gently placed beneath an abundant amount of pungent black truffles soaked in
olive oil thereby imparting superb character to this centuries old delicacy.
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| A quick glance up produced a vision of Chef/Owner Reto
gleefully shaving black truffles at another table as if he were leaving
breadcrumbs on a forest path to find his way home. On came the next course with
Phyllis receiving Carpaccio of locally produced Bresaola with Grana Cheese
and Arugula. Bresaola is typically air cured in a special environment to
achieve its moist and delicate texture with a musty bouquet and when combined
with the delightfully sharp, gold grainy Grana cheese it calls to mind a slight
grassiness from the meadows of the Upper Endgadine valley. |
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With every bite, we were
convinced that there was an unmistakable upward movement toward perfection that
corresponded to the lofty elevation of the peaks around us. Finally, our hosts
returned to the table with a specially prepared dessert of pine tree ice
cream with caramelized walnuts and red currant compote. If you have to ask
me if I have ever had such a distinctive treat the answer is without a doubt,
NO. |
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The use of locally harvested pine nuts in the ice
cream imparts a subtle resin-like flavor that works well when contrasted with
the burnt sweetness of the walnuts and the tartness of the red
currants.
After several delightful espressos and another round of
raspberry schnapps it was time to venture back to the Carlton Hotel to prepare
ourselves for an escorted personalized tour of the fabled premises. |
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by
Phyllis & John Lomitola
Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid Lemme
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