Saint Moritz 2006

13th St. Moritz Gourmet Festival 2006
January 30 –February 4, 2006

“Edition Suisse”

The 13th St. Moritz Gourmet Festival is both homage and a commitment to the outstanding quality of Swiss cuisine and the living tradition of hospitality, and ideally coincides with the 150th anniversary of the hotels of St. Moritz. While last year’s Festival had women chefs from around the world tempting one’s palates, the forthcoming event will focus uniquely on the star chefs in Switzerland. The Festival’s Finale will once again return to the frozen lake of St. Moritz. In all, an authentically Swiss matter at the upper echelon.

The taste of German-speaking Switzerland will be conveyed by St. Moritz’ own Roland Joehri of “Joehri’s Talvo” in St. Moritz-Champfèr, Nik Gygax of the “Loewen” in Thoerigen, André Jaeger of the “Fischerzunft” in Schaffhausen, Stefan Meier of the “Rathauskeller” in Zug, Peter Moser of the ” Quatre Saisons” in Basel, and Horst Petermann of “Petermann’s Kunststuben” in Kuesnacht. French-speaking Switzerland will be represented by Adolf Blokbergen of the “Auberge du Raisin” in Cully and the team of Tommy Byrne and Gilles Dupont at the “Lion d’Or” in Cologny. Martin Dalsass of “Santabbondio” in Sorengo-Lugano will be representing Italian-speaking Switzerland, while the Festival president, Reto Mathis of “Mathis Food Affairs”, will be cooking at his heights atop Corviglia, overlooking St. Moritz.

Only the best of Switzerland’s culinary culture will appear on the plates, in a collaboration between the resident chefs of all of the five deluxe hotels – Badrutt’s Palace, the Carlton Hotel, the Kulm Hotel, the Suvretta House and the Kempinski Grand Hôtel des Bains – and the first-class hotels Crystal, Monopol and Schweizerhof as well as “Joehri’s Talvo” in St. Moritz-Champfèr and “Mathis Food Affairs” on Corviglia. As in previous years, the ambience at this legendary festival will be characterized by a comradely and inspiring exchange of know-how and creativity rather than by competitiveness.

In this forthcoming “Edition Suisse “, the traditional official events will mark the three main “milestones”. The Festival will be officially inaugurated at the Carlton Hotel on January 30th with the “Grand Gourmet Opening Cocktail”. Here, the ten master chefs will be proposing a first sampling of their culinary expertise. The “Kitchen Party” at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel on February 1st will again allow for a good look over the chefs’ shoulders as they work at their preparations in the impressively grand kitchens – as well as the compulsory personal chat, tips and tastings. The “Grand Gourmet Finale” of February 4 that begins at 11 a.m. at the VIP Tent on the frozen lake of St. Moritz is a further highlight – not least because of its spectacular mountain surroundings.

On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of hotels in St. Moritz, the Kulm Hotel will be proposing an Anniversary Gala Dinner on February 2. And a Gourmet Safari will see gourmets go off on a “hunt” for their various courses at the participating hotels. Numerous tastings and gourmet menus will complete the culinary offer.

Since its beginnings in 1994, the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival has been recognized as a true innovation in the field of top-level gastronomy. This is only possible thanks to the dedicated support of the event’s sponsors: Valser Mineralquellen AG, Embassy – La Serlas, Kikkoman, Kaviari, Caratello Weine, Martel AG St. Gallen, Rageth Comestibles AG, Natura Buendner Fleischtrocknerei, Bader & Niederoest AG, Confiserie Spruengli, Freihof Destillerie, Habanos Intertabak AG, Electrolux Professional AG, Bragard SA, Perrier Jouët, Cibolini AG Gestaltungen, Massé und Partner Transports GmbH.

Caviar, Kitchen Party and Kulm Hotel

13th St. Moritz Gourmet Festival from January 30 to February 4

Already for the 13th time now, top-rated chefs will be preparing culinary delights at the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival. The fact that all of this year’s chefs hail from Switzerland makes this “Edition Suisse” a premiere. What’s more, the hospitality industry of St. Moritz celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. We would call it – in all true modesty, of course –”Swissness at its best”.

The start – as every year – will be made by the Grand Gourmet Opening Cocktail, allowing the ten Swiss gourmet chefs to introduce contemporary Swiss cuisine in all of its varied facets. At the latest at the Gourmet Tasting Dinners, guests will be forced to lay aside any outdated preconceptions, as they find themselves enjoying the creative and amusing cuisine, day upon day, at the partner hotels’ gourmet restaurants.

At the legendary Kitchen Party at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel on February 1, guest and resident chefs will be working together ‘live und unplugged’ to dish up the most current trends in ‘haute cuisine’. Fitted out with kitchen aprons and chef’s bonnets, guests will be able to dip into the pans and talk shop in the four Swiss national languages, way into the early morning hours.

On a hunt for the delicacies of five master chefs, the Gourmet Safari trail leads through the kitchens of the deluxe and first-class hotels of St. Moritz. Guided by an experienced ‘tracker’, the small groups are taken, one course after the other, to the respective Chefs’ Tables. Just like a proper safari, it will be casual, perhaps at times even a bit wild…

St. Moritz’ first hotel was the “Engadiner Kulm” – today’s Kulm Hotel, which opened its doors in 1856 on the initiative of its pioneering owner, Johannes Badrutt – incidentally at exactly 1,856 meters above sea level. In celebration of the 150 years of the Kulm Hotel and the hospitality industry of St. Moritz, an Anniversary Gala Dinner will be held at the Kulm Hotel on February 2, prepared by André Jaeger. ./.
“Above the clouds and out of this world” is not only a fitting description for Reto Mathis atop Corviglia. It also describes the various Festival Tastings – from Vodka & Caviar to chocolate and wine tastings or Champagne dinners.

And the Grand Gourmet Finale is back on the frozen lake of St. Moritz – this year on Saturday, February 4, 2006, immediately ahead of the first horse-racing Sunday of the season. Working together in the amazing tent village, the gourmet chefs will be preparing a multi-course menu of the superlative. With its incomparable ambience, the Finale will be the final stop on this heavenly culinary journey through Switzerland.

“Edition Suisse”

Call it ‘Swiss bliss’ – the dishes at this year’s festival will be both popular and lavish – boiled potatoes with caviar or raclette cheese with white truffles. The combination of Swiss tradition and cultural diversity is dynamite and explodes on the palate. The ten culinary pyrotechnicians are quite cool about their combined 10 Michelin stars and 161 GaultMillau points, but their passionate creations are sure to catapult St. Moritz out of its wintry chill – Switzerland is ‘in’ at the 13th St. Moritz Gourmet Festival.

Adolf Blokbergen (Auberge du Raisin, Cully) is, with his Michelin star and 18 GaultMillau points, a sure guarantee for culinary variety and enjoyment. His Tandoori codfish tournedos with salted ’tiles’ combine classical culinary expertise with multicultural influences.

Tommy Byrne and Gilles Dupont (Le Lion d’Or, Cologny) share a stove, and thus double their kitchen’s imaginativity. Bold, harmoniously refined combinations have earned them a Michelin star and 16 GaultMillau points.

Martin Dalsass (Santabbondio, Sorengo-Lugano) is an olive-oil virtuoso. This chef with one Michelin star and 18 GaultMillau points uses only the best olive oils – even in his famous chocolate mousse.

Nik Gygax (Löwen, Thörigen) now runs his family’s restaurant in the third generation and has gained it a Michelin star and 18 GaultMillau points. A delicate ‘cordon bleu’ and homemade bread, breaded trotters and stuffed duck liver are all a part of his culinary patchwork.

André Jaeger (Die Fischerzunft, Shaffhausen) is perhaps the most intellectual among Swiss chefs. Since the seventies, his “Cuisine du Bonheur” (Happiness Cuisine) has been Asian-inspired. He has carried over the concept of yin and yang into his creations – opposites (sweet with sour, fat-burners with fat-containing elements) keep the guest in a harmonious balance. Jaeger’s avant-garde cuisine has earned him a Michelin star and 19 GaultMillau points.

Roland Jöhri (Jöhri’s Talvo, St. Moritz-Champfèr) uses primarily local produce at his restored Engadine farmhouse from 1658, as well as fish and seafood that are delivered fresh from the catch and in the best of quality three times weekly from Milan up to almost 2,000 m.a.s.l. Those who have enjoyed dining at the “hayloft” (“Talvo” in English), that has two Michelin stars and 18 GaultMillau points to its name, rarely leave without taking one of the three cookbooks or a product from Jöhri’s line of gourmet cuisine with them as a reminder.

Reto Mathis (Mathis Food Affairs, Corviglia, St. Moritz, Hors Classe), acting President of the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival, serves his truffle and caviar specialties varied with local and international products at ” La Marmite”, in the middle of a skiing region at 2,486 meters’ altitude. Eat, drink and be merry at the restaurant or on the sun terrace, at the highest-altitude yacht club in the world.

Stefan Meier (Rathauskeller, Zug), whose traveling years also brought him to St. Moritz, has earned 17 GaultMillau points, 3 Red Bonnets and 4 Forks. His guiding principle in running this restaurant in the old town of Zug together with his partner, Hubert Erni, is that cooking is like a foreign language – there’s no point in learning by rote, one has to comprehend the essence of a product in order to discover its full potential.

Peter Moser (Les Quatres Saison, Basel) likes to resuscitate the rare and the forgotten in his creations, adding fresh ideas to his market-fresh cuisine. At his gourmet restaurant with one Michelin Stern and 18 GaultMillau points, he treats his guests to specialties such as “stuffed belly of young pork with green cabbage”.

Horst Petermann (Petermann’s Kunststuben, Küsnacht) is considered the best chef in the Zurich area, and is, together with Philippe Rochat, the only Swiss “Membre de la Haute Cusine de France”. He is distinguished by two Michelin stars and 19 GaultMillau points, a ranking as “Number 1 of Europe/Best Restaurant of Europe” by New York’s “Zagat Survey”, and as one of the top chefs of the year by the “Aral Gourmet Atlas 2005″. Having once worked at the Carlton Hotel in St. Moritz, he now returns for the 13th St. Moritz Gourmet Festival.