2017 St. Moritz Gourmet Festival: USA
2017 St. Moritz Gourmet Festival: USA â âDiscover THE Best from the Westâ
30th January to 3rd February 2017
Event program and ticket sale start
From today, together with the announcement of the festival program, the coveted event tickets for the 2017 St. Moritz Gourmet Festival are available: bookable mainly online via the website www.stmoritzgourmetfestival.ch. From 30th January to 3rd February 2017 in the Upper Engadine, under the motto: USA â âDiscover THE Best from the WESTâ, gourmets can look forward to more than 40 different enjoyable events with ten top-level master chefs from the United States. Early booking is recommended.
The top-chefs Daniel Humm, James Kent, Enrique Olvera and the American Diner icon Ron Silver from New York, as well as Tal Ronnen from Los Angeles, Dean Fearing from Dallas, Kim Canteenwalla and Rick Moonen from Las Vegas, Lee Wolen from Chicago and Melissa Kelly from Rockland Maine, will bring the Upper Engadine to the boil with their exciting culinary mix during this festival week. Epicures can look forward to an innovative and creative haute cuisine, to Mexican, Texan and vegan gourmet cuisine, farm-to-table and seafood specialties, as well as to traditional American home cooking from the land of boundless opportunities. In the festival partner hotels and event locations, one highlight will follow another: traditionally appreciated and exciting new culinary events with American flair.
For the kick-off, the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, St. Moritz, will be the location for the Grand Julius Baer Opening under the theme Las Vegas. In front of a glamorous Vegas backdrop, all ten guest master chefs will serve samples of their culinary skills on different gourmet isles. On that occasion, the American star chefs will be very pleased to have personal conversations with the festival audience. First-class champagne, wines and spirits will round off the delicacies. Afterwards, the party with live music will be a splendid start to the festival week, and the Casino St. Moritz invites all the guests to try their luck: every guest will receive a free chip worth CHF 20.
The festival week will continue with the Gourmet DĂźners that take place every evening in the stylish restaurants of the partner hotels. On the occasion, the individual cookery skills of the guest chefs from the USA can be savored with a five-course menu, with optional wine accompaniment or Ă la carte. The Gourmet DĂźners guarantee outstanding and enjoyable moments with absolute rarity value. Nowhere else would it be possible to enjoy top-cuisine from the United States with such high-carat participation and culinary diversity.
For the festival week, the Hotel Schweizerhof St. Moritz will especially fit out a pop-up American Diner. From morning to night, New Yorkâs most famous American Diner cook, Ron Silver, will prepare here for the guests a selection of his American home cooking specialties from the legendary Bubbyâs restaurant: fluffy blueberry pancakes, delicious burgers, steaks, roasts and pies. These delicacies will be partly available as take-away food on a steel runner trailer in front of the Schweizerhof.
In the evenings of the Illustrious Kitchen Whispering, the guests can directly look over the shoulder of Ron Silver as he prepares, together with prominent friends, ingenious appetizers in the kitchen of Hotel Schweizerhof. While the delicacies are consumed, it will be possible to chat with New Yorkâs American Diner icon about his successful recipes.
As in each festival week, entertainment awaits the guests at the coveted Gourmet Safaris. With exclusive BMW limousines and an experienced ranger, and in convivial company, the guests will go on a discovery tour to visit five guest chefs. The safari participants will be spoilt with multi-course menus, served directly at the so-called Chefâs Table in the kitchens of the involved partner hotels, accompanied by specially coordinated fine wines. The conclusion of the epicuresâ expedition will be an excellent dessert buffet at the Carlton Hotel, where all guests will meet at the end of the evening.
The legendary Kitchen Party at the Badruttâs Palace Hotel will revive the golden age â. To start the evening, the guests are invited to gather in the newly refurbished «Kingâs Club» for drinks and cocktails. Subsequently, all ten guest chefs and the local chefs de cuisine will present their delicacies as soon as they are prepared in the canteen kitchen of the luxury hotel, serving the food as soon as it is prepared. Live music with hits from the 60s and the 70s, as well as selected beverages, will complete this exceptional culinary event. The following party at the «Kingâs Club» never finishes before the wee hours, and, for the first time, it can be booked separately.
Under the motto US Beef Blizzard, Reto Mathis will serve choice US beef specialties from the Mid-West, at Mathis Food Affairs on Corviglia at an altitude of 2,486m! For the pioneer of âFine Mountain Diningâ, a very particular circle in a personal family affair thus closes at this Gourmet Festival, on the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the peak of culinary enjoyment. At one time, his grandfather emigrated to the United States. His son Hartly, founder of the first culinary establishment and father of Reto Mathis, was born in Chicago. He was one of the first cooks to bring the âbest beefâ from the USA to the plates of the guests in St. Moritz, and thus to Europe.
Select wines and champagnes will enrich all the enjoyable events of this festival week. They play a leading role at four exceptional events:
At the Suvretta House St. Moritz, a promising get-together will happen: America encounters Italy in person with guest chef Lee Wolen from Chicago meeting the exemplary Tuscan wine maker Giovanni Manetti. Ueli Schiess from the house Caratello Wines has arranged this exclusive contact. Giovanni Manettiâs wine making estate Fontodi with its flagship wines such as âFlaccianelloâ or âVigna del Sorboâ, is renowned today as one of the quality centers of Tuscany. In combination with Lee Wolenâs sensational cookery skills, this encounter promises outstanding delights.
Sparkling hours with unique taste and texture experiences await the guests in the elegant atmosphere of the Suvretta House during the Fascination Champagne event. The champagne house Laurent-Perrier, Tours-sur-Marne (F), will serve its exclusive cuvĂ©es. To accompany them, star chef Lee Wolen, awarded one Michelin star and distinguished twice as âChef of the yearâ, will create a coordinated exquisite menu. A brief expert explanation of the different cuvĂ©es, as well as atmospheric soul and jazz accompaniment by the renowned saxophonist Benny Horatschek alias Mr. Soulsax, will round off this special event in a splendid way.
At the Hotel Waldhaus Sils that is situated âclose to heavenâ high above Sils-Maria, Celestial wines from the USA will enrich the program. Jan Martel from the wine shop Martel St.Gallen will present to a small and select circle extremely rare American premium wines of optimal drinking maturity, a passion of the family-owned business. Back in 1963, as a European pioneer, Jan Martelâs grandfather imported wine from the United States to Switzerland. The exceptional wine tasting can be extended optionally by culinary delights or a five-course gourmet dinner prepared by guest chef Rick Moonen, Americaâs famous seafood specialist from Las Vegas.
In the evenings when the Wine & Cheese Celebration takes place in the vaults of the wine cellar of the Hotel Steffani, St. Moritz, MaĂźtre Antony in person will celebrate a âcĂ©rĂ©monie de fromagesâ. For the wine accompaniment, an exclusive offer from the two festival sponsors, Martel AG St. Gallen and Caratello Wines St.Gallen, as well as from the Steffani wine shelves, will be available. The guests can choose themselves or rely on the advice of a connoisseur from one of the wine houses.
The Tasting, the culinary discovery tour for gourmet fans and gastronomy professionals, invites guest this time to the Suvretta House. On the different tasting platforms of the participating festival partners, visitors can taste selected drinks and delicacies, or thumb through the latest haute cuisine cookery books. In addition, the event offers the opportunity to discuss the latest news about trends in gastronomy with the experts from Caratello Wines, Marolo Distilleria, Cerutti âil CaffĂšâ, Laurent-Perrier SA, Martel AG St.Gallen, Rageth Comestibles AG, SIBERIAN VODKA AG and the book store WEGA.
At the Chocolate Cult in «Le Grand Hall» of the Badruttâs Palace Hotel, lovers of melting temptations will be spoilt with numberless delights made of the finest chocolate on four afternoons of the festival week. The temptations with the most varied flavours will be created by the Badruttâs Palace chef pĂątissier Stefan Gerber. Furthermore, Lisbeth Werder, confectioner of the renowned Confiserie SprĂŒngli, will use her skilled handiwork to make delicious brownie pralines, specially created for the festival.
The splendid closing of the festival will be celebrated by all guest chefs and local chefs de cuisine together at the Great BMW Gourmet Finale at the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz, which will be transformed on the occasion into a spectacular setting with an American look and feel. At the champagne cocktail party in the hotel lobby, choice titbits will be savored. It will be followed in the grand hotelâs especially stylishly decorated Corviglia hall, with an exquisite severalcourse menu. The delicacies will be accompanied by first-class wines.
A further highlight awaits the guests this same evening, with the festive Young Engadine Talents presentation ceremony for the winner â a young lady or young man â of the competition for the up-and-coming, organized as part of the festival for the sixth time in order to promote young cookery talents.
Hotel arrangements with individual benefits
From 30th January to 3rd February 2017, the festival partner hotels will offer a multitude of individual arrangements. They include event tickets and accommodation as well as extras that make a stay in a particular partner hotel especially attractive during the festival week. The offers are to be found on the website www.stmoritzgourmetfestival.ch, under the hotel portraits, and can be booked directly at the partner hotels.
Event tickets now available mainly online
The event ticket presale starts today, 1st December 2016. It is important for longstanding festival fans to note that as a novelty, tickets will be exclusively available online on the website www.stmoritz-gourmetfestival.ch. This does not include the Gourmet DĂźners and certain special events (see also program notes on the website).
By the way, the special arrangements of the partner hotels, just like each one of the 40 different enjoyable events of this festival week, would also be ideal Christmas presents.
Current news can be found on the website
www.stmoritz-gourmetfestival.ch and on Facebook.
St. Moritz Gourmet Festival 2017 â USA â âDiscover THE Best from the Westâ,
30th January to 3rd February Overview of the guest chefs
Tal Ronnen, Crossroads restaurant, Los Angeles (US), Restaurant of the Year 2013 (VegNews), Top 10 â Best New Restaurants of 2013 (Los Angeles Magazine), www.crossroadskitchen.com , Guest of chef de cuisine Michel Jost, Badruttâs Palace Hotel***** Superior, St. Moritz, www.badruttspalace.com
James Kent, The NoMad restaurant, New York City (US), 1 Michelin star, 3 New York Times stars, nominated for Best Chef NYC 2016 (James Beard Foundation), winner of the Bocuse dâOr USA (2010), www.thenomadhotel.com Guest of chef de cuisine Gero Porstein, Carlton Hotel***** Superior, St. Moritz, www.carlton-stmoritz.ch
Enrique Olvera, Cosme restaurant, New York City (US), No. 96 â The Worldâs Best Restaurants 2016, No. 1 â Top New York Restaurants (The New York Times, 2015), www.cosmenyc.com Guest of chef de cuisine Fabrizio Piantanida, Grand Hotel Kronenhof***** Superior, Pontresina, www.kronenhof.com
Dean Fearing, Fearingâs restaurant, Dallas (US), Pioneer of American Cuisine (Culinary Institute of America, 2016), cookery book âThe Texas Food Bibleâ (2014), Silver Spoon Award (Food Arts, 2009), Best hotel restaurant (Zagat Guide, 2008), www.fearingsrestaurant.com Guest of chef de cuisine Markus Rose, Hotel Giardino Mountain***** Superior, ChampfĂšr/St. Moritz, www.giardino-mountain.ch
Ron Silver, Bubbyâs restaurant, New York City (US), New Yorkâs most famous American Diner chef and legendary pastry cook, www.bubbys.com Guest of chef de cuisine Christian Ott, Hotel Schweizerhof**** Superior, St. Moritz, www.schweizerhofstmoritz.ch
Rick Moonen, RM Seafood, Las Vegas (US), Nominee for Best Chef: West (James Beard Foundation, 2016); New Restaurant of the Year (Desert Companion, 2013); Top Chef Masters (2009/2010); Seafood Champion Award (2006); Chef of the Year (Monterey Bay Aquarium, 2011), www.rickmoonen.com Guest of chef de cuisine Dennis Brunner, Hotel Waldhaus*****, Sils-Maria, www.waldhaus-sils.ch
Kim Canteenwalla, Andiron Steak & Sea Restaurant, Las Vegas (US), Restaurant of the Year (Eater Vegas, 2015), Esquire best new restaurants (Society Café at Encore, Las Vegas, 2009), Outstanding Restaurateur Nominee (James Beard Foundation, 2015), www.andironsteak.com Guest of chef de cuisine Matthias Schmidberger, Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains***** Superior, St. Moritz, www.kempinskistmoritz.ch
Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park restaurant, New York City (US), 3 Michelin stars, The Best Restaurant in North America (No. 3 â Worldâs 50 Best Restaurants, 2016), Chefsâ Choice Award (Worldâs 50 Best Restaurants, 2015), Outstanding Chef in America (James Beard Foundation, 2012), www.elevenmadisonpark.com Guest of chef de cuisine Mauro Taufer, Kulm Hotel St. Moritz***** Superior, www.kulm.com
Melissa Kelly, Restaurant Primo, Maine (US), Winner of the Best Chef: Northeast Award (James Beard Foundation, 1999 and 2013); Golden Whisk Award (Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, 2002), www.primorestaurant.com Guest of chef de cuisine Florian Mainzger im Hotel Nira Alpina**** Superior, www.niraalpina.com
Lee Wolen, Boka restaurant, Chicago (US), 1 Michelin star, winner of the Culinary Masters Competition (2016), Chef of the Year (Chicago Tribune und Eater Chicago, 2014/2015), www.bokachicago.comGuest of chef de cuisine Fabrizio Zanetti, Suvretta House***** Superior, St. Moritz,www.suvrettahouse.ch
The following festival partners look forward to welcoming gourmet fans from all over the world:
The partner hotels: Badruttâs Palace Hotel***** Superior, St. Moritz; Carlton Hotel***** Superior, St. Moritz; Grand Hotel Kronenhof***** Superior, Pontresina; Hotel Giardino Mountain***** Superior, ChampfĂšr/St. Moritz; Nira Alpina**** Superior, Silvaplana-Surlej; Hotel Schweizerhof**** Superior, St. Moritz; Hotel Waldhaus*****, Sils-Maria; Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains***** Superior, St. Moritz; Kulm Hotel St. Moritz***** Superior, St. Moritz, und Suvretta House***** Superior, St. Moritz, sowie die
Event locations: Cava, Hotel Steffani****, St. Moritz, und Mathis Food Affairs, Corviglia/St. Moritz.
Furthermore, the festival is supported by the tremendous commitment of the following sponsors:
Title sponsor and official car: BMW (Schweiz) AG;
Title sponsor: Bank Julius BĂ€r & Co. AG;
Main sponsor: Valser; Co-sponsors: Caratello Weine St.Gallen, Confiserie SprĂŒngli AG, G. Bianchi AG, Laurent-Perrier Suisse S.A., Martel AG St.Gallen, Maura Wasescha AG, Maximum Wellbeing AG Schweiz, Rageth Comestibles AG;
Suppliers: Bader + Niederöst AG, BRAGARD SUISSE AG, CERUTTI âil CaffĂšâ, Hugo Dubno AG, Schwob AG, sknife â swiss knife, Grappa MAROLO, SIBERIAN VODKA AG;
Carriers: Massé und Partner Transports GmbH, SWISS;
Local media partner: Engadiner Post/Posta Ladina;
Media partners: dasfilet.ch (Gourmetblog), htr hotel revue, ibexmedia GmbH, marmite â Zeitschrift fĂŒr Ess- und Trinkkultur, restaurant-news.de, POSH.
www.stmoritz-gourmetfestival.ch
A cura di Rocco Lettieri
Commenti recenti