Our best meal
I was a little disappointed when Randy told me that eating fondue in Switzerland in May might not happen, but we still wanted to see if it were possible. We walked a few blocks from our hotel to this restaurant, Wii-Hüsli, that we were told had good fondue, if they had it. Upon arriving, we decided we would eat there, regardless. It looked adorably Swiss, in my mind.
We walked into what looked more like a tavern than a restaurant. There was a bar and several tables with benches. Only a few people were there, all with drinks and no food. I asked if we could get a table.
"For drinking?" someone asked us, looking warily at our family. She started to rearrange some benches for us. I told her we were hoping to eat there.
"For eating?" the same person asked me, sounding a little confused. "Here? Eating here?"
"We can eat here?" I asked.
"Well, yes. It's just.....come upstairs."
Upstairs we seated ourselves in the empty dining room. Another woman came to our table and handed us menus. Surely detecting my German was not so great, she asked if we could switch to English. She apologized for the menu being so small.
"I'm sorry, but we mostly only serve fondue here. It's our specialty, so we don't have much else."
No apologies necessary, I thought. This was a dream come true.
We told her that weactually had come there hoping to find fondue. We had been told theirs were excellent, but, we added, we might not get any because it wasn't winter. She agreed that fondue was not normally eaten outside of winter, but they served it year-round. Especially in the summer, she said, more people are starting to enjoy it at Wii-Hüsli, eating it outside on their patio on cool nights. Today, too, she could understand why we would want fondue; the weather had been so cold and wet it almost called for warming food.
She recommended that we try their own special cheese blend, which I did not argue with because it was the least expensive. I asked about other side dishes we should have, and she said the bread and the cheese was all the meal anyone would need. I didn't argue with that either.
The kids ordered apfelschorle, the apple soda they almost always have now when they are eating a meal in a German-speaking region. I started to ask about a local Dielsdorf wine, but she stopped me. She acknowledged that the local wines were good, but they did not taste right with fondue. She recommended we choose a wine from the French part of Switzerland, the region where fondue originates. I assented, even though it wasn't the least expensive on the wine card.
While we were waiting for our drinks and food, Randy pointed out some bottles on a shelf behind me.
When she returned to our table to begin setting it up, I asked her what these were. She seemed pleased that we were curious and told us it was Kirsch. She informed us it was very good for the digestion and the adults should try it with our fondue. As soon as she told me it was cherry-flavored, I doubted I would like it. Then when she told me I should soak my bread in it before I dipped it in the cheese, I really doubted I would like it. However, I wanted to give it a try before I dismissed it. This was their specialty, after all.
The kids' drinks arrived. Can these bottles be any cuter?
As did our wine.
Having just come from Gorizia, Randy and I couldn't help but comment how colorless this Swiss white wine was. The wines I enjoy from Slovenia as well as some from the Friulian region are a darker yellow color, and are called "Orange Wines" But this wine was light and clear. On my first sip I noticed an almost buttery after-taste. This was going to go unbelievably well with our fondue.
My anticipation built as she brought out our plates and forks. I was reminded how much like weapons fondue forks look. At some point in history perhaps they doubled as weapons.
The woman brought out the base and the fuel. And then the cheese.
I ate my first bite exactly as she told me, Kirsch and all.
First I dipped the bread in the brandy.
Then I got it good and cheesy.
As I ate it I could not believe I had lived so long on this earth and never tasted anything like this before. I have had fondue and all kinds of cheeses and breads that I would describe as very good, but never like this. I don't know if it were just the Wii-Hüsli special cheese blend, or if it were helped with the Kirsch, but this supper was so extraordinary. I washed it down with some of that light, buttery wine and kept on going.
Brigid happily helped herself to fondue sans Kirsch, but still loved it.
I almost felt bad for Myles and Brigid. Eating something like this so soon in their lives. All else will fail to measure up. I mean, look at this face.
My own joy reached a ridiculous peak when I heard the beginning of Roxy Music's "More than This." I admitted I was near tears at how perfect this moment had become. My family, the wine, the fondue, and now Bryan Ferry, too.
We continued through three baskets of bread. I used up all of my Kirsch, and some of Randy's too. I was so happy I overcame my distrust of cherry-flavor and of wet bread. I don't know if I can ever eat fondue without Kirsch again.
Our family agreed that out of so many fantastic things we had eaten on this trip, this meal, which came just a few days before our return to China, was one of the best of the whole trip.
We walked into what looked more like a tavern than a restaurant. There was a bar and several tables with benches. Only a few people were there, all with drinks and no food. I asked if we could get a table.
"For drinking?" someone asked us, looking warily at our family. She started to rearrange some benches for us. I told her we were hoping to eat there.
"For eating?" the same person asked me, sounding a little confused. "Here? Eating here?"
"We can eat here?" I asked.
"Well, yes. It's just.....come upstairs."
Upstairs we seated ourselves in the empty dining room. Another woman came to our table and handed us menus. Surely detecting my German was not so great, she asked if we could switch to English. She apologized for the menu being so small.
"I'm sorry, but we mostly only serve fondue here. It's our specialty, so we don't have much else."
No apologies necessary, I thought. This was a dream come true.
We told her that weactually had come there hoping to find fondue. We had been told theirs were excellent, but, we added, we might not get any because it wasn't winter. She agreed that fondue was not normally eaten outside of winter, but they served it year-round. Especially in the summer, she said, more people are starting to enjoy it at Wii-Hüsli, eating it outside on their patio on cool nights. Today, too, she could understand why we would want fondue; the weather had been so cold and wet it almost called for warming food.
She recommended that we try their own special cheese blend, which I did not argue with because it was the least expensive. I asked about other side dishes we should have, and she said the bread and the cheese was all the meal anyone would need. I didn't argue with that either.
The kids ordered apfelschorle, the apple soda they almost always have now when they are eating a meal in a German-speaking region. I started to ask about a local Dielsdorf wine, but she stopped me. She acknowledged that the local wines were good, but they did not taste right with fondue. She recommended we choose a wine from the French part of Switzerland, the region where fondue originates. I assented, even though it wasn't the least expensive on the wine card.
While we were waiting for our drinks and food, Randy pointed out some bottles on a shelf behind me.
When she returned to our table to begin setting it up, I asked her what these were. She seemed pleased that we were curious and told us it was Kirsch. She informed us it was very good for the digestion and the adults should try it with our fondue. As soon as she told me it was cherry-flavored, I doubted I would like it. Then when she told me I should soak my bread in it before I dipped it in the cheese, I really doubted I would like it. However, I wanted to give it a try before I dismissed it. This was their specialty, after all.
The kids' drinks arrived. Can these bottles be any cuter?
As did our wine.
Having just come from Gorizia, Randy and I couldn't help but comment how colorless this Swiss white wine was. The wines I enjoy from Slovenia as well as some from the Friulian region are a darker yellow color, and are called "Orange Wines" But this wine was light and clear. On my first sip I noticed an almost buttery after-taste. This was going to go unbelievably well with our fondue.
My anticipation built as she brought out our plates and forks. I was reminded how much like weapons fondue forks look. At some point in history perhaps they doubled as weapons.
The woman brought out the base and the fuel. And then the cheese.
I ate my first bite exactly as she told me, Kirsch and all.
First I dipped the bread in the brandy.
Then I got it good and cheesy.
As I ate it I could not believe I had lived so long on this earth and never tasted anything like this before. I have had fondue and all kinds of cheeses and breads that I would describe as very good, but never like this. I don't know if it were just the Wii-Hüsli special cheese blend, or if it were helped with the Kirsch, but this supper was so extraordinary. I washed it down with some of that light, buttery wine and kept on going.
Brigid happily helped herself to fondue sans Kirsch, but still loved it.
I almost felt bad for Myles and Brigid. Eating something like this so soon in their lives. All else will fail to measure up. I mean, look at this face.
My own joy reached a ridiculous peak when I heard the beginning of Roxy Music's "More than This." I admitted I was near tears at how perfect this moment had become. My family, the wine, the fondue, and now Bryan Ferry, too.
We continued through three baskets of bread. I used up all of my Kirsch, and some of Randy's too. I was so happy I overcame my distrust of cherry-flavor and of wet bread. I don't know if I can ever eat fondue without Kirsch again.
Our family agreed that out of so many fantastic things we had eaten on this trip, this meal, which came just a few days before our return to China, was one of the best of the whole trip.
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