Alpenhaus Restaurant Review
July 12, 2007 | 1:27 ami guess u have to have been to Switzerland to appreciate Swiss food (yes, there’s more to it than fondue!), but for those in the know, this is the best type of comfort food there is!! On the other hand, if you’re someone that thinks vegetables are an essential part of an everyday diet, then you might want to give this one a miss…
Swiss food is mainly about the cheese (well, DUH!), and yes, generally, it’s melted, whether it’s in a pot for fondue, or in a puddle on a plate for raclette (see my post on the Raclette War).
So i went to Alpenhaus, on the corner of Ste Catherine and St Marc. From the outside, there is a feeble attempt at having the side of the building look like a Swiss chalet, but seeing that they’re right next to a scruffy-looking depaneur, there’s not much of hope of that being successful. Having said that, back in 1967, when the restaurant opened, this was probably a lot more noticeable.
But then, you walk in, and all thoughts of Montreal disappear. The decor is all wood logs, cute curtains, doilies, fireplaces, different little rooms, low ceilings, nooks and corners, hanging cowbells, men wearing funny looking pants and women wearing traditional Dirndls, their national dress. It sets the tone right away. And i liked it, it was a little over the top, but i had been missing the Swiss culture for so long without realizing it, that i felt like i was coming home! I was so excited to see the menu, it was a good 4-5 pages of traditional dish after dish, and i was trying to figure out a way i could order all of them. They have the Viande des Grisons: typical slices of dried beef with spices, they have palm hearts and artichoke hearts, they have Rösti potatoes (grated and fried potatoes, sometimes with cheese or onions), they have Wiener schnitzel (breaded veal escalope) and Geschnetzlets(veal in cream sauce), they have various sausages, lots of dishes with gruyere cheese or emmental cheese, and of course, all the various fondues. A note about raclette: they don’t have any, preferring not to serve it, rather than serving it wrong. Instead, they have a Croute au Fromage, which, i suppose, is a large plate of melted cheese. Apparently, when it’s the season, they even have a fish called “Goujon-Perche” (ruffle, in English).
I was so happy i was there with 5 other people, because i got to tell everyone what to order, and we all tried each others’ dishes. Maybe it was because i had been craving the food so badly, but every single dish was delicious. Swiss cuisine could never be described as fine and delicate, but again, it’s sooooo good.
The wine menu was extensive and expensive, but because they were some really good wines from the Swiss, French, Austrian and Italian regions. The have a great menu of imported beers as well. The deserts are highly recommended too, yep, they even have the apple strudel, and once you’ve done all of that, the only thing really left to do is curl up by the fire somewhere and fall asleep!!!
I’ve never seen Alpenhaus full, but i definitely think it’s one of the undiscovered wonders of Montreal, i highly recommend it, and I encourage you to try it, you won’t be disappointed.
You can find their menu and pictures on their website: http://www.restaurantalpenhaus.com/
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