Pre-adventure pizza

I've always said that if I were a condemned woman pizza would be my last meal (or at least part of it because I would probably fancy a juicy steak for good measure and maybe a crème brûlée to top things off).

So it was fitting that the night before venturing down the Vallée Blanche - or, more importantly, scaling the height of 3800 m on the Aiguille du Midi cable car - pizza should be my sustenance.

Monsieur Gourmand and I, with two of our more adventurous friends, stumbled into Neapolis from the icy outdoors, not fancying a long search for food. We were told it would be a 20-minute wait but we could tell it would be good - the ground floor and the upper balcony bit looked warm and cosy, heaving with sophisticated-looking ski types. So we settled in at the bar with a carafe of plonk and some focaccia and tried not to think about the famous "walk of death" leading from the cable car to the beginning of tomorrow's mythical mountain itinerary. 

No time for faffing with starters, we went straight to the main course. Tania had spaghetti bolognese, which was doubtless far better than most of the Chamonix Brits are used to, while the other three of us tried the delicious Neapolitan pizzas, all topped with the freshest ingredients and the bases nicely charred around the edge.

Of course, there's more to Italian cuisine than pizza but ice cream isn't usually the first thing that springs to mind in the mountains. These ones though were outstanding, I might even say the best I've ever had. The 90% dark chocolate flavour was beyond chocolatey with big chunky bits, while the mint choc chip was refreshing after our cheesy mains.

Well, it turned out not to be the last supper after all (the ridge walk was nothing short of terrifying, the skiing magnificent) but this would have been a more than satisfying last meal on earth had I fallen to my death.

Neapolis, 79 Galerie Alpina, 74400 Chamonix, France
+33 (0)450 53 98 41
 

Far East of Eden

Much as I like going to Chamonix, driving there is a bit nervy. It was on this very journey that Monsieur Gourmand and I slammed into a crash barrier before sliding into a stationary car (helpfully stopped in the middle of a snowy road, just around a bend) one December day in 2008. After an hour on edge recalling this scary scenario, it's quite a relief to see the Hotel Eden emerge from the darkness, a shimmering beacon of warmth, bedecked by fairy lights.

While the rooms are functional and pleasantly presented, it is the food for which Hotel Eden is better known. After perusing the menu in front of the fire in the bar with a glass or two of champagne, the conservatory dining room awaits where the walls display the resident photographer's latest Alpine-themed exhibition.

The menu is essentially French - think steak, lamb and sea bass fillets - but many dishes are spiced up with an Asian twist that captures the famed umami essence of oriental cooking. The St Jacques I had on my last visit were livened up by a tasty Teriyaki sauce that complemented the succulent scallops, while Monsieur Gourmand had goat's cheese samosa, the heaviness of the cheese eased by sweet beetroot and a zingy apple salad.

Since my last Eden experience I have resolved to order future steaks seignant rather than bleu as it was a little too rare for my liking on this occasion, but the quality of the meat couldn't be faulted. It's always best to stick to what a place does best and, judging by the number of eastern options, my note-to-self for next time is to go for something with soy, spices or sesame.

A couple of bottles of wine later, the bar beckons where skiers from Finland, Ukraine, and of course the UK, congregate for cognacs and limoncellos late into the night.

Hotel Eden Chamonix, 35 route des Gaudenays,
74400 Les Praz de Chamonix, France
+33 (0)450 531843; http://www.hoteleden-chamonix.com

Touristy but tasty

Now that the winter season is under way – and mindful of this blog’s title – I think it’s about time I indulged in some proper alpine eating as well as just Geneva haunts.

After a day’s cold and cloudy skiing in Chamonix last weekend, my companions and I found ourselves in La Calèche, a warm, woody and shamelessly touristy town centre restaurant where the pine-clad walls are festooned with pots, pans, old typewriters and telephones – I think I even spotted a ceramic sheep on the floor.

A particularly nice touch was the shelf by the loo from which patrons can take their pick of perfumes and aftershaves, although I’m afraid the Issey Miyake was empty. Not that a scented squirt would have made much difference against the heavy smell of cheese that pervades a place specialising in fondue and yodelling – this latter tradition thankfully relegated to Tuesdays.

Our two friends opted for onion soup topped with an enormous cheesy crouton to start, while Monsieur Gourmand went for garlicky escargots and I tried the goat’s cheese salad. Sun dried tomatoes and pine kernels added taste and texture but I thought the bacon slightly unnecessary, an overpowering addition to the melting chèvre.

To accompany the delicious St Estèphe wine, the obvious choice for main course was raw meat served with a stone slab on which to cook it. The beef wasn’t particularly tender (although that might have been Monsieur Gourmand’s cooking technique) and the three non-descript sauces didn’t make up for the lack of seasoning; however the creamy, crispy-on-top potato dauphinoise was a delicious antidote to a hard day on the slopes.


Amazingly, we managed to find room for dessert, which turned out to be a disappointing reflection of the dreamy-sounding descriptions. The apple pie lacked any crumbly rustic charm while its accompanying cinnamon ice cream was nothing more than vanilla with a dash of colouring and a soupçon of spice. And I devoured enough white chocolate and passion fruit crème brûlée to conclude that this classic dish should not be complicated by unnecessary flavours.



I almost forgot to mention the mechanical polar bear in the entrance hall – a cheesy but charming feature of this adequate yet unremarkable alpine eatery.



La Calèche, 18 Rue Paccard, 74403 Chamonix. +33 (0)450 559468

www.restaurant-caleche.com