Geneva, Switzerland

FINALLY! My first international adventure since the COVID-19 pandemic had begun was a trip to Switzerland! 

My first stop was in Geneva, the city that I flew into. After landing at the airport, I quickly made my way to wander around the city and have a good meal! 

LES AMURES

Les Amures, a historic hotel and restaurant, had a lovely ambiance and is known for authentic well made food! Fondue was my choice, as this restaurant is known for serving traditional fondue, a priority for me to experience in the country. I, however, selected the unusual cheese combination of Moitie-moitie, Vacherin, and Gruyere, but with the addition of blue cheese from Neuchatel because it sounded unusual and the waiter told me that I would be unlikely to find that served somewhere else. 

Before the fondue arrived to the table, I had smoked white fish from Lake Geneva with beetroot carpaccio and zested lime as an appetizer. It was a nice light dish, but I found the shallots mixed with the fish to be too overpowering. I really enjoyed that lime was the citrus used as it added more surprise to my palate than lemon would have. 

The fondue was terribly rich, which I expected, but it truly required the acidity of a glass of wine. I took the advice of the waiter and tried a dry floral white wine, Fendant from the Valais region, which was a traditional pairing for fondue. It helped me to realize how deliberate food traditions can be, This type of meal is typically served with wine and it made all the difference to the experience as the rich fattiness of the creamy cheese was enjoyable only with the wine after the first few bites. Otherwise, it would have been much too rich to continue to eat it and fully enjoy it. 

I also tried Petite Arvine, a slightly sweet wine with a citrus flavor, but also with salty mineral notes. I enjoyed it very much and it made me excited to try other regional wines. 

CAFE DU SOLEIL

Another fun stop that I had in Geneva was at Cafe du Soleil, a cafe known for being a simple family owned restaurant with traditional foods. 

I tried the very common air dried beef, an item that seemed to be on every menu. It was the afternoon and I paired it with a glass of Gamey rose wine. The wine was dry but fruity and really a simple flavor profile. The beef was quite mild and very thinly sliced and I appreciated that it benefited from acidic contrast offered by the traditional pairing of cornichons and pickled onions.

For dessert, I had creme de gruyere, which was served in the traditional wooden tub called a "dietzo". The meringues made with with double creme of Gruyere were really perfect. Crunchy and sweet, but someone slightly caramelized on the inside. I found the creme surprised me with how dense it was. I had expected it to be a light and sweet cream, but it was in fact very thick and it had tart milk flavor that was best enjoyed sparingly. 

Jet d'eau geyser in Lake Geneva

Geneva was my first introduction to Switzerland and, by the end of my trip, I had decided it was not my most memorable experience, but I enjoyed exploring the city and getting to jump into having new and traditional food experiences! I could not wait to see what other adventures would come to pass!