Often times, I have wanted to travel to my parent’s homeland of Berne, Switzerland. Unfortunately, time hasn’t permitted me that luxury. The other day however, I happened to come across a restaurant with the name Swiss Chef, where Gloria Rhoads Berlin and Dr. Shirley Barnes had invited me to have dinner.
It was a quick meal and it was a delight. Since that time however, I decided to take my friend Mordecai to dinner there and take a trip to Switzerland by way of a culinary journey. When we arrived at Swiss Chef, Sonja Huegli, the daughter of Chef Ulirich Huegli greeted us. Sonja explained the history of her Father and introduced us to his restaurant manager, Monique Althaus. With that introduction, Chef Ueli greeted us with a passionate smile and some culinary suggestions.
First and foremost, Chef Ueli went to college to study as a teacher, but through working at a butcher shop and restaurant, he pursued his passion to become a world famous chef. That’s exactly what he did, cooking throughout Europe. Moving to California, he received Chef of The Year and Epicurian Chef of Los Angeles, working at The Century Plaza, and Andreas in Bel Air. But enough already, it’s time to take a culinary journey to Switzerland.
Mordecai ordered Chicken Vesuvio in a white wine sauce with freshly made glazed carrots and potatoes. I ordered Knemptner Gschnaletzlets, a dish which is true to the Swiss culture. Ah, this is worth waiting for. Baby veal sauteed in a white wine sauce with sauteed vegetables, red cabbage and russet potatoes and creamed spinach.
I haven’t eaten this cuisine in many years. What a treat. Prior to our dinner, Sofia, our waitress served us some white asparagus soup. That was also a delight. To our surprise, Chef Ueli is probably the only chef to serve white asparagus dinner during this time of the year. White asparagus, unlike green asparagus, grows under the ground and is very hard to find.
It is truly a European delicacy. With a full tummy, there’s always room for dessert. Chef Ueli prepared all his deserts. In fact, he shops for locally grown vegetables as well. So, why wait for apple strudel from the store.
Instead, you can stop by on Wednesday through Saturday, from 5pm until 10 pm for a culinary journey that you’ll converse about over the dining room table for ages. Celebrity Scene News gives its highest rating of 10 for quality of cuisine, ambiance and service.
