North-American gourmet cuisine, influenced and characterized by the most varied cultures, will ensure experiences of pleasure of an unequalled, amazing variety at the 2017 St. Moritz Gourmet Festival, which takes place from 30th January to 3rd February under the motto: USA – “Discover THE Best from the West”.
The American-Israeli star chef Tal Ronnen from the Crossroads restaurant in Los Angeles will familiarize the festival guests with his vegan gourmet cuisine. Tal Ronnen follows the call to the festival thanks to his longstanding cooperation with the Baur au Lac in Zurich. The US star chef will be a guest of Michel Jost, chef de cuisine at the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel. A close cooperation has existed for a long time between the Baur au Lac and the Badrutt’s Palace.
The international star Daniel Humm will come to the festival as a guest chef of Mauro Taufer, chef de cuisine at the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz. His independent style is closely related to his Swiss origins with classical French haute cuisine, and to his current home town of New York. At the festival, the smart New Yorker will be the guest chef of Gero Porstein, chef de cuisine at the Carlton Hotel St. Moritz. With his signature dishes such as “whole roast chicken, stuffed with black truffles and foie gras”, he has received a Michelin star, and the James Beard Foundation nominated him as “Best Chef NYC 2016”.
Master chef Enrique Olvera from the Cosme restaurant in New York is the guest chef of Fabrizio Piantanida, chef de cuisine at the Grand Hotel Kronenhof in Pontresina. The native Mexican ranks as a trailblazer of Mexican top cuisine and as one of the most creative leading chefs in the world. At the 2014 Chefs’ Choice Award, the top chefs of the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” elected him “Latin America’s Best Chef”.
As the “Father of Southwestern cuisine” and author of the “Texas Food Bible”, Dean Fearing is a living legend in the United States. The repeatedly awarded master chef will come to the festival from his Fearing’s restaurant in Dallas. Prominent figures rank among his guests, from rock stars to the President and the Queen of England. As a guest chef of Markus Rose, chef de cuisine at the Hotel Giardino Mountain in Champfèr-St. Moritz, the festival guests will be able to savor Dean Fearing’s famous “Haute Southwest Cuisine”.
Star chef Kim Canteenwalla who has received numerous awards for his cookery skills, was born in Pakistan and grew up in Canada. He has greatly contributed to making Las Vegas become America’s new fine food dining destination. As a guest chef of Matthias Schmidberger, chef de cuisine at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, St. Moritz, he will enthrall the festival guests with his contemporary interpretations of traditional steakhouse cuisine from his Andiron Steak & Sea restaurant in Las Vegas.
Lee Wolen, a native from Cleveland, will come to the festival as a guest chef of Fabrizio Zanetti, chef de cuisine at the Suvretta House, St. Moritz. The star-crowned executive chef and partner at the Boka restaurant in Chicago, is among the sensational rising star chefs of the USA. Twice in a row, Lee Wolen was crowned “Chef of the Year”, and in 2016 he won the “Culinary Master Competition. Lee Wolen developed his personal fascinating culinary signature after professional positions at the El Bulli in Spain and three years as a sous-chef with Daniel Humm at the three-star Eleven Madison Park restaurant.
For Melissa Kelly, guest chef of Florian Mainzger, chef de cuisine at the Nira Alpina hotel, Silvaplana-Surlej, “farm to table” is not a concept but a lifestyle. Around her Primo restaurant on the mid-coast of Maine, the two time winner of the James Beard Award “Best Chef: Northeast”, runs a farm with a vast amount of land and many animals that are raised with great care.
With Rick Moonen from Las Vegas, one of the world’s best seafood experts will come to the festival as a guest chef of Dennis Brunner, chef de cuisine at theHotel Waldhaus, Sils-Maria. Rick Moonen’s two famous restaurants “rm seafood” and “Rx Boiler Room” are located in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. His culinary skills received multiple awards, and his tireless commitment for sustainable fishery has met with high recognition.
Ron Silver is New York’s most famous American Diner chef, and the legendary pastry chef of the most delicious pies that all of America currently orders from him. His restaurant “Bubby’s” in Tribeca, has been the epitome of an informal American Diner for the past 25 years. As the guest chef of Christian Ott, chef de cuisine atHotel Schweizerhof, St. Moritz, he will celebrate it during the festival week. His philosophy will remain the same here: “Everyone is welcome and should feel like a guest in my own home.”
With these ten guest chefs from the United States and the equally awarded chefs de cuisine of the partner hotels, epicures can look forward to a multi-faceted culinary discovery tour. For the Grand Julius Baer Opening, the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains will be transformed into a Las Vegas casino, for the Kitchen Party the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel will revive the golden times “From rock ’n’ roll to disco”, and the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz will offer an equally spectacular decoration in American look and feel for the Great BMW Gourmet Finale. Just as exceptional as the cookery skills of the guest chefs from the land of opportunity, special events will enrich this festival week in a unique way.
***
Admission tickets for the event will go on sale on 1st December 2016. Current news can be found on the website http://ift.tt/2eXlhG4.
The Engadin St. Moritz Tourism Organisation
What mountains. What space. What light! The Engadin St. Moritz Region offers a great variety of sports and leisure activities, as well as a delicious local cuisine, a rich and lively cultural scene, and a busy programme of events. The region’s unique appeal lies in the combination of St. Moritz, the most scintillating mountain resort in the world, and the inspiring high alpine valley of the Engadin. The Engadin St. Moritz Tourism Organisation is responsible for marketing the whole destination in defined target markets. In all, the Engadin St. Moritz Tourism Organisation employs around 60 staff.