Whether après-skiing in winter or chilling on a warm summer night, we answer the clarion call of the Alphorn to Swiss cuisine.
The Alphorn Restaurant Collingwood has been an iconic restaurant in the Blue Mountain-Collingwood area with its schnitzels and fondues for almost fifty years. It was originally opened for skiers, but since Blue Mountain has become such a flourishing all-season destination, who can resist bubbling pots of molten cheese and chocolate?
Within this Swiss lodge, decked out with décor and accoutrements reminiscent of a Central European mountain retreat, we’re immediately transported to Switzerland. The dining room is chock full of kitsch from cowbells to ski memorabilia like vintage wooden skis and historic racing bibs, and has a lively chalet energy and sense of gemütlichkeit—that cozy Swiss feeling of warmth and conviviality.
The menu is Swiss, German and Austrian, and we have a hard time narrowing down what to order. Swiss cuisine is one of the most interactive and social cuisines. Our palate-opening raclette blankets potatoes and tomatoes with gooey goodness. Giant schnitzels of chicken, pork and even eggplant are whisked out of the kitchen. Our chicken schnitzel speaks for itself. It rests on crisp rösti, and only need be accompanied by lemon wedges. It's a massive portion of tender chicken, enveloped in a golden crunch, and we “Phorn It Up" with a savoury whisky-mushroom sauce.
Fondues in copper pots range from the classic Fondue Bourguignonne of AAA Canadian Black Angus beef to a Wild Game Fondue that includes bison, wild boar, red deer and elk. Our Cheese Fondue arrives bubbling hot and suspended over a small flame. The rich, nutty aroma of Swiss Emmenthal and Gruyere cheese melted into simmering seduction is accented with white wine and garlic, and had me at “hello.”
We spear cubes of crusty bread to plunge, one by one, into the savoury cauldron. The bread is merely the vehicle to deliver the tantalizing silky and stretchy cheese. The wine cuts through the richness just enough to keep it balanced, while the garlic adds warmth without overpowering the cheese. There’s a subtle tang beneath the creaminess that gives the fondue depth rather than heaviness. The real prize, though, is the religieuse—that show-stopping toasty crusting of cheese that forms at the base of the pot. It’s like discovering gold.
Beef Stroganoff is a decidedly Russian dish, but: good food knows no borders. The Austrian interpretation involves more seasoning including paprika, with a generous toss of peppers and onions and a dollop of sour cream over spaetzle instead of potatoes. The steaming medley of beef and mushrooms is tender, savoury and marries with the soft chewy, bouncy textures of the spaetzle.
Each dish is one variation of comfort food after another. The Alphorn is all personality and flavour. Its unmistakable character has made it a longstanding Collingwood institution that transports us to somewhere between Bavaria and the Swiss Alps.
The Alphorn Restaurant Collingwood, 209881 ON-26, The Blue Mountains, 705-445-8882