Chalet Edelweiss

Description:

• Sure, LA's got nearby mountains, but no Big Bear vacation can recreate the Alpine glory of cuckoo clocks and sweet, sweet neutrality in the face of history's greatest evils. Get Swissed, at Chalet Edelweiss. From the Swiss ex-pat behind Venice's On The Waterfront Cafe, CE's an ode to the mountain resorts of his homeland, complete with antique skis, alphorns, and waiters clad in lederhosen (after 500 years, flair becomes tradition). The menu leans old-school, e.g.: Bavarian pretzels w/sweet mustard, raclette cheese melted over potatoes, golden-fried weiner schnitzel, pork or veal bratwurst, cheese fondue, and a bouillon pot to cook beef, chicken, and sausage, served w/ 5 dipping sauces (garlic, horseradish cream, tartare, curry, and the cayenne-tinged "Santa Fe" -- viva Geneva?) For booze, there're 3 Swiss wines (+ dozens of other provenance) and 4 tap German beers; beer-based cocktails include the Mountain Twister (Bitburger Pils w/apple juice), the Pink Lady (Pils, fresh crushed raspberry), and the Erdinger Wheat/Coca-Cola-fueled Diesel -- so, have a Coke and a besotted smile. This being LA, CE also rocks a woodburning pizza stove, plus an outdoor patio with a faux pine tree and a painted-concrete mountain facade -- all the authenticity needed when the area's greatest Alpine evil is the Matterhorn's lurching robot yeti.
• © Thrillist 2012