THE PERFECT PITSTOP
Gabriella Le Breton dips into the magical world of Courmayeur’s Rifugio Maison Vieille
Maison Vieille in Courmayeur is one of the most atmospheric huts in the Alps. Photo Courtsey of DOYTCHEVA
Food is a serious matter in Courmayeur, the bustling mountain village hunkered down at the southern foot of Mont Blanc. Reputed to be the only resort in the world with more mountain restaurants than lifts, eating is the primary alternative diversion to hitting the slopes, despite the excellent skiing on offer.
You don’t forget your first visit to Maison Vieille, set on the slopes just above Courmayeur’s Plan Chécrouit cable car station. Stepping out of the snow and into the cosy mountain hut, your senses are assailed: first by the goggle-steaming warmth of the place, then by the fragrant aroma of roast suckling pig intermingled with molten cheese and truffle.
Next up, as you peer through the tightly packed diners to glimpse timber and stone walls bestrewn with prayer flags, photographs of celebrity visitors, and mementos of past parties: a bear hug from the rifugio’s tanned and beaming owner, Giacomo Calosi. Like Italy’s Super Tuscan wines – bold, silky and sought-after – Giacomo originally hails from Bolgheri and is as passionate about his restaurant today as he was upon founding it 35 years ago.
Follow Giacomo’s instructions to nudge your way past crowded tables laden with bottles of wine and overflowing platters of bresaola, lardo, focaccia and cheese to find your place amidst the happy mayhem.
Stripped to their thermals and flushed from the warmth, contented diners kiss their fingertips in appreciation for their culinary gifts and everybody wonders how the chefs, bent virtually double in the tiny kitchen of the ancient mountain hut, manage it all.
The food is uncomplicated Italian fare at its hearty best: a trio of pastas to share between two, such as fresh tagliatelle with wild boar sauce, ravioli stuffed with porcini mushrooms and gnocchi with fontina cheese; richly flavoured stinco di maiale (ham hock), served with chargrilled vegetables (€20); and spaghetti alla bottarga (€14) dressed in tangy fish roe, garlic and olive oil. The beef tagliata (€24), lightly grilled and sliced steak, is a shining example of deceptively simple cookery. You’re unlikely to feel peckish after working your way through the menu but it’s imperative that you save some space for pudding – the creamy tiramisu (€7) and rich pain perdu (€7) are firm favourites.
You’re unlikely to feel peckish after working your way through the menu but it’s imperative that you save some space for pudding – the creamy tiramisu (€7) and rich pain perdu (€7) are firm favourites.
Giacomo will then ply you with homemade limoncello to perk you up sufficiently to ski back down to Courmayeur. Fortunately for all the bon viveurs out there, it is possible to visit Maison Vieille for dinner as well as lunch, with evening guests collected from and returned to the Plan Chécrouit station by snowmobile. Pre-bookings are essential.
La Maison Vieille; 00 39 337 230979; maisonvieille.com
WIN A MONTE BIANCO FOOD EXPERIENCE FOR TWO
Ascending from Courmayeur to the Punta Helbronner station, set at 3,466m on the southern flanks of the Mont Blanc massif, the Skyway Monte Bianco is an extraordinary feat of engineering and scenic experience.
As the futuristic cable car ascends to Italy's highest point, it rotates 360 degrees to offer panoramic views of Mont Blanc and the Vallée Blanche stretching all the way to the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and Gran Paradiso.
Ski+board is offering one lucky Member the opportunity to win a Monte Bianco food experience for two, including a return ticket to Punta Hellbronner and a two-course lunch at either the Bistrot Panoramic (3,466m asl) or Mountain Bar at the Pavillon (2,173m asl).
Email snowmail@skiclub.co.uk by 30 November 2020 to enter. Subject to availability.
Skyway Monte Bianco is much more than a cableway, it's an idea: drawing man closer to the mountain and sky, broadening our horizons and overcoming boundaries.