A weekend in the Italian Dolomites
A whistle stop tour through a marvellous weekend in Italy’s snow-capped mountains.
Not all press trips are the same and, with a full time job plus newborn son, not all trips are possible. However when the opportunity to travel to one of the Italy’s most beautiful corners and eat in a three star restaurant presented itself, the will found the way.
This was a press trip, which means I was an invited guest of Norbert Niederkofler and his team at Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler. Here’s a quick rundown of the weekend’s highlights.
Travel as I have through Italy, some corners remained unknown. South Tyrol was one. A patch of northern Italy about three hours north of Venice that straddles the Austrian border. Menus, road signs and more are in German and Italian.
What stood out as we inched closer to Brunico was the sheer natural beauty. It is not hyper manicure or overly curated. There are no pristine white beaches nor teal tropical waters. There is a rugged unkemptness about this wintry place.
Around 4 pm in late January, the sun starts to disappear and darkness creeps in slowly to rob the light. It adds to the drama projected by The Dolomites, all scarred with erosion and soothed under a balm of heavy snow. A feral beauty that is both violent and graceful.
We stayed in Ansitz Heufler, a former noble family’s home dating back to the 16th century now a three star bed and breakfast compassionately restored by the latest owners over a period of 6 months. The strong beams and wood-clad Stubes are carefully lit with lamps as the historic listed property forbids chandeliers or other lighting to be installed into the walls and ceilings. From almost every angle you can see the nearby mountains from inside its warm cosy walls. A more detailed write up will follow soon, but I am keen to return here with Mrs EatGoSee and Rufus. It’s a convenient base from which to explore. (There’s also a good bar on the ground floor that makes a mean smoked negroni in the evenings.)
Our first restaurant is Weißes Lamm which serves rustic traditional South Tyrolean food. Think large bowls of stuffed ravioli and lamb shanks buttressed with lentils.
Day 2 was packed with visits.
De Genussbunker is run by Hubert, a cheese master who matures cheese inside of an otherwise abandoned World War II bunker. This is meticulous work! The damp bunker creates the perfect conditions for maturing cheese, and as Hubert likes to say, the cheese absorbs the flavour of the bunker – not something that sounds delicious, but I can assure you, the results are worth it. A full write up will be coming, but needless to say, any cheese fan should make the journey as the bunker is quite impressive – plus there is a tasting room with different cheeses as well as local beers.
We ventured to Kronplatz, a mountain top accessible via cable cars for enthusiastic skiers. My Apple Watch told me it was -13 degrees Celsius at the top of the mountain. The views across the valleys below and the rest of the mountain range was especially breathtaking.
Before heading for lunch, we had a quick tour of Lomen Museum; a museum of mountain photography at the top of Kronplatz. It is a relatively small museum where you could walk around the whole thing in an hour without much of a rush. The highlight? A VR headset experience flying over a mountain and an exhibit referred to as The Mirrors. See a video below!
AlpiNN. This restaurant is adjacent to the Loman photography museum. It is a smart casual dining restaurant frequented by mostly skiers looking for a break before heading back down the mountain. This is one of Norbert Niederkofler’s restaurants (the last two Ns in the restaurant name is the clue). While it channels Norbert’s Cook The Mountain theory, it is a far more casual experience than his three star restaurant, which we went to the following day. Here the sharp tang of apricots are used to replace lemon. The highlight? These spectacular views overlooking the mountain range where even the chef Fabio pulled me to one side and showed me the last mountain in northern Italy before Austria.
Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler. The main reason I came to South Tyrol. Norbert opened this restaurant and earned three Michelin stars in three months - a record for the Michelin Guide. Is it deserved? My group resoundingly said yes. The same team who lead St Hubertus (his former kitchen) up and moved sticks to this former fabric factory in central Brunico. You can expect a full write up as soon as I can get it out. 14 courses over four hours, plus an incredible wine pairing. €290 for the tasting menu and €180 for the pairing. Highlights? Really hard to pick a favourite but the spatzlan, the mountain salad and a pumpkin and persimmon dessert stood out as the podium medalists. A special mention to a piece of grilled goat belly - divine stuff. Also, an incredible champagne that will be hard to beat as my Wine of the Year.
Oddly we managed to squeeze in a pizza from Hardimitz’n later that night with the team from Atelier Moessmer. The highlight? Spending a few more moments with an awesome group as not all press trips have such a great group of people on board. Oh, and me shouting for the “amore caldo” to be served molto molto MOLTO caldo (hot love, extra extra EXTRA hot).
Would I go back to South Tyrol? Honestly I cannot wait. For the nature, for the nearby wineries, for the hospitality and charm of Ansitz Heufler and to eat another season at Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler.
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LIAM COLLENS
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There is so much to love in this region!