Chalet Ticino: Reviews [CLOSED]

Jun 5, 2014

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Chalet Ticino: Reviews | restaurant info + video | full episode video

Andrea Ramirez
Name: Andrea
Occupation: Custom Marketing Manager
Location: San Mateo
Favorite Restaurant: Chalet Ticino
Reviewed Chalet Ticino: Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Chalet Ticino is an unassuming little Swiss-Italian restaurant in a strip mall in Foster City, located next to an Indian market. It has been around for 22 years and I only discovered it a few years ago. I initially found out about it online in a quest for fondue. Not too many places serve fondue nowadays, and those that serve it tend to be really fancy.

I have been introduced to a few Swiss dishes from this restaurant: Rosti - potato pancakes that are crispy outside, Bundener Raclette - a cheese and sausage plate with pickles and potatoes and of course the one I knew before - Fondue. Oh, how I love cheese - melty cheese with bread dipped in is even better...and when it comes in a tiny cauldron, I'm in heaven. There is a daily prix fixe menu that comes with a soup/salad, entree and dessert too. The fondue is what brings me back time and again though. Assuming I can round up a friend for fondue (because you have to order for two people) you can get cheese fondue, rosti and chocolate fondue for $18. If you order a salad before, it helps temper the feeling that your heart will explode from the decadence. You'll also feel better if you order a bottle of wine to go with. Toast to your health.

One of my favorite items is the Cream of Mushroom Soup. It’s savory and rich, but not heavy or over-filling. Most of the wines on their small list are under $30/bottle and European. I wasn't familiar with the different wines, but the owner has taken me through the list and helped me pick based on my tastes and what I have ordered. I haven't disliked one of them.

Rachel Tripathy
Name: Rachel
Occupation: Project Assistant
Location: San Francisco
Favorite Restaurant: 20 Spot
Reviewed Chalet Ticino: Tuesday, January 7, 2014

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When my dining buddy and I walked up to Chalet Ticino, I did not know what to expect. It is a little spot in an outdoor strip mall, right next to an Indian grocery store. They specialize in Swiss/Italian food, which I had never tried before. As soon as we walked in I was charmed, and the charm kept coming throughout our meal.

We were greeted by the kind, old-school Swiss owner, who told us his restaurant has been there for 20 years. Once we sat down, the owner went over some wines that he recommended. All of the wines are $28 per bottle. In the Bay Area world of fancy wine, it is nice to go somewhere with a simple yet varied selection of European table wine. We selected a 2007 Côtes du Rhône, which proved to be quite nice.

The menu features traditional Italian appetizers, a variety of pasta dishes, and several Swiss specialties: Fondue, Raclettes, and Rosti, to name a few. We opted to start with Bruschetta. We were treated to three separate crostini, served with a steak knife to facilitate the sharing of the dish. The trio of toppings consisted of a spicy eggplant and tomato spread, brie with toasted garlic and grapes, and a tomato and basil salsa. All were wonderfully prepared, and none too alike, giving us a nice variety of flavors.

For our entrées, we shared the Chicken Milanese, and the Rosti con Salmoné. The chicken was coated in almonds, lightly fried, and served with roasted mushrooms and gnocchi in a white wine and butter sauce. The rosti was served as a shredded potato patty topped with smoked salmon, red onion, caper, and an absolutely delicious seasoned crème fraiche. The portions were very generous, and the food was to die for. I felt like there was a Swiss-Italian mama in the kitchen, and we were her favorite people in the world.

We finished our meal with a scoop of Lime Sherbet—the perfect digestif. I would return to Chalet Ticino tomorrow, if I could. I can’t wait to bring friends to this cute, warm little spot.

John Zukoski
Name: John
Occupation: Director of Finance
Location: Pleasanton
Favorite Restaurant: Lanna Thai
Reviewed Chalet Ticino: Sunday, December 22, 2013

The evening started with a warm welcome from Chalet Ticino’s owner and host. Every table had a freshly cut rose in a thin vase and a votive candle that set the tone for a memorable evening.

We first enjoyed a wonderful full-flavor House Salad that was glistened by a lightly sweet and caramelly balsamic dressing and accented by exquisite cherry tomatoes. The house salad was complemented by homemade sourdough bread that we dipped into a delicate olive oil and a generous serving of savory poultry-stock based Minestrone Soup. The combination of light starters and the soothing live music performed by a talented keyboardist set the pace for a memorable experience.

Next on our culinary escapade were the Crab Cakes smothered in a lyrical red pepper coulis and Prawns drizzled by a magnifique pesto. The remaining pesto and red pepper coulis was quickly sopped up by the warm sourdough bread.
The duck breast was succulent with a lightly crispy skin and paired with a brash mushroom risotto. The generously-portioned and fresh Salmon was paired with scrumptious garlic mashed potatoes. The Petrale Sole was quite possibly the best that I have had in any restaurant – buttery, rich, lemony, and full of fresh flavor. The firm and lightly salted fresh veggies were a perfect complement to the rich and buttery Petrale sole.

We cleansed our palate with Lime Sorbet and a gloriously creamy Spumoni that featured a surprise of cherry fruit at the bottom of the delicious scoop.

The only challenge with Chalet Ticino is that the restaurant is so popular that the tables are packed in somewhat tightly. The group sitting behind us bumped into my chair a few times before we finally needed to scoot our table further away.