Anderson's Cabin

I just got my raclette grille in the mail. Until a week ago, I had never heard of one before.

In Beaver Creek, we went to a teeny little cabin in the mountains for dinner. Here's the description from the Ritz Carlton Web site:

"Situated just above the resort, Anderson’s Cabin is the original homestead of John Anderson, one of seven bachelors who settled the Gulch in the early 1900s. Boasting sweeping views of the surrounding National Park, the quintessentially Colorado cabin, lit by candles and lanterns, offers a nightly Raclette Dinner in a rustic setting.

Derived from the French word racler, “to scrape,” the Raclette tradition started in the 19th century with group of grape pickers in the Valais region of France who gathered to celebrate the end of harvest. According to legend, one man built a fire to keep warm while eating and after spontaneously melting a large slab of cheese over the blaze, he scraped it off his knife for everyone to enjoy over their bread. A mealtime tradition was born.

The resort’s Raclette experience retains a celebratory ambiance. Melted on personal grills atop a farmhouse table, the savory Swiss cheese accompanies an array of local and organic meats. The meal is complemented by a variety of wines selected by Master Sommelier Sean Razee, and is finished with a decadent chocolate fondue dessert."

Left to right: Emanuel, me, Spencer, Jason, Scout, Sterling, Kristen, and Tina. It's a two-room cabin with no bathroom. The two raclettes are on the table. The meats/vegetables go on top and the cheese sits in little skillets under the grille until it melts. Ok, I'm getting hungry.

Scout forgot to eat because she was in charge of cooking the chicken. Well, she remembered

once it was time for dessert. She took charge of roasting the marshmallows.

We had our own little dinner party with the Barretts. We arrived at the cabin to find a salad, baked potatoes and cheese and bread waiting for us. Then the waiter brought out all kinds of meat--chicken, shrimp, beef, elk, and bison--as well as vegetables and sauces. We cooked them on the raclette, with the cheese in little skillets under the raclette grille. And the fondue? Ummm, my favorite dessert on the planet. That was the most fun I've had at dinner maybe ever.

Jason and I searched around town for a raclette, but alas, none could be found. So I looked online and ordered one immediately. I can't wait to try it out!

Sterling and Tina on the shuttle heading to dinner. I thought I was friendly until I met Tina. She makes friends with pretty much everyone she makes eye contact with. While snowshoeing she met people (new friends) who told her about Anderson's Cabin. They told her it was a magical night.She immediately canceled our reservations at Beano's Cabin and booked the dinner at Anderson's. We're so glad she did!

There is no indoor bathroom, so there's an outhouse. Just so you know, it was no ordinary outhouse. It was decked out with cute little lotions and soap, and I would call it charming. Emanuel checked it out first, and was perplexed by the skiers on the door--one with a scarf and one without. He correctly chose to use the one without the scarf.

The snow fell all night long. Somehow the fire lasted through dessert while the kids roasted marshmallows for the fondue.