Urban Stomach

The "Original" Cheese Fondue

Fondue. Spear a small piece of good French bread, dunk it into a vat of melted cheese spiked with wine, and eat. Right now, between those simple words and the picture of said bread and cheese above, you’re probably hungry. I can stop writing and I will have done my job which is to make you want to eat at The Matterhorn. But I’ll tell you a little more.

The Matterhorn has been owned by Brigitte and Andrew Thorpe (she works the front of the house and he’s the chef), both from Switzerland, since 1994. Yet every time I ask a friend if they’ve eaten there, the response is usually “no, but I’ve always wondered about that place”. The location is a little odd. On a busy stretch of Van Ness, The Matterhorn is located in the back of a non-descript (putting it kindly) apartment/office building lobby. However, once you enter the actual restaurant, it’s like you’ve entered the “It’s A Small World” version of Switzerland minus the puppets and annoying music. The entire dining room is made of wood, with stained glass and Swiss art decorating the walls. Some might find it cheesy (no pun intended) but I think that it works. While Mrs. Stomach and I used to go with groups of friends to The Matterhorn and get loaded on Gewurztraminer, nowadays it has become our traditional place to celebrate our kids’ birthdays. Whereas we used to stumble out of here at 10PM and head straight to Jack’s Bar on California for a pint of Old Foghorn and shuffleboard, we’re now done by 7PM and rushing home to get the kids showered and make sure that lunch is made. Oh how things have changed.

The Mixed Green Salad

All meals begin with a Mixed Green Salad which is actually a pretty boring description of a really tasty salad. Mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes and, sometimes, chopped egg are tossed with a creamy vinaigrette that has a hint of garlic. I’ve never figured out why there’s chopped egg sometimes but not others. We always add the Alpine Delight plate of cured meats to our order and share it. In today’s world of house-made charcuterie plates, which I’m a huge fan of, there’s something refreshing about an old-school meat plate! At The Matterhorn, it typically consists of smoked ham, farmer’s sausage, salami, and air cured beef.

The Alpine Delight

The cheese fondues are delicious. We always order “The Original” and “The Natural”. “The Original”, the adult favorite, is a blend of Emmenthal and Gruyere spiked with wine, a little kirsch, garlic and black peppercorns. It has an easy, boozy flavor that doesn’t overrun the glorious cheesiness. I’m always the last one still dunking and I keep going until the sides of the pot are scraped. “The Natural” is a bit blander as it has a little more Emmenthal and a little less alcohol. It tastes more of pure cheese and is our daughters’ favorite. While I’m happy just dipping the included bread, my family also likes to plunge boiled potatoes and apples into the fondue as well. At this age, our kids still love to play the game where you have to kiss someone at the table if you drop your bread in the fondue. In the ’90s, Mrs. Stomach and I used to play that game too but it was a little different. Well, a lot different. Like I said, how things have changed!

How Do You Not Order Chocolate Fondue?

Of course, you must end with chocolate fondue, served with a variety of fruits, as well as marshmallows, for dipping. I wish that the chocolate was a little warmer but its flavor, derived from a blend of milk and dark chocolates, is spot-on. Service at The Matterhorn is mostly provided by Brigitte, the owner, and she’s very friendly and helpful with ordering. Sometimes though, she can get caught up in a conversation with other tables, thus becoming unavailable for a refill or some more bread. This would be fine if she had more help but, typically, there are only one or two other employees doing all of the busing and extra work. This isn’t a problem to the point that it detracts from your meal but is just good to know before you sit down to eat. The Matterhorn also offers meat fondues and a full menu of Swiss-German specialties, think Schnitzel, but we always go for the cheese fondue.

In a town with a never-ending parade of ethnic restaurants for every occasion, a Swiss restaurant is a genuine novelty. Yeah, $19 a head might sound pricey for melted cheese and bread but, really, are you going to stay up all night scrubbing the cheese off the pot at home and then find somewhere to store that pot until next year? Didn’t think so. Stop wondering about The Matterhorn and go check it out!

The Matterhorn Swiss Restaurant
2323 Van Ness Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-885-6116
www.thematterhornrestaurant.com
Tuesday-Sunday: 5PM-9PM
Alpine Delights Cured Meats Plate: $9.50
Cheese Fondue For 2 (includes dinner salad): $38
Chocolate Fondue For 2: $18