(upbeat music)
- [Ben] Over the last two episodes,
we have gone all out,
testing survival gadgets,
hiking up a mountain,
and cooking up a fine dining storm.
- [Barry] But we still haven't eaten
some classic mountain dishes while being here,
and that's about to change.
(gentle music)
So there's been a recommendation
to go to a small little cabin in the woods
that is usually absolutely jam packed,
and it's really hard to get a table.
We called up today, and apparently, they have a table,
and this might be the reason why.
It's quite a popular spot for walkers,
but you can get to it by car.
But I'm not sure you can today.
- I'm just excited for some mountain food.
- So apparently, you go down this route,
which looks more like a footpath.
Er... (whimsical music)
I can only see footprints, no car prints.
There are literally no more tyre tracks.
You wanna keep going?
- [Ben] Under the tree.
- [Barry] We're gonna keep going?
There is no road here, guys.
Boys,
I'm not sure we're gonna do this.
- [James] This is real.
(Barry laughing) This is a road?
- [Barry] We might be about to get stuck.
(whimsical music)
(engine strains)
(tyres whizz)
(engine rumbles)
- [Ben] Back a bit, back.
Back a bit. Straighten up the tyres.
That's it and then forward from here, you'll be good.
(engine purring softly)
Not too much of a run up but yeah, okay.
(engine revving steadily) Yeah that's good.
Yeah.
(engine revs)
- Okay. I need to get around this corner.
Get, let's lose some weight.
Is losing weight good?
♪ It's just another oops on me ♪
- [Barry] Going in backwards first.
- See if you can straight up your tyres.
No, you're dragging it back.
♪ It's just another oops on me ♪
- [Ben] Oops.
When it gets this bit it's just got no traction.
I mean I like a good walk, and it's,
we're only 700 metres away.
- Shall we try one, try and push
and then we might have to park it somewhere.
Get in position, boys
- [Ben] How come you get the keys?
(tyres skidding)
- [Ben] Barry stop.
- It was funny to start off with
but now I'm a little bit worried. (whimsical music ends)
- [Ben] Having decided there was no chance
we were getting any further by car,
we parked up and continued on foot,
excited by what was ahead of us.
- So you notice I'm not driving.
(stutters) I wasn't qualified.
Tom's taken over. (laughs)
- [Tom] Concentration.
- This is where we got to in the car
and now we're going the rest of the route on foot.
That way.
No that way.
No, it definitely this way.
- [Ben] That's why I start walking this way.
- Oh, Ebbers and his locations, suddenly.
- But while you were faffing on in the driving seat
I had plenty of time to study a map.
(chilled electro music)
So we're looking for classic mountain food.
As always, lost and hungry rules, follow recommendations.
This place was recommended.
But apparently you shouldn't try and drive.
Maybe we should've skied to it.
- Honestly. - This is beautiful.
- Stunning. - This is the best way
to get to a restaurant.
- [Barry] For context, we've been here for two days.
I feel like the Alps put on my show for us.
Yesterday, outrageous sunshine, today, this.
- Stack it! (Barry laughs)
- [Barry] Ah.
- [Ben] It's literally the best snow ever.
(Barry laughs)
- Apparently this is an amazing restaurant
in the middle of the forest.
Best entrance to a restaurant I've ever been on.
- [Ben] After a Narnia-like walk through the woods,
we made it to the mountain restaurant.
(bright music)
We've made it to the cabin in the woods,
and like always we ask for permission to film
and the lovely lady said, "Yes of course you can,
but don't tell anyone where it is or who we are."
Because this is one of the best kept secrets in the Alps.
- But what we can tell you about is the food.
They sell food that you can get anywhere in the Alps
and we've chosen a few iconic dishes
that we think you have to have if you're here.
- [Ben] We've ordered a feast for the table
but we're gonna begin with dish number one.
- So this is something
that I only learned about a few weeks ago
but it's kind of tartiflette, but with pasta.
This is Les Crozets and it's just absolutely delicious.
It's topped with Reblochon, it's got lardons through it.
It's everything you want from tartiflette
but minus potato plus little pasta pieces.
- It's the same ingredients and the same hug.
And you're only swapping potato and pasta.
- I mean we do have, we have a lot of cheese on the table
but it's kind of par for the course.
- Reblochon, that's the answer.
Cheers.
(upbeat music)
It reminds me almost of Schweitzer as well.
Those little nuggets of dough and dumpling
with rich, rich cheese.
- Yeah, those little squares of pasta.
This is a thing where I'm like driving to the mountains
and I'm thinking about this dish.
And this is the first thing I want when I get here.
Oh it's delicious.
- [Ben] And look, those little crispy bits around the edge.
Those are the bits that are just incredible.
- You're very lucky because
I would never share this with anyone.
- [Ben] It's basically just mac and cheese.
- I never thought of it like that.
Yeah, it is basically mac and cheese,
but it's better than mac and cheese.
- If mac and cheese and tartiflette had a baby,
that's what you've just ordered.
- It's mac and cheese with just the best cheese ever.
- Reblochon is the hero.
- And it changes things.
So the lesson is use great cheese in your mac and cheese.
Take it French.
That has actually just made me happy.
- It's a great start.
But I love to pick and choose, I can never decide.
So I've also ordered dish number two.
- [James] Okay, let's go.
Let's move on.
- So this secret cabin in the woods
is fourth generation.
And every time the owner's son or daughter takes over,
they kind of add something to the menu.
This is their croutes, la croute.
And there's loads of different varieties on the menu.
We've gone for the goats cheese and honey
because as a combo, goats cheese and honey
is one of those things you should look out for in a croute,
in a toastie, or even on a salad.
Goats cheese toasted with honey and walnuts, classic.
- [James] It's a classic combination.
Tom is just getting fed behind the camera right now.
(they snicker)
- Dig in James.
Mountain goats or goats cheese, honey
and some dried herbs on good bread.
Actually, great bread.
It's like almost focaccia style.
Oh wow.
It's almost that cross between, am I still on lunch
or have I moved to dessert
because the honey is so sticky and sweet.
But the goats cheese is,
I'm gonna go with funky.
It's a funky goat cheese in the sense
it's not really mellow.
It's lovely.
- The herbs are amazing.
Goats cheese and honey just works, obviously,
and the bread is absolutely delicious.
(upbeat music)
Number three, I think we can all agree
that you must have a fondue
when you're in the mountains.
- Basically, any excuse for molten cheese,
this is fondue.
A raclette would be a very different
but similar thing in the sense that it is
oodles and oodles of molten cheese
and you dip things into a fondue.
Raclette is scraped onto things.
- It is the best sharing food you can get, I think.
- It is social food at its best.
This is two cheeses, two alpine cheeses mixed together.
Beaufort and Abondance, which are similar profile.
But when blended together you get a cross between
that stringy, stringy cheese ball
and actual funky deliciousness.
- That's what I'm talking about.
Oh no!
(Ben laughs) Let's go again.
- This is, it's ridiculous.
- That is... that is...
That is banging.
That's so good.
It's so tasty.
("The Blue Danube Waltz" by Strauss)
(song flourishes to finish)
- Our fourth dish to celebrate,
which typically might be the first one you start with,
is charcuterie.
Now this place calls it the Friendship Triangle
because it's a combination of French, Swiss
and Italian charcuterie.
And we've also gone for a green salad,
which is dressed French dressing style
and should not be overlooked.
An afterthought for so many people.
But I think when you are in France and in the mountains,
it is one of those things
that accompanies the richness of everything else.
And the French dressing just lifts and zings.
I hope. - It all looks good.
I'm gonna go for this first.
- I fell in love with this even more last summer
'cause I was growing so much lettuce
and it grows almost like weeds.
As soon as you pick it, it grows back.
You have to make excellent French dressing
and suddenly you've brought something that people overlook
to a space that should be celebrated.
I love it.
- It's great,
and it's a little bit of a relief from all the cheese.
(they laugh)
It's great, so I can relate to it
because I'm always nervous of eating on camera.
- Make it awkward and then it looks deliberately awkward
rather than just awkwardly awkward.
These also work wonderfully dipped in the cheese.
(chilled electro music)
We genuinely have the best job in the world,
but this is a first,
one that we have enjoyed every single thing we've ordered
and we are not allowed to tell you about where it is.
- It's bizarre and honestly,
I genuinely rate this place,
though I know you can get these things anywhere in the Alps
and you should definitely try them.
But these are fantastic versions of all of those things
and I feel like this place is the kind of thing
that you hear about by word of mouth.
So if I see any of you guys, I'll tell you all about it.
- And that is the beauty of travelling.
Unlocking these kind of hidden gems.
And you have to follow the rules
which is follow local recommendations and always say yes.
Even if the car can't get you there, it's worth it.
- That was wonderful.
And you know, if you guys ever do anything like this again
just let me know, I might be available.
- So what you're saying is, trips, copious amounts of food,
friends, booze and adventure,
and you're on board?
- You could probably persuade me to come along again.
(Ben laughs)
- Awkward out.
(they laugh)
- Does Barry have to come?
(they laugh)