SNOW Alps 25-26 web - Flipbook - Page 32
SKI TO LUNCH
Culture Club
A maven of the Michelin world creates a mountain restaurant
that doesn’t merely respect provenance, but reimagines it.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ALP INN
by LESLIE WOIT
F
rom Michelangelo to Maserati, we have a lot to learn from
the Italians. In the land of courtesans and Casanovas,
celebration of beauty, nature, and life’s corporal pleasures —
including skiing and eating — is an art form. What is la vita, if
not about feeding soul and stomach in equal measure?
Whether winding through the galleries of the Uffizi or
diving down Marmolada Glacier, ladies and gents who lunch
deserve not just physical sustenance
and a decent glass of wine – but a
good dose of creative stimulation, as
well. Recently, a peaky plateau in the
coral-tinged Dolomites has gained a
reputation as a culture crossroads –
with two fine ski-in ski-out museums
and one superb spot for lunching.
AlpiNN is easy to spot. The
cantilevered temple of glass perches
on the top of Kronplatz (Plan des
Corones, in Italian) flirts with the void
at 2,275 metres. The light-flooded
– and reasonably priced! – 80-cover
restaurant is the latest brainchild of
the chef that never stops, Norbert
Niederkofler. “When you have three
stars and you sit down, it’s a problem,” he told me.
In this part of the world gastronomy is king, and Chef
Norbert is emperor, reigning over a growing body of epicurean
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work as charismatic as the man himself. South Tirol’s slowfood sorcerer was best known as the force majeure of threeMichelin-starred Restaurant St. Hubertus until its Hotel Rosa
Alpina shut down for a total makeover in 2023. He was also one
of the founding members of the Alta Badia’s Gourmet SkiSafari,
a ski-around dining deal showcasing Italy’s finest chefs at
bargain prices. Picture big energy, big grin, and a subtle flex of
unmistakable mountain muscle.
With AlpiNN, Chef Norbert has
traded white tablecloths and hushed
reverence for something freer, yet no
less refined. Guided by his “Cook the
Mountain” principle – a reinvention of
mountain food rooted in locality and
seasonality – he serves up delicious
staples that include beef tartare,
mountain char ceviche, risotto with
local funghi, and tender beef from Val
Pusteria – within view and a stone’s
throw from his childhood Valle
Aurina. Menus are made from loden
wool, ceilings are hand-painted in a
Japanese technique that preserves
water, and solid maple tables anchor
the mountain-modern vibe.
“From here I can point with a finger to who the producers and
farmers are,” he explains, indicating the alms, forests, and orchards
