by Lisa Cirieco-Ohlman
Make sure to go to Versoix (GE) on Saturday April 2nd for the 7th edition of Versoix's Chocolate festival. It's a great day out and you will see some spectacular works of chocolate art as well as taste some great combinations. You might even find some new chocolates that become your favorite! There are 100s of little shops in the area but Versoix only has room for the ones listed below for this Festival. This exhibit might change your mind about industrial chocolate forever! 
Two years ago I bought a chocolate ring: the ring was metal but they "glued" a fancy chocolate to it and I gave it to a friend (see photo below). Other non-chocolate items included beautifully-colored macarons, bags and calculators (chocolate-themed), and candies. One artisan had a box of 10 different chocolates, each accompanied by the name of the best wine to drink to enhance the flavor, another made the biggest easter egg I have ever seen, while another had chocolate truffles the size of footballs!
UNDER THE TENT 9h-18h
1,000m2 of chocolateries (chocolate artisans) under the tent. This is a special pre-Easter event not to be missed with tastings and chocolates for sale. Even if you can't buy everything you can take photos of all...
by Lisa Cirieco-Ohlman
Have you had enough cheese yet this season? I haven’t. Discover these places in Geneva but remember we can add to this list if you have other great places to recommend further afield in Vaud or neighboring France.
FONDUE CRUISE
Lake Gourmet
Compagnie Général de Navigation
0848 811 848
I recently went with a group of people to have a fondue aboard the Général-Guisan boat from Geneva to Coppet and back (boat does not dock in Coppet). I worried all week about the state of the lake and whether the ride would be a bumpy one or not. Fortunately, the weather was calm, the air was about 6C, and the boat was stable! I am prone to sea-sickness so I sat in the middle of the boat to not feel any movement.
The boat left at 19h45 on the dot and returned at 22h. We were lucky to be able to see the lights of the city reflecting in the water as we docked and I was able to go outside on the deck to take some photos (see below). The fondue was delicious and creamy. Some people had pre-ordered the chef’s plate, which was a fish dish, in advance as they didn’t want the fondue and it looked delicious too! My big disappointment was the lack of choice concerning dessert: 3 choices, 2 of which contained some kind of alcohol, but none that tickled my fancy.
The cruise cost is Fr. 25.-, cheese fondue for Fr. 26.-, beverages and dessert are extra. Reservations are recommended and necessary for groups of 10 or more on Friday evenings for the cheese fondue; Thursday evenings for Fondue Chinoise (meat fondue cooked in a broth Fr. 40.-). This is all-year except during the summer.
Note: The CGN also offers the same thing from Lausanne to Morges.
See page 160 of Know-it-all passport 2011/2012 for our listing.
FONDUE IN A YURT
La Yourte aux Fondues
Place du Rhône
1204 Genève
077 461 95 02
Open for fondue 7/7 from 11h-22h (breakfast open from 8h)
If you want to feel good about eating melted cheese and downing some white wine, then know that this place is run as a social service to help handicapped people, students and those with reintegration issues enter into the working world. Clients have told me that the fondue and ambiance was excellent and they would return. The wood-burning furnace adds to the atmosphere.
Fondue price: Fr. 22.- or Fr. 30.- for the fondue menu including viande sechée, fondue, dessert (or upgrade to a champagne fondue menu for Fr. 45.-). There are other choices available. I’m happy as among the dessert choices there is chocolate fondue but you must be at least 4 people to enjoy this!
This yurt opened mid-November, 2010 and will remain until the weather hots up.
FONDUE IN THE MIDDLE OF GENEVA’S PORT
Bains des Paquis
30, quai du Mont-Blanc
1201 Genève
022 732 29 74
Set at the Bains de Pâquis, a sauna off the quai du Mont-Blanc, you realize that this isn’t your typical restaurant. Open all day and all year, you must try their fondue made with sparkling wine (Crémant) during the cold months. It's deliciously creamy and only Fr. 20.70/person including a bowl of fresh fruit salad! It is an association that runs this joint and you must go to the outdoor counter to order your fondue and pick up your drinks. If you are lucky you might get a proper chair, otherwise you will have to cosy up on a bench with strangers as the picnic-style tables are lined up 3 in a row! They serve excellent local wines for about Fr. 35.-/bottle. Listen out for the waiter carrying your hot and heavy fondue shouting your name as he scurries from one end of the room to the other. Once your are finished ask the waiter to scrape the cheesy crust from the bottom of the pan (racler la réligieuse du caquelon) then help yourself to a bowl of fresh fruit salad that is set by the wall (included in the price of the fondue). Open from 18h-21h for dinner. If you are up for it, have a dip in the lake followed by a sauna for a meager price before the fondue. Reservations recommended. Note: Don’t forget to wear layers as you might be near the windows or next to a fireplace.
See pages 159 and 269 of Know-it-all passport 2011/2012 for our listings.
If you enjoy a good old-fashioned barn dance and fancy getting dressed up in your western gear, then you should book yourself a place at the Texas Barn Dance and Chili Dinner, being held in Cheserex on Saturday 19 March.
The event is being organised by Westlake Church in Nyon, to raise money for a team of youths and adults who will be traveling to Czeya in Rwanda this Summer, to build sanitation facilities for the local school. The new bathrooms will extend the time that children can stay at school in Czeya by an additional three years.
In addition to an authentic Texan meal including chili and barbecued ribs, there will be the opportunity to learn Texas “Hoe-Down” two step and line dancing, plus the chance to win some great raffle prizes from Texas!
According to the event flyer, you even get the chance to have your partner thrown in a Wild West Jail – and then bail 'em out when you’re ready!
The recently launched Heidi Bakery has put together a special selection of sweet treats for Valentine’s Day.
Including sensuous ingredients such as chocolate, ginger, rosewater and passion fruit, the new selection of cupcakes is available in boxes of 12 and features delicate buttercream roses (also available in a box of 6), love heart sweets or sprinkles. One of the box selections can even be decorated with the words of your choice – so you can make up your own special message!
Decorated in classic Valentine colors, including reds, pinks and chocolate browns, the cupcakes are also offered in special adult versions that contain a splash of liqueur.
Prices vary according to the treat you choose, but there is a Mixed Valentine’s Box which combines a selection of the above, priced at Fr. 80.- for a box of 12.
The deadline for orders for Valentine's day is noon on Saturday, 12 February. As an added bonus Heidi is playing cupid and offering free delivery on Valentine's day between Geneva and Nyon! It is also possible to pick up your order from the bakery in Nyon if you prefer.
Heidi BakeryThe newly-opened American diner, featured recently on our website, is becoming so popular that it has now extended its opening hours to cope with the huge demand from customers.
Based in Versoix, Happy Days Coffee will now open 7 days a week, 8h30-17h on weekdays and 9h30-14h at weekends. Reservations are highly recommended at the weekends as the cafe has been inundated with customers, who they have had to turn away!
New on the menu is a panwich (2 large pancakes with cheddar cheese, smoked ham, and an egg in the middle). The 180g hamburger is also prepared by a high quality butcher in Nyon and has little fat.
For further information, see our previous article on the website.
