I’ve enjoyed my previous visits to Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, having gone to the waterpark, skied, received a massage and of course, enjoyed fine dining at its chophouse. Thus, I happily accepted an invitation to return to meet the new executive chef, Nelly Buleje, and sample his creations.
This is a homecoming for Chef Buleje, who started his career 16 years ago at Grand Geneva. I found him to be personable, well-spoken and extremely knowledgeable on food trends, all essential traits for a successful executive chef.
“I’m always in search of new flavor profiles and culinary techniques,” Buleje said in a statement. “My travels, curiosity and the all-star team at Grand Geneva are the inspiration for me to craft distinct, memorable dishes here in Lake Geneva. It’s important to me to have my hometown shine in the culinary scene.”
He plans on revamping the existing Geneva ChopHouse menu this spring, and based on what I tried, future guests are in for a culinary treat. For example, Chef Buleje is seeking to expand his offerings of dry-aged steaks, and his sliced cowgirl ribeye (aged 45 days) is tender and super flavorful, and it’s even better with the accompanying smoked marrow butter.
I almost didn’t even make it to the steak course because I was not eating the first course of seafood in moderation. The salmon was smoky and tender, and you could definitely discern the umami flavoring. I also devoured the smoked lobster, which was so tasty that you didn’t need any melted butter, as well as the fresh-shucked oysters, peeled shrimp, shrimp and lobster deviled eggs and caviar. See why I almost didn’t make it past this course?
Oh, and there was another seafood dish, and it featured a sea bass that had a welcomed saltiness from the country ham in which it was wrapped. I only wish the ham was slightly more tender so I could have eaten the wonderful ensemble without a knife.
Dinner wasn’t all just meats. We had a dish of various vegetables, each roasted in pumpkin seed oil until very tender and each with their own sauce. One of my favorites was the sliced beets on top of garlic aioli, as it made me realize that yes, it is possible to enjoy beets.
Dessert was Baked Alaska, which I think I’ve had once or twice in my life but have been wanting to eat again since reading the book, What a Swell Party it Was. To eat the decadent dessert, you navigate your fork through the perfectly charred meringue to reach the soft chocolate cake, which was topped with sweet-and-not-too-tart cherries. I’m sure it was time-consuming to make, but man was it good.
Somehow I managed to eat breakfast the next day in the Grand Cafe. It featured:
- Prime rib hash, topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. It’s well seasoned and a bit spicy.
- Fluffy and bright-tasting citrus pancakes that are caramelized with brown sugar.
- Bagels and highly delectable lox with a full assortment of toppings.
The Geneva ChopHouse serves dinner daily and brunch on Sundays. I look forward to a return visit soon to try the fare at Ristoranté Brissago and enjoy live music and a cocktail in the lively lobby lounge.
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See more photos in our Grand Geneva Flickr album.
Tags: American, Lake Geneva, seafood
