Restaurants in the Middle of Nowhere

I guess I felt like updating my blog today. In the summer it becomes almost unbearable to stay in Lyon between the heat and the pollution, on the weekends you must get out of town. For this case we are a bit lucky, or you might even say spoiled, since Val’s father lives in the Alps. On the weekends you will tend to find us swimming or biking at Lake Annecy, walking in the mountains, or eating lunch in a small restaurant hidden in the middle of the mountains.
I have no idea how people find these restaurants. They must be passed down through word of mouth. There is no direct route to these restaurants and most of the time it involves unpaved roads. But on Saturday and Sunday don’t expect to walk in and find a seat. Without a reservation you are shit out of luck.
The restaurants typically are situated along a hiking trail so people can hike in, eat lunch, and then head back off into the mountains. The food is very traditional and most of it comes directly from the land around the restaurant. There is one set menu and if you don’t like it don’t comeback. To begin, they serve you a huge plate of chacuterie (cold cuts), no doubt coming from the farm raised pigs not far from where you are sitting. Next you eat lamb or sheep depending on the day which is usually served with some vegetables such as, cauliflower in a white cheese sauce. Then the green salad and a huge plate of selected cheeses arrive. And of course, don’t forget the dessert which is often fromage blanc (white cheese with sugar added) or a tarte. It is almost impossible not to over eat.
However, it is not only the food that lures you to these hidden jewels, it is the picturesque scenery. The terrace has a 360 view of mountains, cows, and lambs and in some restaurants there is even a lake included in the price. And no worries after you eat you can walk off all those calories on one of the many trails that disappear into the mountains. If you are a vegetarian you are screwed!