Courchevel Bistro, a Talisker property, invites you into Chef Clement Gelas’ world of French cuisine. Chef Gelas is right at home in the kitchen at Courchevel, appropriately named for Park City’s sister city in the Savoie region of France.
The ski resort of Courchevel is as ritzy as skiing gets with it’s multiple Michelin starred restaurants and world-famous Mont Blanc-Chamonix snow (comparable to our champagne powder). The food of the region has deep peasant roots that can still be tasted among the sophistication, as it is the local ingredients that really elevate the fare. As Chef Gelas says: there wouldn’t be good chefs without good ingredients.
Born and raised in Boege, an alpine town in southeastern France near Annecy, he grew up in a French house with traditional French fare. Being from the mountains, Gelas has always loved the great outdoors, and he is constantly inspired by his surroundings.
Chef Clement Gelas at Courcheval Bistro
He got his start by working at La Maison de Marc Veyrat, serving an upscale mountain cuisine in the French Alps where he met the right people to take him under their wing. He then traveled around Europe and found himself back in the mountains, at Val Thorens, working at a Michelin-starred, fine-dining restaurant. For Gelas, these experiences helped him understand international fare and perfected his food philosophy.
He moved to NYC in 2004, but he couldn’t stay away from the mountains for long, moving to Park City the following year. For Gelas, Park City has a similar vibe to the French Alps. Being outside in the mountains helps him find his creative spirit. When he’s out biking or skiing, he is filled with new ideas to bring back into the kitchen. May will be his 12-year anniversary with Talisker.
Local ingredients
His experience has cultivated his ability to create a menu that is high end, yet approachable. The idea behind Courcheval is mixing gastronomy–the art and science of food, and bistronomy–which is all about enjoying quality ingredients and superb cooking in a warm, friendly environment. This equals a type of cuisine called bistronomique, not your average type of classical French food. Gelas is all about elevating the bistro experience, while still keeping things simple.
The food of the Savoie region is distinct, and Gelas loves showing it off with an elegant spin. He has taken various traditional recipes that have been passed down through his family to create a special Park City dining establishment. By using gastronomy techniques, Gelas wants to attract new people to French food. He likes to do a play on the classic French dishes, by starting with a dish he grew up with in the alps and then incorporating local Utah ingredients. In this way, he connects his roots to the present. Ultimately, Gelas strive to create a healthier version of French food without sacrificing flavor. Think of a sun choke soup, for example, but instead of full fat cream, he uses almond milk. While he removes the actual fat, the essence of its flavor remains by creating a sun choke emulsion foam that lightens the dish while enriching its flavor and texture.
Red Bicycle Breadworks
His favorite dish on the Courcheval menu is the Idaho trout bouillabaisse. Gelas creates his own version with alpine lake fish-like trout and a crawfish emulsion. This is by no means your traditional Bouillabaisse, but it carries its essence with a mountain twist. As a part of his food philosophy, Gelas works with local artisans to keep everything locally sourced: from the chocolate and cheese to the honey and bread, which is specially prepared by Red Bicycle Breadworks.
Gelas’ deep connection to the French Alps allows him to share the culinary influences from his home country, bringing a truly French-European inspired menu to Main Street Park City. Dining at Courchevel is like being transported to Chef Gelas’ home in the French Alps, but in a lively bistro atmosphere in the Wasatch Mountains.
