Skiing or eating in Cortina are interesting sociological experiences. On the slopes or in the lodges, between a bombardino drink and waiting in line at the lifts, encounters can be as informal as they are mind-blowing. Maybe it’s all the ski gear, the helmet and goggles that offer an easy anonymity. Maybe it’s the altitude, but this sport continues to be a must not only for mountain lovers, but also for celebrities around the world, including politicians, industrialists and stars.
The elite who come are democratized by the ski pass in the “Queen of the Dolomites,” where the number of stars here is matched only by the beauty of the mountains. I get a taste while enjoying a milk-based snack with Vov (a type of eggnog liquor). With me is Kristian Ghedina, the most successful Italian downhill skier in the history of the Alpine Ski World Championships, who gives me an update on how the work on the slopes is going. Born in Ampezzo, Ghedina is a Cortina 2021 ambassador for the Alpine Ski World Championships, which will be held from February 8 to 21. The city was finally named the location after five tries, thanks to a comprehensive environmental sustainability project, and to sheer perseverance. We are at the Pomedes lodge, at 7,556 feet above sea level. It’s 5 °F. This is where one of the most beautiful slopes in the area begins, Olympia delle Tofane. And if you veer to the left you’ll reach Vertigine Bianca, the track that will be used for the men’s downhill of 2021. Kristian tells us it’s 1.55 miles long and also includes the Ghedina Jump, a 60-meter jump named after him on the steepest part of the run. Such an honor is no surprise since with 33 World Cup wins under his belt, he has become a legend thanks to his aerial tricks. Kristian’s cousin is the manager of the Pomedes lodge. She serves us a slice of apple pie. From their increasingly animated discussion over the pie, it’s clear that in addition to the slopes here, which are some of the most scenic in the world, visitors come for another thing too: good food. “My apple pie is unbeatable,” he says. “I’m a pretty good cook: I can also make pizza and ghenei (a local variation of Tyrolean dumplings). And I adore tartare, as long as the meat is top quality,” the champion adds. His father Angelo runs the agritourismo Jägerhaus, also renowned for its cattle. So let’s start a food and sports tour that offers a preview of the rebirth of taste in Cortina.
Lunch at the pass with views of Marmolada
The contemporary menu at Da Aurelio, in the heart of the spectacular Giau Pass, is proof that something good is happening in Cortina, especially with its restaurants. It was opened in 1970 as the Piezza lodge by Aurelio Dariz. Today it’s owned by Aurelio’s son, Luigi. The elegant chalet with two bedrooms (which will double in the spring) is just 30 minutes from the center of Cortina. It has recently added a scenic veranda that overlooks a breathtaking panorama: Marmolada, Pale di San Martino, and Mount Cernera. The chalet is surrounded by ancient cottages, some of which have been turned into vacation homes for the regulars, who are numerous at the restaurant and often famous. To satisfy them, even though the menu changes four times a year, certain cult dishes are always available, such as cod three ways or beef cheek in red wine. Those who prefer experimenting will not be disappointed: ricotta gnocchi with extra-aged cheese fondue and ground herbs are amazingly good, not to mention sophisticated. Wild thyme flavors the focaccia, while the essential oil of pine completes char fillets breaded in watercress and wild garlic. It’s a tribute to the landscape, which has also inspired Hollywood films such as Cliffhanger, Ladyhawke, The Pink Panther and For Your Eyes Only. Luigi shows me the Italian flag on his uniform. He’s part of a delegation of chefs who regularly cook for events honoring the World Cup, which Cortina hosts every year along with 21 other locations. “This World Cup has brought about a great team spirit between us chefs as well,” he explains. Over €68 million have been allocated for the event to renovate some lifts, upgrade infrastructure and especially the runs that were made legendary with the 1956 Winter Olympics. No doubt why the city was picked, in tandem with Milan, to host the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Drink in hand, skis on feet
The ambition to attract more international tourism (gourmand or not) can be felt everywhere. Hence the après-ski, an aperitivo on the runs after the lifts have closed, plays a fundamental role. Tradition dictates that it is to be enjoyed while still wearing all your ski gear, including your boots. But let’s be clear, no getting sloppy. This is illustrated perfectly by the renovated Chalet Tofane in Socrepes, at the base of the lifts. It’s a historical meeting point for the Ampezzo ski schools. The chalet is under new management after 34 years, and now also offers a professional DJ set complete with Champagne and oysters. The wine list is curated by Kristian Casanova, the sommelier at Tivoli, one of Cortina’s starred restaurants not far away, owned by Graziano Perst, who is partners with Casanova at Chalet Tofane.
In the kitchen there is Massimo Bennacchio, who offers gourmet pizzas including, the Cortina 2021 with Ampezzo-style potatoes seasoned with onions and speck, but also dishes taken from Tivoli’s menu to emphasize the partnership between the Chalet and Restaurant. The starred restaurant will close from late March to early July for renovations and a new menu, “but without deviating from its essence,” says Prest. “We’ll be keeping some of the iconic dishes, like the cold spaghetti or fried egg. Our regulars also come here from far away to find certain flavors, as if they were old friends.” Just a few minutes’ drive away, close to the city center but set just a little bit back is the formal après-ski served in dark suits sitting at the elegant counter of the Crystal lounge bar, at a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa of the Marriott Group. You’ll find a list of fine cocktails inspired by local natural beauty, such as the Dolomiti Fizz or Tofane Express, or the Enrosadira (alpenglow), a mixture of Marsala and rose liquor inspired by the colors of the Dolomites at sunset, the so-called “purple hour when the children go to sleep, and millions of fluids are shaken with singing ice.” If you’d like to stay for dinner, you have an array of choices. There’s Stube1872, in an intimate dining room with wood paneling and a tiled stove, where the traditional menu includes canederli (dumplings), barley soup and rack of venison. Or you can dine at the restaurant Gazebo while sitting on veranda with a panoramic view, or at the Chef’s Table, a large table for small groups right next to the kitchen. For lunches, and above all an unforgettable breakfast with cakes and croissants made in their own kitchen, and smoked and marinated salmon prepared by the chef, there is the sumptuous glass-enclosed gallery with a view of Tofane. The menus are designed by Marco Pinelli, originally from Campania, who combines vegetables from nearby San Vito with tomatoes from near Vesuvius. He often teams up with starred colleagues for dinners. His work with the world-famous pizza-maker Franco Pepe, though, is steady. In this hotel, which has been open since 1901 (hosting celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Lev Tolstoy) and managed by the Gualandi family, you can feel the legends, evoked by black and white pictures of elite travelers of the past hanging on the halls. The same halls which hosted the filming of Winter Holidays with Vittorio De Sica in 1959, and Christmas Holidays with his son Christian in 1983.
Violette and casunziei
You have to go up to 7,400 feet above sea level, to the top of the Cinque Torri chair lift of the Averau Lift Company (which is part of the Cortina ski pass consortium) to taste the specialties of Guido and Claudia Lorenzi, the brother and sister team who own and manage the Scoiattoli lodge, an authentic legend of the local dining scene. We are in the heart of the so-called Super8 Ski Tour, which is 10 miles of runs among the most famous peaks: Tofana, Pelmo, Civetta, Marmolada, Fanes, Averau, Cinque Torri, Conturines. The lodge was built in 1969 and has kept a traditional and rustic style while evolving in sophistication. The windows look like paintings, framing the 360-degree panorama. There is a more casual room with a bar facing a large outdoor terrace, ideal when the weather allows for it (in winter the temperatures drop to -5 °F), and a more intimate room paneled in wood salvaged from old barns. Guests stop for a snack between one run and the next, but also for gourmet lunches and, on request, memorable dinners for small groups (the wine list, curated by Guido’s daughter, has 200 labels). The Violette are irresistible, tagliatelle of a lilac shade made with cranberries and topped with porcini mushrooms, as well as the classic Casunziei, crescent-shaped Ampezzo ravioli stuffed with beetroot and served with butter and poppy seeds.
The desserts made by Claudia range from strudel to ricotta cheesecake to tiramisu. If you want to go all out, you’ll have to order the dessert called Scoiattolo with whipped cream and zabaglione. It’s to die for! Then you can choose whether to stay the night in one of the rooms (small, with the typical lodge bunk beds), just as Brad Pitt did while filming Seven Years in Tibet and training on the Cinque Torri, or ski down to the valley on the floodlit slopes. “If there’s a full moon, the artificial light isn’t even necessary,” Guido adds. For a lucky few, you can reserve a hot tub and wine with a panoramic sunset. For those who go down to the valley, there’s the new family hotel: Ciasa Lorenzi, opened a few years ago in an abandoned construction. Continuing on our tour of lodges, from slope to slope you can stop at a brand new one: the Masi Wine Bar Al Druscié, at the stop of the first section of the Tofana- Freccia nel Cielo cable car. The bistro shares its location with another famous restaurant, Druscié 1778, which owes its name to the altitude it sits at. After enjoying two runs that have just been expanded for the World Cup (Druscié A and B), the best thing to do is take off your boots and enter the warmth of a wine bar with kitchen that has large windows overlooking the slopes, Tofane and Monte Cristallo. The menu revolves around revisited classic Ampezzo and Verona dishes with wines from the Masi cellars, playing around with the tastes of a wide wine palette. The menu ranges from seared venison fillet served with a Recioto reduction to Amarone risotto (a menu highlight) creamed with aged Monte Veronese cheese. In addition to lunch served from 11:30 to 4:00, you can also enjoy dinner, but only with reservations. The chef Denis Narduzzi has opted for just a few dishes on the menu, nine to be precise, and of course an extensive wine list. For an after-dinner drink or a gourmand aperitif with classic cocktails, also sitting around the spa pool, there is the hotel Faloria Mountain Spa Resort, newly renovated with minimalist, Nordic style interiors. You can order signature and classic drinks at the bar, such as Faloria: vodka with aromas of lime. The restaurant offers dishes ranging from risotto with mountain herbs to ravioli with burrata cheese, with dishes from various regions of Italy. On the other side there’s a view from the tables of Trampolino Italia, built in 1956 for the combined ski jump, which will now be restored as a sort of monument to those athletes who soar. And perhaps also as a metaphorical good luck charm for a location that always aims higher, never stopping.
Fotos by Jacopo Salvi