Gourmet temple is not a compliment

The restaurant Sternen has reopened. The new tenants not only wish to convince through their gastronomy, but seek to eliminate preconceptions.
 
On the screen of the laptop in the kitchen, a fly lingers as its outline lights up on an Excel spreadsheet. Opposite, beef stock is bubbling away where cook Noémie Bernard (26) is at work with quick hands. Her father Giorgio (64) speaks to her. After countless hours spent in kitchens together, they require few words to make themselves understood.
 
Short sentences are just as important as short distances between the office and the kitchen, as the Bernards inject new life into the Sternen these days. Last Wednesday, the restaurant reopened after one and a half years closure.
 
Produce from the region and neighbouring countries
 
Giorgio Bernard attaches importance to breaking down any barriers in the minds of the clientele - thus far the Sternen had commonly been considered a sort of gourmet temple as he found out soon enough. "We do not want to be labelled as such, people should form their own opinion," he says. Of course, the Sternen will continue to be no place for those who cannot afford a lavish budget. The Bernards - hostess is Giorgio's wife Anita (58) - rely on fresh products that originate from central Switzerland if possible. That pumpkin oil from Styria and wine from South Tyrol are found besides, is owed to Giorgio’s origin. The aspiring wine academic comes from Sterzing, which advertises itself with the claim to be the northernmost city in Italy.
 
Unlike a classic fine dining establishment, the Sternen is open for lunch from 11.30am. Regarding the opening times, Giorgio Bernard quarrels with himself. On Mondays and Tuesdays, the doors should be closed - typically: "When we get reservations, we try to make those possible. Saying no to a guest is a no-go," says the experienced restaurateur. In general, he values a mutual exchange. When asked what expectations the host places towards his engagement in Walchwil and his guests, he says: "First and foremost, we have to be commercially successful - there is no way around it. It's also important to me that guests share their thoughts so we can show them how we work."
 
From the Klausen Pass to Walchwil
 
The family integrates their experiences made in different establishments. For example, daughter Noémie Bernard has worked at the Parkhotel Vitznau and for the well-known cook Tanja Grandits in Basel. Giorgio and Anita Bernard previously worked in the Canton of Glarus, where they ran the Gasthaus Bergli on the Klausen Pass. If it had gone according to the father, Noémie would have taken over the restaurant. "But for her it's too remote - that's why we looked for something new," explains Giorgio Bernard. This search finally led them to Walchwil. After a first meeting with Sternen owner Christoph Hürlimann, the Bernards offered him a trial tasting - and obviously convinced.