If Music Be the Food of Love McCarthy’s Fills Hearts and Stomachs
Trendy hamburger joints have swept over Swiss cities in recent years, and have at last reached the Pays d’Enhaut. En route to Gstaad via Château-d’Oex, Brendan and Kari McCarthy have created a lively oasis that offers a full menu of beef, chicken, and vegetable burgers for discerning diners. B Y A L E X I S MUNIE R
While the Saanenland boasts a dazzling selection of high-class hamburgers (see GSTAADLIFE’s July 2015 “Best Burger Awards”), hungry locals had to travel outside the Pays-d’Enhaut to sample their dinner of choice. Many visited the Saanen pub Jam, which until recently had a popular build-your-own-burger setup. However, the BYOB’s departure from the menu has left many local burger fans in the cold… the same fans that now make the short drive to frequent McCarthy’s “Lord of Burgers” instead.
It’s in the Sauce McCarthy has imported a variety of his homeland’s finest steak and burger restaurant sauces for sampling, including the unique Special Burger, which features a tangy barbeque-marinated beef patty topped with a handful of fresh rocket and crispy dried onions. Feeling especially hungry? Try the Supreme Burger, a giant two-patty sandwich stuffed with a fried egg and caramelised onions, with a side of thin, crispy fries seasoned with just a hint of spices from the Würzbar in Gstaad. Washed down with an American-style Basel pale ale or a glass of the (nearly) eponymous Château Mac Carthy’s from Bordeaux, there’s a choice of both local and imported drinks for all palates, young and old. South African-Style Brendan McCarthy began his musical ca-
reer in South Africa before settling down in Switzerland with his Norwegian wife Kari, a singer and instrumentalist. He has worked for 35 years as a professional singer-songwriter, and when he’s not running the restaurant, McCarthy can be found playing music at the Golf Hotel Saanenmöser and Grand Chalet, amongst other hotels. If time permits, he brings his guitar downstairs and the couple serenade guests between bites of McCarthy’s contemporary cuisine. Inspired by the airy, renovated locale and desire to bring quality hamburgers to the region, the McCarthy’s bought the property in 2013, where they also run a bed-and-breakfast, art studio, party hall, and fitness room in which weekly McUMBA and line-dancing classes are held. www.mccarthys.ch
WELLNESS THE ‘WHITE’ WAY
Celebrity Trainer Leads Unique Winter Fitness Retreat at Park Gstaad
Taking place from 9–12 March 2017, this three-night Pop Up Fitness retreat offers the chance to enjoy the season’s snow with a tailored programme of fitness, nutrition and alpine adventure at Europe’s most exclusive ski destination, Gstaad. Led by renowned celebrity trainer Olivia Cooney, the varied itinerary will feature blood-pumping activities such as outdoor HIIT training, mountain biking and boxing as well as ‘lengthening and strengthening’ and ‘core focus’ classes. Alpine enthusiasts can also take to the slopes with the option of skiing or snowboarding for the day.
specially tailored clean-eating menu – a colaboration between Olivia and Park Gstaad’s Executive Chef, Axel Rüdlin. Freshly prepared using regional produce, the menu has been designed to provide controlled, filling portions that give a taste of Swiss tradition but without the guilt. For an all-round dose of wellness, the itinerary also includes a one-hour Aromatherapy Associates spa treatment as well as plenty of time to relax and enjoy the fivestar facilities on offer at Park Gstaad. These include a ‘Pool and Refuel’ session in the hotel’s salt pool, access to the 1,000m² spa facilities and a luxury private movie screening. For more information and to book visit: www.parkgstaad.ch/popup-fitness
Complementing the packed programme of daily exercise, guests can refuel on a
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NEWS // SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION // GSTAADLIFE // ISSUE 2 // FEBRUARY 17, 2017
Photo: Park Gstaad
Following the success of last summer’s Luxury Fitness Retreat, Park Gstaad is once again partnering with famed personal trainer and health expert Olivia Cooney for the winter edition.