"So I think the joke started 14 years or so ago. Every time we would travel past Catamount, on the NY Mass border, coming or going from Great Barrington, Lisa E or I would say, with an imagined accent, Suisse Hutte , you forgot to take that old sign down. Well a few weeks ago on the way back from lunch in Hillsdale, on a rare occasion when I had service on my phone, I typed the properly spelled name into Yelp and was surprised to find not only that they were still operating, but were highly rated and the photos looked amazing! I said Lisa, this is no joke, we need to eat here! We had a few hours together last night, I'm drinking a flight at a local brewery, and Lisa spontaneously called at 5 and asked for a 6 o'clock reservation on the patio. We pulled up and were blown away by how picturesque the Inn and ground were. The Swiss Hutte is an old farm house built in the mid 1800's and has been under continuous operation as an Inn for the past 50 years. The interior of the restaurant was, as one would expect, a perfect setting for dinner and drinks after winter skiing or fall hiking. We, of course, prefer al fresco 6 months out of the year, and when we were seated on the patio, the view was picture postcard perfect. We shared 2 appetizers, escargot served blazing hot in an antique porcelaine. and plump mussels in a devine wine sauce. The simple salad as my side, featured fresh sprightly greens dressed in a light creamy and flavorful dressing. I'm thinking duck, and while I'm reading the menu, all I hear from surrounding tables, I'll have the duck, we will have the duck, oh look, they are having the duck, so it's settled, I'm having the duck too! Wonderful choice, perfect in every way. Crispy skinned and moist, with the plum cherry compote a perfect foil for the rich meat. Then a wedge of the ultra crispy potato roti just an over the top dish! My pictures should and will make you long for that too! The dessert menu, verbally recited as were the specials, by our attentive server, expansive. It was so difficult to decide, but Lisa made a great choice. I don't even remember the name, but I can recall the taste. Hazelnut merengue, rich SOCO ice cream, freshly whipped cream surrounded by berries. Yeah, yum. Update: Dessert was their riff on the classic flourless pastry marjolaine nutty meringue and pastry cream, here subbing premium local ice cream for the pastry cream and served with assorted fresh berries. Give it up for food 5 stars, service 5 stars, setting 5 ; don't wait 14 years, do not pass .....go!"
