Imagine a holiday spot in Italy. Now imaging that destination in Italy is nested in the stunning surroundings of the Dolomites. Now take it one step further and imagine that your accommodations for your holiday in the Italian Dolomites is a luxury chalet. And that luxury chalet comes complete with your very own professional Italian chef. Sound perfect? Well now you no longer have to just imagine it – you can make it your reality!
That’s right – Chef Anthony has partnered with a fabulous luxury chalet overlooking the beauty of the Dolomites to provide you with mouth-watering cuisine during your stay! Read on to find out what fabulousness – and deliciousness - awaits you when you choose to holiday in the Dolomites – winter, spring, summer or fall!
The Chef - Private Service in the Dolomites
First let’s get you acquainted with your chef. Chef Anthony is a Professional Italian Chef who has worked in the hospitality industry for nearly 25 years. He started his career working as a chef and helping to get new restaurants off the ground – both in Italy and abroad. After doing this for many years he then went to work as an Italian chef on cruise ships. He first worked with
Silversea Cruises on a one-year contract basis and then moved on to the Disney Cruise Line (of The Walt Disney Company) for the six years leading up to the start of his business – The Italian Elixir – where he offers luxury food and wine experiences throughout Italy, based out of the Treviso - Venice Âarea.
The Setting - Catered Luxury Chalet in Arabba
Now let’s fill you in on the destination you’re headed to. Your luxury chalet is located in the Dolomites Mountain range, in the village of Arabba, in Veneto – bordering Trentino. It is also not far from Cortina D’Ampezzo – which is well known for its luxury and upscale shopping. The Dolomites are a holiday region renowned for their diverse landscape and variety of experiences to be had while visiting – and the entire area has the distinction of being a designated UNESCO World Heritage site! Just to give you an idea of that diversity…Culture and shopping abound in Bolzano / Bozen. Some of Italy’s amazing wines come from Valle Isarco / Eisacktal. Alta Badia / Gadertal offers rustic Alpine pastures and mighty peaks. Trentino / Trient is home to Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. Val Pusteria / Pustertal is a beautiful valley setting. Alpe di Siusi / Seiser Alm has an abundance of flora and fauna. And the Val d'Ega / Eggental is known for its picturesque villages.
Not convinced yet? The Dolomites offer all kinds of activities year round – ensuring that there is indeed something for everyone! First the winter activities. There’s skiing of course – including On-Piste to Off-Piste Skiing for experts – and with a private snowcat mobile you will be there in five minutes!
You will also have use of a private slope nearby where you can experience night skiing by torches, or you can opt to ski on one of three Ski World Cup slopes! If you aren’t a skier there are plenty of non-ski related activities – such as dog sledding and snowshoeing. In the summer you can try your hand at trout fishing or perhaps bike or even hike the Dolomites! But if you are a real adventurer, you must try the via ferratas around Cortina D'Ampezzo – and especially what is probably the most famous via ferrata in the entire Dolomites – via ferrata Ivano Dibona – which rose to popularity after being
featured in the movie Cliffhanger starring Sylvester Stallone. Should you prefer something less physical there are both private car and private helicopter tours of the Dolomites available to you as well. And, thanks to an indoor swimming pool at your luxury chalet – swimming is available year round. And that’s certainly not all … but more this later!
The Cuisine - with proud from the Dolomites
And now for perhaps the most important part – the food! Your Private Chef will be there to fully cater your holiday – including breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snacks! During your stay he will offer specialty, thematic dinners nightly – such as a caviar based dinner, or a truffle based dinner. Or perhaps a hamburger night or an indoor barbeque on the unique grill that sits right inside the chalet. Yes - he will cook over the fire on an indoor grill! And of course, he uses only the highest quality beef and meats including Italian Chianina and Kobe beef. Then depending on the season of your visit there may be a Venetian mushroom porcini dinner and an asparagus spring herb dinner. All meals will be curated using only the highest quality ingredients and are served with the finest Italian wines and spirits handpicked by Chef Anthony himself.
Plus, any specific dietary requirements, food allergies or any other specific requests will be taken into consideration as well and he will be happy to accommodate when possible. Chef Anthony also pays close attention to every detail in preparing kosher food. He goes above and beyond to ensure your food is better than you ever imagined and always in close supervision with local rabbi. He gives the same careful attention when preparing halal food by choosing all his ingredients according to Muslim laws in collaboration with WHAD WORLD HALAL DEVELOPMENT which will certified the halal menus.
Extra Activities
We already mentioned that there is plenty to keep you busy while you are staying at the chalet – so let’s take a look at some of your options.
Should you want to get out and experience more of the country you have some amazing opportunities to do just that. First there is a day trip via helicopter from Arabba to Venice. Upon
landing in Venice, you will be transferred to a luxury sailboat that you will board for a day of cruising around Venice and its islands – Burano, Torcello and Murano. On board you will also be treated to an exclusive lunch prepared by Chef Anthony and featuring seafood, caviar – from a near sturgeon factory! – and the best local sparkling wines available.
Another option is a day trip via helicopter from Arabba to Parma – also a UNESCO World Heritage Site - where you will be introduced to the Parma Food Valley. First you will see up close and personal the production of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in the cheese dairy factory where it happens – with Chef Anthony as your private tour guide. You will then head to where the traditional balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia is produced. Here you will learn how balsamic is aged and processed and – at the end of your tour – you’ll be treated to your very own tasting of the 25 year old balsamic. To finish your day, you will be treated to a cooking class in a villa in the heart of Parma City with Chef Anthony and the villa’s owner, Antonia, as your instructors.
Your third option is a day trip from Arabba to Treviso where you will get a tour – in a luxury van – of a sturgeon farm. While there, you will learn how the caviar is extracted and then prepared with a meticulous process – all by hand. Afterwards you will visit and tour a winery estate in the heart of Valdobbiadene – home of the finest prosecco – where you will enjoy an exclusive lunch prepared by Chef Anthony and featuring caviar and bubbles. Or perhaps tasting some good oysters from the nearly lagoons.
And should you prefer to stay close to home there are countless activities offered nearby – including a ski safari, dog-sledding, igloo building, hot air balloon rides, and even snowshoeing complete with a mindfulness session. You can also stay tucked away in the chalet and partake in the simple pleasures that abound there – such as wildlife watching, star gazing, swimming and even a cinema room – all right on property for you to enjoy!
Interior spaces
So, what do you think? Ready to book that luxury chalet for a long weekend, a week or perhaps longer? Contact Chef Anthony online at theitalianelixir.com today and let him put together the perfect Catered luxury chalet adventure for you. We promise you this is one luxurious holiday that you will remember for the rest of your life!