photo by Paulette Phlipot 

The coach of
fine cuisine

Michel Rudigoz, owner of one of Ketchum’s oldest restaurants, Michel’s Christiania, dishes up his special secrets. Words by Salongo Reis-Green. Photos by Paulette Phlipot.

Like many, Michel Rudigoz came to the valley for the skiing. But Rudigoz is not your average ski bum. Fresh from coaching the French and British men’s Alpine Olympic teams, Rudigoz was offered a junior coaching position in Sun Valley in the early 1970s.
Rudigoz settled quickly into a valley that reminds him of his childhood home in the French Alps. It is perhaps because of this similarity that he has been so comfortable here for so long.

His first foray into the valley’s dining scene was with Chez Michel, housed in the building that is now Chandler’s in Trail Creek Village. After 10 years there, he stepped to the helm of the Christiania, one of the valley’s oldest restaurants.

The Christiania has a long and varied history. It takes its name from both the skiing term (a graceful downhill turn) and from the old Ketchum casino. The restaurant was one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite haunts. “He opened his mail in the corner bar stool, right there,” said Rudigoz.

On any given night, Rudigoz can be found greeting his guests as they come in the door, taking an entrée out to this table, suggesting a wine for that table, stepping into the kitchen to lend a hand behind the stoves, telling anecdotes about his experiences around the world or joking with guests at the bar. He admits that actor/director Clint Eastwood, a skiing buddy and frequent guest, calls him “Superfrog,” and Rudigoz, in good humor, has used a frog theme to decorate much of the restaurant, including the server’s uniforms.

His joie de vivre is infectious, spreading not just to the staff, but also to his guests. “I want my friends to feel at home here. When you go to a restaurant, you want to have fun. You’re going to eat, one way or another. If you go camping, you’re going to eat. Here, it is the whole experience.”

Rudigoz carefully attends to every detail, right down to “the best ladies’ bathroom in all of Idaho.” The cavernous ceiling in the main dining room has been coated with soundproof material, preventing conversations from carrying and creating an intimate atmosphere. “The restaurant can be packed, and still you can whisper to your amour,” Rudigoz said with a wink.

Fresh seafood, top-grade meats, creamy sauces, freshly baked breads, original desserts and an extensive wine list complete the dining experience. Rudigoz’s culinary team, hand picked from locales as disparate as Minneapolis and Austria, has an extensive background in French cuisine. Rudigoz encourages his chefs’ creativity: They are free to play to their individual strengths, creating a seasonal menu aimed at the vacationing gastronome.

As Chef Steve Berks boasts, the Christiania uses only fresh, high-quality ingredients for all of its dishes—from the subtle Morilles a la Crème, a dish of sautéed morels in a cognac cream sauce blanketed by a thin sheet of pasta, to the Fruits de Mer Picatta, a colorful dish of steamed squid, shrimp and black mussels in a lemony cream sauce.

The Filet du Porc aux Raisins is no exception. The pork comes from Niman Ranch, based in California. They use only humane, sustainable and all-natural methods. “One of the best meats I have ever used,” said Berks. Done the Christiania way, this pork tenderloin is draped with pancetta, seared and then baked to medium. It is served atop a pool of sweet port wine sauce, and finished with tart-sweet grapes. Creamy mashed potatoes and a julienne of summer squash, zucchini and carrots accompany it.

Step into Michel’s Christiania and take a step into Sun Valley. From the romantic, welcoming atmosphere, to the delicious food, from the white linen and wine to the skiing memorabilia lining the walls of the bar, this is the valley at its best.

Filet du Porc aux Raisins
 

Ingredients:

1 trimmed pork tenderloin
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Fresh pepper
2 oz. thinly sliced pancetta
1 cup port wine
1 cup halved red and green grapes
 

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub pork tenderloin with garlic and rosemary. Season very lightly with salt (the pancetta is quite salty) and fresh pepper. Cover the top of the tenderloin with pancetta and truss with butcher’s twine. Roast in oven for 10 minutes or until medium-medium well. While pork roasts, heat olive oil over high heat in a sauté pan, deglaze sauté pan with the port and grapes. Reduce on high heat until reduced by two-thirds. Remove pork, let it rest while sauce deglazes. Slice pork and serve with sauce.