What I Got: Traditional Raclette

Price: $$

Location: NYC (Bryant Park)

Review:

This is a very special cold weather treat!  Baked Cheese Haus can be found at the Bryant Park Winter Village.  There is always a long line, but don’t let that scare you away.  The raclette is definitely worth it and the line moves quite fast. 

Raclette is made with melted alpine cheese, cornichons, Dijon mustard, and green onion on a fresh baguette.  I got the traditional one which contains only these ingredients, but you can also get it with cured ham or bratwurst.  You can opt to leave out the pickles, mustard, or green onion if you wish.  Although the type of cheese isn’t specified, it tastes and smells like gruyere, and gruyere is commonly used for raclette.  The cheese is melted and baked while still on the cheese wheel underneath special heating lamps until it is bubbly and golden brown.  Then it is scraped off of the cheese wheel and slathered onto a baguette with the other ingredients.  The cheese is luxuriously melty, gooey, slightly crispy where it was baked, and wonderfully flavorful.  The freshly baked cheese will steam in the cold air when they hand it to you.  As the cheese melts in your mouth, it also has an incredible creamy, smooth texture.  The baguette is beautifully crusty on the outside and airy on the inside.  The delicious cheese and baguette compliment each other in perfect harmony.  The cornichons and green onion give a great crunch and bright flavor to balance out the smooth and slightly salty cheese.  The Dijon mustard joins in with its tang and subtle spice.  This was such a special, toasty treat!  If you love melty cheese, you absolutely must try raclette.  Baked Cheese Haus can also be found at other holiday markets in cities around the country, so if you aren’t in NYC you might be able to find one nearby!  It is definitely worth a trip.