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38 culturecheesemag.com E N T E R TA I N I N G 202 2 C H E F ' S D I S H menu are the cheese and charcuterie boards. In the winter, the restaurant's busy season, Alice and Lulu's offers a selection of up to 30 cheeses, most of them from Maine. Rather than listing specific cheeses, customers choose from categories like "ash-ripened," "washed- rind," "the blues," and "longer-aged." This flexible approach allows Lex to offer a variety of cheeses from many of Maine's 75 licensed cheesemakers in an easily understood format. Diners might enjoy Cosmic Goat Farm's Feta marinated in olive oil with herbs and peppercorns; or Boreal, a nutty tomme- style raw cow's–milk cheese from Tide Mill Creamery, which has the distinction of being the country's easternmost cheese producer. The fresh Rosemary's Waltz from Smiling Hill Farm outside of Portland offers a rosemary-tinged tanginess; while the creamy interior of Fuzzy Udder Creamery's Small Craft Advisory offsets its funky, bloomy rind. Lex says they initially planned to serve imported French and Italian meats and cheeses, but the variety and depth of Maine's cheesemakers swayed them: "I didn't expect to find the wealth that I found here." One import, however, always appears on the menu once the snow flies: raclette, the Swiss or French melting cheese. An Alpine après-ski tradition descended from a simple mountain shepherd meal, raclette was originally melted next to an open fire and scraped over boiled potatoes. Alice and Lulu's serves Jean Perrin Raclette de Scey from France's Jura region, along with a plate of roasted carrots and shallots, Maine fingerling potatoes, and long stalks of charred broccolini. The rich, meaty cheese melts under the grill's heating element and pours easily over the cooked vegetables. Maine-made raclette cheeses such as Crooked Face Creamery's Bonfire or similar styles like Winter Hill Farm's mild Collinsbrook are also available as add-ons. Laura loves the serendipity of serving the food of her childhood at the base of a mountain in Maine. "We didn't know we'd end up in Maine, much less at a ski resort," she says. Reflecting on four years of her wine and cheese bar, Laura tells me it feels like they've had four different identities due to the impact of COVID-19 and the varying pandemic restrictions each year brought. But the couple's commitment to serving their Maine-inspired interpretation of Alpine- style cuisine, complete with French wines, cheese and charcuterie boards, and raclette, has remained a constant. RACLETTE AT HOME After a day on the slopes, Sugarloafers love the raclette experience at Alice and Lulu's. But you can enjoy raclette at home with a few tips from Lex and Laura Godin. First, the cheese: raclette, imported from France or Switzerland, is available at specialty cheese shops or online retailers. Domestic options from Vermont include Reading from Spring Brook Farm, and Whitney from Jasper Hill Farm, which won Best in Show at this year's American Cheese Society Awards. Other cheeses with a low-melting point like cheddar and Swiss also work well. Plan on about 6 to 8 ounces of cheese per person. Different styles of raclette grills are available, from the party-sized machine that accommodates a quarter wheel of cheese to smaller versions with two to eight individual trays. Not looking to invest in a specialty appliance? A cast iron pan can stand in. Just thinly slice the cheese and lay it over cooked vegetables and meats. Place the pan under the broiler until cheese melts and the vegetables are warmed through. Serve with plenty of hearty bread, pickles, whole-grain mustard, and a crisp wine. Laura recommends dry, minerally whites from the Savoie region of France or a light bodied, high-acid red like Burgundy or rosé. c Melted raclette cheese from France's Jura region is poured over vegetables and cured meats