elegant meal . “ We ’ ve gotten lots of compliments on the ambience and decor ,” said Wells . “( Guests ) seem interested in all the pictures you see ( on the walls ) in there , and the pictures are of the places myself and Chef Ed have traveled , pictures that we took of locations around the world we ’ ve been and foods we ’ ve tried or prepared . It kind of tells our story a little bit and what really drives us in what we ’ re doing .”
The Chalet has a highly-trained service staff , capable of answering any questions at the table about the menu .
“ One of our main focuses when we started this was , we knew we could do the food really well . The area that we were mostly concerned with was service , or front of the house service , and we wanted to be able to provide high-quality customer service ,” said Wells . “ We spent a lot of our training dollars on that particular aspect , on having them role play and making sure that they understand how to serve properly , understanding the terminology in the menus . That was really key for us , to make sure they give the best service possible .”
The restaurant features a bar with an impressive collection of carefully-chosen wines — “ We really spend some time selecting the wines and finding reasonably priced wines that are four stars and up to offer guests ,” said Wells — and beers , including both domestic favorites and German imports .
They can be enjoyed on the outdoor beer and wine garden on the porch of the house-like structure , which offers open seating . Reservations are highly recommended in the evenings , but walkins are accepted if seating is available , and are even more likely available for lunch . Tables can be reserved outside if one likes . There ’ s also a carry-out window available on the exterior .
The restaurant is open from 11 a . m . to 9 p . m ., Tuesday through Saturday .
To learn more or make reservations , visit thechaletgourmet . com , or call 606-451- 9000 .
The Chalet may be gourmet , but it ’ s still a product of Somerset , Kentucky , which means that true southern hospitality is still very much on the menu .
“ Just because it ’ s fine dining and it ’ s higher-end , it doesn ’ t mean it ’ s uninviting ,” he added . “ We want to welcome anybody that wants to come in and try our food . We want people to come in and try our food and have these food experiences if they haven ’ t had them before .”
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Laiken Nazario pours a glass of wine at The Chalet ’ s thoughtfully-stocked bar . Photo by Christopher Harris
1960 Oak Hill Road Somerset , Kentucky 42503 606-802-2642
September 2022 SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky • 29