| Several years ago, I worked for a company | | | | lights, butane, alcohol & electricity. For |
| that had a corporate office in Belgium, and | | | | cheese and chocolate fondue, a traditional |
| some Belgian employees came and visited our | | | | pot called a caquelon is used. This is |
| local office on a business trip. As I was | | | | typically made from ceramic or earthenware. |
| chatting with one of them, the subject of | | | | An enameled iron or copper pot is used for |
| fondue came up. I offhandedly mentioned this | | | | Fondue Bourguignon. If you don't want to deal |
| favorite fondue restaurant of mine, and raved | | | | with the mess and hassle of making fondue at |
| about the delicious chocolate fondue dessert. | | | | home (the fondue pots can be difficult to |
| Across his face came a look of incredulous | | | | clean after a meal), there are many |
| horror. He had the same expression I must | | | | restaurants that specialize in fondue that |
| have had when I saw spam sushi in Hawaii for | | | | you can go to. My favorite, La Fondue in |
| the first time. For him, the only proper | | | | Saratoga, California, is whimsically |
| fondue was cheese fondue, and a chocolate | | | | decorated, with a romantic, slightly gothic |
| fondue was just a wrong, unnatural thing. Any | | | | ambiance that looks like the kind of place La |
| notions of Americans being a savage, | | | | Cirque du Soleil would go to for lunch. Many |
| uncultured and decadent people must have been | | | | styles of cheese fondue are available, such |
| confirmed in his eyes. Nevertheless, we have | | | | as Mediterranean (cheddar, beer & sun-dried |
| chocolate fondue, and I am forever grateful | | | | tomatoes) and Stinking Rose (Swiss, wine & |
| for it. Specifically, we have Konrad Egli to | | | | garlic). For the Fondue Bourguignon, exotic |
| thank, a Swiss(!) chef who created it for New | | | | meats such as wild boar and ostrich are |
| York's Chalet Swiss restaurant in 1964. He | | | | offered, as well as tasty dipping sauces. The |
| had earlier already started to popularize the | | | | chocolate fondue, though, is to die for. |
| more traditional fondue through his | | | | Along with your choice of chocolate (milk, |
| restaurant by featuring both the cheese style | | | | bittersweet or white) and flavorings |
| and the method of cooking meat cubes in hot | | | | (Amaretto, Irish Cream and others), you can |
| oil (Fondue Bourguignon). Well, with the | | | | dunk in pieces of snicker bars, marshmallows, |
| introduction of the chocolate element, the | | | | strawberries, apples, bananas & sponge cake. |
| craze really took off. Fondue became a | | | | Bring a large appetite when you come here, so |
| popular menu item at American dinner parties | | | | you have room for all the delectable courses. |
| throughout the 60's and 70's, and is starting | | | | If you would like to experience the fun and |
| to become popular again. Fondue originally | | | | novelty of fondue yourself, here is a |
| came from the mountains of Switzerland, where | | | | selection of fondue restaurants that may be |
| poverty-stricken peasants had little to | | | | in your area: The Melting Pot - 70 |
| sustain them except for Gruyere cheese, bread | | | | restaurants in locations all across the |
| loaves and lots of wine. Poor peasants. | | | | country Boiling Point Fondue - Woodinville, |
| Making do of these meager ingredients, they | | | | WA Café Fondue - Merrillville, IN Dante's |
| combined them to create what became the | | | | Down the Hatch - Atlanta, GA Der Fondue |
| traditional fondue, melting the hard cheese | | | | Chessel - Keystone, CO Fondue Fred's - |
| with the wine in a communal earthenware pot, | | | | Berkeley, CA Fondue Room - Mount Clemens, MI |
| and taking turns dipping the bread into the | | | | Forever Fondue - La Jolla, CA & San Diego, CA |
| tasty mixture. Fondue Bourguignon, on the | | | | Geja's Café - Chicago, IL La Fondue |
| other hand, was a French creation. Born out | | | | Bourguignonne - Sherman Oaks, CA The Magic |
| of necessity, a medieval monk by the name of | | | | Pot Fondue Bistro - Edgewater, NJ Mona Lisa |
| Johann du Putzxe came up with the idea. He | | | | Fondue Restaurant - Nampa, ID Potpourri |
| worked in the vineyards of Burgundy and | | | | Fondue Restaurant - Mentor, OH Simply Fondue |
| needed a convenient way to have lunch while | | | | - Dallas, TX |
| he harvested the grapes. A pot filled with | | | | |
| hot oil set nearby where he could dunk & cook | | | | Carolyn Croyle is the owner of a website |
| tasty morsels of meat while he worked was the | | | | devoted to foodies everywhere. We offer |
| solution. Today, there are several different | | | | food-themed articles, books, movies, gourmet |
| kinds of fondue sets available on the market. | | | | food, kitchen products and more. Visit us |
| There are burners that are heated by tea | | | | today! |