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