Fondue, once a trendy dish of the 70s and 80s, is making a comeback. Last fall I prepared two fondue pots for our family shortly after our son came home on leave after boot camp. There were 5 of us hunched over an old glass-topped coffee table, also from the 70s. But it was an evening to remember. Fondue forks with tender chunks of filet piercing each other’s meat as they boiled in the fondue pot. Forks got crossed, Meat had to be fished out of the pot of bubbling peanut oil and plopped on a plate. We had something akin to Bearnaise sauce  and a pesto sauce in which to dip the meat, and despite the evening’s foibles, we all enjoyed the succulent meat.
     What fondue would be complete without dessert? For me, just the melted chocolate dripping off a fresh, sweet strawberry would be all the fondue I need. So I mixed up a batch of Toblerone bittersweet chocolate and Triple Sec liqueur. We dipped apples, strawberries, pound cake, and marshmallows into the savory, creamy mixture.
     Everyone was satisfied as we finally reclined on the sofa and in chairs. It was definitely voted a “must do” again by the family.
     Two nights ago, hubby and I decided we were craving a fondue celebration for our anniversary. Only this time, we wanted professionals serving us in a romantic setting. For this special evening out, we went to the “Melting Pot” restaurant (located in several cities across the country) and had three courses of fondue plus a salad. We needed someone to carry us out!
     We chose a spinach-artichoke cheese fondue and watched the server mix up the cheeses, herbs, and garlic to make a scrumptious pot of delectable flavors into which we dipped several different types of bread cubes, tortilla chips, and green apples. Then came the salad.
     After the salad, we had a coq au vin broth whisked with herbs and spices,  topped with burgundy wine. In this delicious broth we sauteed our three different cubes of steak. By now, I didn’t think I could eat one more bite. But I knew the chocolate was coming.
     The finale was caramel turtle chocolate fondue with pecans flambeed at our table. We dunked succulent strawberries, ground chocolate-coated marshmallows, pound cake, Rice Krispie squares, and tow brownie bites in this divine sauce. Just thinking about it make my mouth water. This could have been my whole dinner experience!
     When we were draping ourselves over the cozy bench-seated booth from overstuffed tummies, the waitress appeared with this beautifully decorated plate and two gigantic chocolate covered strawberries. The plate read “Happy Anniversary.” It was the surprise of the evening~but we brought the strawberries home.