and in this bowl we have…

June 22, 2010

Try not to let your brain get ripped into numb shreds, but I’m about to tell you a story about cheese. Cheese in bowls. Cheese in bowls with other cheese. And then an assortment of other stuff in bowls that is then dipped into the cheese. OR stuff that is subsequently dipped into. Got that?

It might all seem very confusing if you’re here just to read my rants about Sally Struthers’ eating habits or about how a cat will likely pluck your eyeball from your head while you’re sleeping if you’re not careful. But today’s post is tailor-made for this blog.

Blog name = Jeff Cutler’s Bowl of Cheese. Today’s topic = cheese, chocolate, bananas, liquor, and other savory and sweet things in bowls.

That’s right, I had the opportunity to go fonduing and I liked it. The event – called the Fondue of Foodies Tweetup – was held at The Melting Pot restaurant in Boston’s Park Plaza Hotel complex. While The Melting Pot Restaurant company boasts more than 145 franchise locations in 37 states, this event was intimate, inspiring and fun.

Do you know how fondue is done? I didn’t. I just figured you went to the restaurant and sat down at a table. Then, after taking a look at the menu you would choose your food and it would show up all bubbly and molten in front of you. Not so. It turns out that the servers prepare the food right in front of you and the meal can last up to 3 hours.

But that’s a good thing. Chocolate on rice crispy treats; cheddar on apples; bleu cheese trio on cauliflower; all the items were really delicious. Here are some photos…

And there was also a little bit of drinking. They had red and white sangria as well as other assorted beverages. Then we got to taste some ice wine from a winery out off of Rte 2 in Massachusetts. Now, ice wine is made with the frozen grapes (or apples as we had last night) so the alcohol content is higher than normal, but it retains a supreme drinkability because it’s also more concentrated and sweeter. Some people even would use the Apple ice wine we had last night as the flavoring in the oft-overlooked drink of the century – the AppleTini.

What was my take on the night? I liked it.

Would I go there again? Yes, but mostly because I want to try it in a less public and more relaxed setting to see if I can satisfyingly fill my pie hole and bottomless pit with fondue and not get bored with the offerings. I was told there are some meat dishes on the menu as well, so I might be OK. Here’s a list of what I tried Monday night.

Spinach Artichoke Cheese

Fiesta Cheese – lager beer, Mexican herbs and spices

Cheddar Cheese

Wisconsin Trio Cheese – Fontina, Butterkäse and Buttermilk Bleu

Traditional Swiss Cheese

The Original – milk chocolate and crunchy peanut butter

Bananas Foster – white chocolate swirled with bananas, brown sugar and cinnamon

Cookies ‘n Cream Marshmallow Dream – dark chocolate and marshmallow

Flaming Turtle – milk chocolate, caramel and pecans

Pure Chocolate – dark chocolate

In all, I found something to like in all of them. If you know me, you know I’m good with most cheeses. But I’m not a big dark chocolate fan and I have some disdain for doing odd things with peanut butter. I am fatter today, by the way.

Have you ever done fondue – at home or out? And what’s your opinion of this craze?

More to come…