Toronto hasn't been this cheesy since Mel Lastman was mayor. Fondue - especially the oh-so-gooey, oh-so-delicious cheese kind - is bubbling away in pots across the city.
Yes, rumours of a fondue comeback have been swirling for a few years now. For starters, since even a quick walk through our snow-covered streets feels like a bout of cross-country skiing, an après-ski meal seems apropos. Second, The New York Times is breaking out the fondue forks, saying in a recent article that "few foods are as compelling as melted cheese." And, no doubt most important to Torontonians, the Cheese Boutique is on board.
At Reds Bistro & Wine Bar (416-862-7337), you can dunk into Afrim Pristine's Moitié Moitié ($20), one of three fondues on the bar menu. Created by one of the boutique's familial gurus, it is a blend of gruyere and Vacherin Fribourgeois, a slightly acidic Swiss cow's-milk cheese.
It's a sweet, tangy mix that soaks into the accompanying bread cubes for a delectable mouthful.
The other two fondues are Niagara Upper Canada Gold (a local selection with white wine and garlic, $15) and Eremite Blue (with port and caramelized walnuts, $18).
The blue fondue is the favourite of Michael Steh, executive chef at Reds. "It's not too often you see it, and it's such a great cheese. The fondue has all the sweet and salty flavours of blue cheese, along with its crystalline quality."
Mr. Steh put fondues on the menu in January, along with a by-the-piece cheese menu done in conjunction with the Cheese Boutique (with 30 international options) and an impressive charcuterie platter featuring everything from house-made klobasa (a Slovenian dry-cured and smoked sausage) to duck prosciutto ($75).
The predictions of non-stop snow for the rest of the month are a good thing as far as Mr. Steh is concerned. "In a storm, people don't want to drive home right away," he explains.
"They stay downtown and have a drink, bring the fondue into it."
At the Bier Markt (416-862-7575), cheese fondues are just one part of a tantalizing threesome: hot broth and warm-chocolate fondues round out a limited-time Fondue for Two menu, available until Feb. 24. Along with a traditional cheese-and-lager fondue ($16), the beer bar offers a brie, lobster and Pastis fondue entree, served with mini crab cakes, soft pretzel and fresh baguette. (Rich, yes, but with all those winter layers who's going to notice a bit of extra padding?)
The broth fondues, variations of hot pot, come in surf and turf (beef strip loin and Atlantic lobster, $45) and wild game (bison, venison, caribou, $45) varieties.
But back to the cheese. To get your fromage fix with a view, head to Panorama on the 51st floor of the Manulife Centre (416-967-0000), where a traditional gruyere and emmental fondue for two ($21) is served with pumpernickel and French stick.
For a more creative take, try the fontina fondue ($21), dotted with hazelnuts and drizzled with truffle honey at Far Niente (416-214-9922). It's served with focaccia and pears for dipping.
At Reds, the fondue menu will be around until the end of March, when presumably warmer weather will make a hot bowl of cheese less appealing.