Photograph by Kevin A. Roberts
524 S. Main (below Figuero’s), St. Charles
636-493-6111, stonecellarfondue.com
Dinner, weekends only
With today’s renewed interest in communal dining, tabletop cooking is experiencing a similar resurgence. Who would have thought that fondue—the craze of the ’60s and bane of the ’80s—would bubble back onto the culinary forefront? So unearth that harvest-gold set from the nether regions of your cellar or make a reservation at The Stone Cellar in St. Charles, located at the intersection of Gruyère and gregariousness. Here, magically, a table trivet becomes a spiffy induction stove, capable of turning out a dozen varieties of fondue far better than that Bunsen burner–esque relic of yours ever could. Opt for a split of champagne with the cheese fondue, red wine or a glass of tawny port with the chocolate. A fondue tradition says that a diner who loses a morsel in the pot must kiss someone at the table, and when we learned that the two young owners got married in this tiny cellar two years ago, all of that romance took hold of us as well. Dip, swirl, chase with a spot of wine…plus an excuse to steal a kiss? Really now, does dining get any better than this?
