Fondue in Phoenix

We thought fondue was a campy, retro sort of thing until we discovered this place, a favorite among "date night" couples. (Romance oozes from this place; the waiters will even take your picture and leave it for you in a little picture frame at the door, if you like.) We love going here and ordering tasty bites that we can dip into melted cheese and yummy broth, a la shabu-shabu restaurants we remember from back east. We recommend starting with the Chef Salad rather than the appetizer course, just to make that dunking experience all the more exciting once you start. Entrée courses of either meat or seafood cooked in boullion are tasty, with chicken, two types of beef, shrimp, and ravioli. Tangy and sweet sauces accompany each order, and vegetables are always heaped on as sides. For dessert, don't pass up the basic milk chocolate fondue, served with strawberries, pineapple, brownie bites, and little chunks of cheesecake. What's more romantic (or tasty) than dunking food into pots of yummy stuff?

Remember the fondue paraphernalia you got rid of in a garage sale during the Reagan administration? You should have held on to it. Fondue is back. Instead of buying new equipment, let the Melting Pot's kitchen handle the job. Fondue here comes in all its forms -- cheese fondue, fondue bourguignon (meat and veggies dipped in bubbling oil) and chocolate fondue. Dip and swish.

In a strip mall and right next door to Johnny Chu's other new restaurant, Red Thai Southeast Asian Kitchen, this hot-pot restaurant has finally brought shabu shabu to Central Phoenix. You choose from a short list of tasty broths, then order platters heaped with raw meat, fish, and vegetables to cook yourself in a hot pot right on your table. Delicious and healthy, too — �also perfect for dinner out with your vegetarian or gluten-free friends. Read our review.