By By Mita Tate
Fondue comes from the French word “fondre” which means “to melt.”
Since the ’50s, fondue has been a household term, with many people owning their own fondue pots and kits. Despite this, fondue is not that widespread when it comes to the restaurant industry. With the exception of upscale French restaurants, there are few places specializing in fondue in New York.
However, at the stylish Murray Hill lounge, Dip, they make fondue look like an art. From the outside, passersby may expect a modest bar, but when actually inside, the two floor eatery is large by city standards.
The crowd ranges from fashionistas clad in Vivienne Westwood and Eileen Shields, to fat, balding men from the Bronx dressed in Yankees caps. The eclectic atmosphere makes for an interesting time and means the place is always busy. The average wait-time for a table on a Saturday night is 40 minutes.
The dark, yet fun atmosphere of Dip also make it perfect for everything from happy hour after a long day of work to a romantic first date.
While the cheese fondue (vermont cheddar and swiss) comes with a choice of assorted seasonal vegetables, french baguettes and walnut raisin bread for dipping, the dessert fondue (milk chocolate, peanut buttercup and vanilla champagne) comes with seasonal fruit, brownie bites, pirouette cookies and marshmallows. The average price for all fondue ranges from $23 (1-3 people) to $32 (4-6 people) and offers generous amounts of fondue and dipping delights.
There are also special fondues that are served occasionally, such as the chocolate chip cookie dough, asian citrus and cherry vanilla stoli. All fondue come in traditional fondue pots and burners that can be adjusted for the perfect temperature.
Besides their incredible fondue selections, Dip is also known for its delicious gourmet cocktails, which all go for $10 (half price during happy hour).
The coconut sangria and dip caipirinha are highly recommended, while the key lime pie martini and sake paradise are suggested only for the brave.
There are a few downsides to Dip, however. One being the unncessary age restrictions. While Sunday through Wednesday patrons are expected to be 21 and over, which doesn’t seem unreasonable, Thursday through Saturday, patrons must be at least 23 to enter. While this is obviously to maintain a certain level of sophistication, it’s not exactly working. This is because of Dip’s other main problem-their minor identity crisis.
It can’t choose between being a swanky lounge for ultra-hip urbanities, a sports bar for average Joes (the huge screens displaying live football games seems rather inappropriate) or a pool hall for college kids (the one pool table could serve as extra space for several tables to shorten wait time and make the space less crowded).
Despite these shortcomings, Dip serves up some of the best fondue and most creative drinks the city has to offer. Dip is located at 416 3rd ave. (between 29th and 30th street). For more information you can visit their Web site at www.dipcafe.com.