Melt–where double dipping is acceptable

By Jen Houghton
The Guardsman

Melt Restaurant owner prepares some fondue. ROBERT ROMANO / THE GUARDSMAN
Melt Restaurant owner prepares some fondue. ROBERT ROMANO / THE GUARDSMAN

There are plenty of cook-it-yourself dining options in San Francisco with countless Korean barbecue and hot pot restaurants, however, there are few places to get fondue. There are some close-calls, like the goat cheese-filled ramekin served over a votive candle at Luna Park, but they leave you feeling like you’re missing something.

Fortunately, Melt, located at 700 Columbus Ave., fills the void.

Along with the typical café fare, Melt offers four cheese fondue options and a chocolate fondue for dessert. Each fondue is a mixture of cheddar or Gruyère, a Swiss cheese, with differing alcohol bases that are heated to melt the cheese and cook off the alcohol.

After ordering the Stout Rarebit we chatted with one of the owners as he mixed the cheddar, blue cheese, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Guinness over a burner behind the counter. He explained to us that the first person to lose a piece of food in the fondue has to foot the bill.

Not long after the cheese hit the pan, it was ready to serve — a now creamy bubbling concoction served with sliced apples, grapes and crusty bread for dipping. The flavor of the blue cheese paired best with the green grapes.

For a two-person serving, at $30, the portions were plentiful. Next time I’ll have to skip the salad that was included and save room for dessert fondue — or go solely for that.

For those who don’t want to settle for just one cheese, there is a sampler available during fondue happy hour every Friday at 5 p.m.

Melt prides itself on being a neighborhood café where guests can feel at home. The chalk score board hanging over a pile of board games, including backgammon and scrabble, is proof of their success.

Want a little entertainment with your cheese? Visit Melt on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. for “Fondue & Film,” when they show old and new movies on a large projector screen. They also host open mics and live jazz weekly.