Tucked away in the heart of Great Neck Village, Simply Fondue is bringing back the concept of the leisurely dining experience.
Perched on the second floor (an elevator makes it easily handicapped accessible) it’s elegant and welcoming, from the well-stocked bar (they have 61 “Martini” drinks) to the dining areas that wend their way around the wine room.
Simply Fondue features a series of prix-fixe options based on a four-course, two-plus hour gastronomic tour of the world, as you select your delicacies and bases, then proceed to coat, dip and cook the tasty morsels yourself.
To some, it may seem odd to go to a fine restaurant, only to cook, but the intimacy and comfort; excellence of food and beverage (more than 30 superb wines by the glass) and the camaraderie of the process leaves you with a satisfaction that mere consumption can’t duplicate.
Meals begin with a choice of salad – Gorgonzola and field greens; Greek; Caesar or spinach and strawberry. All are fresh and crisp, and the dressings highlight rather than dominate.
Next comes a choice of one of five of what most people think of when they hear “fondue” – the cheese course, with an assortment of fresh breads, crisp vegetables and Granny Smith apple slices.
The traditional “Swiss Chalet” features imported Gruyere and Emmenthaler cheeses, melted into a base of Chablis, chopped garlic, and spices flavored with Kirshwasser. Server Edgar blended the ingredients to our preference and whipped it to perfect smoothness. It’s scrumptious.
Others are based on sharp Wisconsin cheddar, spicy Pepper Jack or Fontina d’Aosta, blended with herbs, spices and beer or wine.
The entrée course is an adventure in itself. You select nine pieces out of 18 choices of absolutely first-rate morsels of beef, chicken, pork or seafood, and each couple chooses one of four cooking styles.
These include the traditional (fry in canola oil); grill on a pan coated with butter-flavored oil or poached in a vegetable bouillon or “Mediterranean sangria.”
The meats are juicy, tenderloin cuts, chicken selections include Jamaican jerk and a “Swiss” layered with cheese and ham. Seafood includes black tiger or coconut shrimp, scallops, salmon, tuna and mahi-mahi.
Vegetables, including mushroom caps (that you can stuff with cheese then batter) round out a selection that can satisfy the dedicated carnivore or the vegan.
If you have room, the chocolate fondue offers another wide selection of sinful cocoa concoctions, from dark chocolate and raspberry (flambéed with 151 rum and flavored with cabernet – wow) to white to creative chocolate blends, which you use to coat fruits, cookies and cakes.
And if you can’t find room for dessert –Simply Fondue offers a rain check. You can return for a chocolate fondue at a future date.
Rain check or not, Simply Fondue is simply fabulous and you’ll be back.
Simply Fondue
24 Great Neck Road
Great Neck, L.I.
In the Gardens Shopping Center
Phone 516-466-4900
Fax 516-466-4906
www.simplyfonduelongisland.com
All major credit cards accepted
Luxe private alcove and banquet room by reservation only
Lunch: noon to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday
Dinner: 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday;
4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Ample parking in shopping center
L.I.R.R. Great Neck Station; N20, 21, 25, 26, 57, 58 bus to Great Neck
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