The hottest pot in town

Is there a cozier meal on a cold night than a pot of warm melted cheese? Thierry Charles of the Wine Cellar, a new fondue restaurant in the Back Bay, doesn't think so. Nor do the fork-wielding, bread-spearing customers who fill the small dining room accented with brick and wrought iron. A quick glance around reveals cheese as the house favorite, despite the menu proffering a host of oil-based fondues and mouth-watering accompaniments, such as sliced, marinated sirloin with bearnaise, French, and gorgonzola sauces. There are nine creative cheese choices available, including spicy tomato fondue, but the traditional garlic-rubbed pot of Swiss fondue should not be missed. The rich, creamy, bubbling blend of Emmental and gruyere cheeses, white wine, a touch of kirsch, and Charles's special secret ingredient is a decadent concoction (and an expensive splurge -- $36 for two), perfect for dipping and smothering cubes of French bread and fried potato wedges. Spear carefully. Swiss tradition requires women who drop their bread in the pot to kiss the men at the table, and men who do so to buy a bottle of wine for each guest.

THE IMPROPER BOSTONIAN

Specializing in fondue and wine, the Wine Cellar is one of the most romantic new spots in town, and the atmosphere makes sharing such an intimate dish even more sensual. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Mass. Ave., the cozy, subterranean restaurant feels like a European bistro--it's small, casual and dimly lit, and diners are encouraged to linger over their meals.

Despite having a wider selection of fondues than Imelda Marcos had shoes, the raison d' etre of the Wine Cellar is, in fact, the wine. Its encyclopedic wine list includes an index of vintages, and an incredible 630 varieties are available, at prices ranging from $25 to $500 a bottle. Scores are served by the glass. So why the fondue! Owner Alex Goz­man, a Russian immigrant and an avid wine collector, puts it simply: "The best food to accompany wine is cheese."

The Wine Cellar's 20-plus fondue options come in three categories: oil-based, cheese and chocolate. Exuber­ant general manager Thierry Charles says his favorite is the Back Bay (a decadent $54 cheese fondue, with crab meat, lobster and shallots). We opted to start with the Traditional Gorgonzola fondue ($42), which is plenty for two. Into the savory sauce-a blend of gorgonzola, Gruyere, Emmental and Appenzeller cheeses, flavored with pancetta, kirsch, white wine and roasted garlic-you dunk chunks of bread, potato pieces, and asparagus spears wrapped in prosciutto.

Although the cheese is fun, it's even more fun to cook your own sausage, chicken and beef in a vat of boiling oil called the Chef's Fondue ($23). This one is served with three sauces-Champagne vinaigrette, barbecue and a béarnaise-that you can mix and match. Timing your skewers on the six forks makes for an interactive dinner, and a conversation sparker.

Conversation is part of what makes fondue so popular, Charles tells us. "When you order a meal with friends, as soon as your dinner comes you eat it in order to keep it hot. And the conversation ends. With fondue, it's differ­ent. It comes to the table hot, it stays hot, and you're all sharing the same dish."

The Cellar's also a great place for dessert and a night­cap (beer and wine only) or coffee. The dessert fondue we tried, the velvety Chocolate Grand Marnier, comes with berries, grapes, pineapple, cantaloupe and vanilla Belgian pirouette wafers. Other options include dark chocolate, chocolate with nuts, and peppermint patty, and all are $8 or $9.