• A typical fondue pot, skewers and bowls.vaiselle a fondue image by Julia Britvich from Fotolia.com
  
  In the 18th century Swiss Alps, villagers discovered that two staples of their diet--bread and cheese, which sustained them in the winter--would be tastier when the stale cheese was melted and the bread softened by dipping it into the heated sauce. Fondue was born. The comfort food thrived in 1960s America and later regained momentum, with restaurants forming around the theme of sharing a pot of cheesy or chocolately goodness, including some in Pennsylvania's capital city, Harrisburg.
  
  

The Melting Pot

• Choose among six cheese fondue combinations, including spinach artichoke with garlic; Mexican-inspired cheddar with tortilla chips; aged, medium-sharp cheddar and Swiss with a blend of beer and garlic; Fontina, Butterkäse and buttermilk bleu with white wine; traditional Swiss cheeses with white wine; and a seasonal cheese fondue. Average prices for cheese fondue were $12.95 per pot, which serves one to two.
  
  The Melting Pot bills the Chocolate Fontini a "fondue in a glass," with Godiva, Kahlua, Baileys Irish Cream and milk chocolate. For non-alcoholic chocolate fondues, guests may check with their server for a list of desserts. The Melting Pot also offers non-fondue entrees including a vegetarian dish with vegetables, tofu, raviolis and pasta; filet mignon and sirloin steaks; chicken breast; salmon; lobster tail; and salads.
  
  The Melting Pot
  3350 Paxton St.
  Harrisburg, PA 17111
  717-564-6358 (MELT)
  themeltingpot.com
  
  

Sasha's Hideaway

• Decked out in bamboo, tropical foliage and jungle prints, Sasha's Hideaway imparts an island experience at every table. Fondue here is dessert: rich chocolate and Grand Marnier mingle in a warm fondue pot. Try it with seasonal fresh fruit and angel cake. Two may share for $10.95, on average.
  
  Other island-inspired items include the Caribbean salad, with coconut-rum vinaigrette and toasted macadamias sprinkled atop a bed of mixed greens, strawberries, panko-breaded skewered scallops and coconut shrimp; and the baked Chilean sea bass Cuban style, served with Yukon gold mashed potatoes and blanketed with ragout of tomato, garlic, onion, green olive, caper and red pepper.
  
  Sasha's Hideaway
  6791 Linglestown Road (Rte 39)
  Harrisburg PA 17112
  717-651-9493
  finecasualdining.com/index.html
  
  

Hershey's Chocolate World

• Just 20 minutes from Harrisburg is Hershey, Pennsylvania, home to the five-tier chocolate fondue fountain at the Bake Shoppe at Hershey's Chocolate World. The venue offers short-term parking and certain attractions are free, such as Hershey's Kissworks, where visitors can "work" in a chocolate factory packaging Kisses, and the Great American Chocolate Tour, which follows a cacao bean from the tropical rainforest to the Hershey Chocolate Factory where it becomes milk chocolate. Free samples sweeten the deal.
  
  Hershey's Chocolate World
  251 Park Blvd.
  Hershey, PA 17033
  717-534-4900
  hersheys.com/chocolateworld/restaurants.shtml
  
  

The Spa at The Hotel Hershey

• For a more adventurous fondue experience, The Spa at the Hotel Hershey offers a Chocolate Fondue Wrap of warm mud and cocoa essence insulated with a warm blanket. A 60-minute treatment should run you about $120.
  
  Thriftier-minded guests can dip themselves into a frothy Hershey chocolate milk bath for skin softening. Ask for the Whipped Cocoa Bath; 15 minutes costs $45.
  
  The Spa at The Hotel Hershey
  100 Hotel Road
  Hershey, PA 17033
  717-520-5888
  chocolatespa.com/spa_treatments/everything_chocolate.php