LOL, what exactly do you tell them xD.
Its a shame that they don't offer alternatives. I don't think my German is up to par to be able to ask for alternatives xD.
Entschuldigung, ich kann kein Brot essen. Darf ich Gschwelti statt Brot haben, bitte?
Excuse me, I cannot eat bread. May I have boiled potatoes instead of bread, please?
(You might want to run that past a native speaker, though)
Ah, thanks I'll keep that in mind. *Waits for the Thanks Button to show up*
Chicken/fish nuggets are also nice to dip.
Also, I generally chop up fresh chiles, garlic, and onions to dip my cheese-coated bread in before eating, and of course a small cup of Kirsch to dip the bread in before immersing it in the fondue.
Tom
Does your wife enjoy licking it clean then? Now there's a thought... how about... oh never mind.
Yeah, this and the small potatoes idea isn't bad. But from what I understand, the reason the Swiss stick with white bread is exactly because it's tasteless, they want to taste the cheese as much as possible. Anything with too much auxiliary taste can dilute the taste of the cheese. If you've shelled out on high quality cheese from the local Fromager, it's better to stick with plain bread to get all the flavor.
Simply ask for a Gemuseteller, a vegetable platter, to be brought with the fondue (rather than as an appetizer). Then sit back and watch the perplexed reaction as you dip your veggies in the cheese pot.
Years ago we used to go to a Fonduestube in Männedorf that served a number of non-traditional fondues. I was particularly fond of their Calvados fondue with apples for dipping - sheer cheesy heaven.
(Sadly, the restaurant has changed hands and the Fonduestube is no more...)
Although admittedly there are no bounds to the imagination as to what can actually be served in / on / around a fondue, just for the OP's info: originally fondue was most definately a very poor and basic meal: whatever type of cheese was around melted and then served with chunks of stale bread dipped into said cheese to make it edible.
It only really became popular in the 1950s thanks to intensive marketing of the Swiss Cheese Union (o.k., I'm taking off my Wolli-hat now )
As I use a mix of extra aged Gruyere, Vacherin, and Appenzeller, NO bread (nor even the chiles) can overpower the taste of the cheese!
Tom
Depends on where you go. Les Armures in the old town of Geneva offers fondue with mushrooms, fondue with tomatoes, etc.
Me too. I am, by default, not into hot cheese and hot wine because of the smell, but nicky's idea sounds awesome. You could make longer kebabs with bread, frozen ketchup cube, onion, gerkin, bread. Then dip in hot cheese. I will try this and report back.
Yes, but that's IN the fondue itself, and not for dipping in it, no?
That said, it is very nice with porcini in it (first had it that way 20+ years ago in Annecy)
Tom
You've just triggered a fish finger / fondue related fantasy.
Does she? Does she? Oooooooh. Suit you sir.
Some restaurants do now offer potatoes as an alternative to bread but as DB says just ask and you will probably receive!
You are taking it to a whole new level now!
By the way my husbands to thank for this invention, he is a lover of cheese burgers although his is sans gherkin
I truly believe that the bread serves as a tool only in order to scoop up as much cheese as possible
And garlic (generally, I use a whole head).
Tom
Grumpygrapefruit that is the best suggestion for fondue i have ever seen. When are you organising a fondue ?
We ordered fondue in Gruyere and were surprised when the wicker basket had boiled potatoes instead of bread. We thought they made a mistake but were happy not to have the bread.
The best fondue I've had in a restaurant was in Brugge, Belgium. The cheese fondue was served with a plate of cured meats, a salad and fritte (of course). We loved 'cheesy fries' and wrapping a bit of prosciutto or salami around the bread then dipping it all into the cheese. The salad was safe from being drowned in cheese. The first time we had fondue in Switzerland we were disappointed in comparison because all we had was cheese and bread.
Next winter we really will try to organise a Rappi Bier Scottish Fondue evening.