Uptown Fondue & Wine Bar gives Northwest Ohioans the unique opportunity to have a hand in creating their own dining experience. Nestled in the heart of downtown Maumee, Uptown Fondue offers a meal that is focused not only on the food, but also on the experience of enjoying the moment and the people around you.
An inviting atmosphere
Uptown’s interior is sleek and modern, with an industrial aesthetic and a very open floor plan. Each table has a burner in the tabletop to heat pots for preparing fondue. A towering wall of wine overlooks a large bar, with a separate menu of smaller bites available a la carte for those not looking for the whole fondue experience. There is also a patio outfitted with televisions and fireplaces serving the full wine list and a cocktail menu along with the smaller bites.
The staff is friendly, attentive and helpful, providing an explanatory tutorial on each of the fondue courses. The entree courses can get a little hectic from different ingredients with varied cooking times, but the staff offers advice on cooking times for the meats, seafood and veggies.
Founder and owner Shawn McClellan, who also owns Levi & Lilac’s Whiskey Room, explains that fondue provides a dining experience far beyond the food itself. “Most people don’t know that there is so much more to fondue than just cheese,” McClellan said. “We offer a four course dining experience where you are encouraged to slow down and enjoy the people you are with.”
Four courses for you
The full four course dining experience begins with cheese fondue, followed by a salad course, an entree course of various meats either grilled or braised at the table, followed by a dessert fondue. All of the courses range in price from $24 to $36.
For our cheese course, our party of four ordered a Classic and an Italian cheese fondue. The Classic is the picture of creamy cheese fondue. Served with bread, fruit and vegetables for dipping, the Classic was an introduction to cheese fondue for two of our party who had not previously experienced the simple elegance of bread dipped in melted cheese. The Italian provided a fresh, rich, much more savory flavor that created a nice contrast.
For the salad course, we shared a Caesar and a Florida salad. The Caesar met expectations with bits of Romaine bathed in garlic and parmesan. The Florida was a refreshing summer salad, featuring strawberries, goat cheese and candied praline pecans.
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For entrees, each diner selects their own meal. Individually portioned, the entrees feature various combinations of high quality meats, seafood and vegetables. All of the ingredients are brought to the table uncooked and diners are offered either a tabletop grill, a pot of coq au vin (a hot pot of vegetable broth, red wine, green onion and garlic) or both. After instructions from the staff, the ingredients are prepared by each individual.
The long-anticipated dessert course did not disappoint. Our party decided on a classic dark chocolate fondue and a turtle fondue (dark chocolate, caramel, pecans and flambéed cognac). Both are served with a variety of items for dipping, including brownies, rice krispie treats, marshmallows, bananas and strawberries. The dessert fondues provided an incredible end to an enjoyable and leisurely meal.
A drink and a date
The wine list is made up of a selection of reds, whites and ports available by the glass, along with a more expansive selection of reds, whites, rosés and champagnes available by the bottle. There is also a cocktail list containing the classics such as an Old Fashioned or a martini, along with a full complement of spirits.
Uptown Fondue is a new edition to the Maumee restaurant scene. While the bill could be beyond the norm for a casual night out, Uptown is the perfect place for a date night, an anniversary, graduation or birthday, or to simply celebrate being together.
Sun – Mon: Closed
Tue – Thu: 4 pm – 9 pm
Fri – Sat: 4 pm – 10 pm
422 Conant St., Maumee
567-402-0160
