Say Cheese!

Fondue pots — those '60s staples stashed in cupboards nationwide — are once again at the top of foodie must-have lists. Celebs like Alan Cumming, Nicole Kidman, and Selma Blair found Chantal ceramic sets at last month's Independent Spirit Awards, where the traditional cheese-and-bread combo was served, along with creme anglaise and pound cake and fruit for dipping. ''People are coming back to fondue because they remember it being really cool,'' says Rick Rodgers, author of Fondue: Great Food to Dip, Dunk, Savor, and Swirl. ''There's always going to be 24-year-olds who think melting cheese is the ultimate culinary sophistication.'' Indeed, those hipsters crowd chef Terrance Brennan's cheesy-chic NYC eatery Artisanal — home to a cave with more than 200 varieties of fromage — every night. Says Brennan of the fondness for fondue: ''It's a lot of fun, it's communal, and it's great-tasting. Who doesn't love cheese?''