One of my favorite things about living on Cape Cod when the crowds are away is that it means a chance to play tourist myself. I love taking mini-trips to other towns. A drive up Route 6A can make me feel like I’ve been out in the wider world. And right now, in case you haven’t ventured that far yet this spring, it’s a world where daffodils are standing tall and tinged with chartreuse buds.
I have many favorites in between my starting point in North Truro and the bridge, but the one I am bound for most often is the Dunbar House Tea Room in Sandwich. The 1740 house was restored in the early 2000s, according to the restaurant’s history. And its new owners picked up a tradition that Col. Henry Dunbar — or really, his wife, they say — started in the 1920s, when he bought the house to be closer to his job of supervising the deepening of the Cape Cod Canal.
My mum and I have been making the trip to Sandwich for tea since I was a teenager. These days, I pick her up at my childhood home in Hyannis.
“I like the ride,” she says, as we poke along 6A. We go both for celebrations and when there’s strife — we have pictures of ourselves sitting in front of the fire there both crying and laughing. Everything is made better by a cup of tea and some sweets. Usually I opt for “the Windsor,” which includes finger sandwiches, fresh fruit, pastries, scones, and a pot of tea. My ritual is to take a bite of scone topped with both the raspberry jam and Devon cream accompaniments, then wash it down with rooibos.
On my last trip to Dunbar, this time with Kyle and his family, we broke tradition and tried something different. How could we not? There was fondue on the menu. I know it sounds like an odd choice in a tearoom, but there’s a parallel between these two rituals, if you think about it. Both involve an array of opportunities and little unnecessary touches that are fun and communal and end up feeling very necessary.
The cheese in Dunbar’s version was Gruyère, and it was served with beef tenderloin cubes, cornichons, little tomatoes, and baguette. I had always thought of fondue as sustenance between many a glass of wine. But warm bite-size sandwiches at brunch with tea was surprisingly satisfying. Especially after Kyle’s mom, Suzanne, noticed we were dunking too shyly. She instructed us to jab our spears all the way to the bottom of the pot, twirl three times, then emerge victorious with properly cheese-laden bites.
When we got home, I ordered a fondue pot. A Cuisinart cast-iron version goes for $50, and the next weekend we put it to work after a trip to the Hyannis community center for ice skating — the closest we could get to a ski vacation. Here, too, Suzanne’s advice helped: she reminded us to add a splash of cognac to the pot.
We didn’t have Kirschwasser, an eau de vie the Swiss add a snort of, but I can attest that white wine, which we tend to have on hand, works fine. Use whole cow’s-milk cheeses — Swiss Emmental and Gruyère are traditional, but we rounded out a piece of good Gruyère with a cheddar made in Vermont.
Most recipes for fondue say to toss the cheese with a spoonful of cornstarch as a thickener, but the old-school versions don’t use it, and if you melt the cheese slowly and stir it well, you’ll be fine without it. Cubes of good crusty bread are all you really need for dipping into the melted cheese, but you can use whatever you like for accompaniments. We set out a platter with slices of a smoky leftover pork chop, wedges of bosc pear and apple, crisp mini-arancini, cherry tomatoes, cubes of garlic bread, and cornichons for the tart, vinegary counterpoint they offer.
After lunch, no one really wanted to leave. There’s something about sitting around that tiny fire and shared spread that makes you feel as close and cozy on a windy spring day right here on our sandbar as you would at an après-ski affair in the Alps.
CAPE COD APRÈS-SKATE FONDUE
Serves 4-6 for lunch
2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup dry white wine
Splash of cognac (about 2 Tbsp.)
A platter of accompaniments for dipping: a crusty baguette and cornichons are the basics. You might add wedges of pears and apples, cherry tomatoes, slices of grilled meat, tiny boiled potatoes, or mini-arancini.Get your fondue pot set up and warming. Place cheeses in the pot with the wine and cognac, stirring as the cheese melts to combine well. As you graze, you can add more cheese, wine, and cognac to the pot, stirring to keep things smooth — that’s part of the fun.
