By NANCY DEARING ROSSBACHER and STEPHEN W. SYLVIA

For THE FREE LANCE-STAR

She: Nearly anyone old enough to remember the 1970s, when fondue was king at cocktail parties, has a long-forgotten fondue pot languishing somewhere in a kitchen cabinet. Mine's vintage avocado.

At The Melting Pot, a chain founded in the mid-1970s, fondue never faded. It just went upscale.

He: The Melting Pot at Central Park, owned by Murphy Tan and opened in July, features a welcoming, well-stocked bar and a warren of dining rooms with upholstered booths. All is muted, from sound to decor to lighting. In fact, the lighting is so muted that on a recent visit, three of us had a friendly disagreement about whether the walls were cobalt, sage, or eggplant. No matter; the overall effect is comfortably elegant.

Each gleaming black table has a built-in heating unit upon which stands the sleek metal fondue pot that is the focus of the entire experience.

She: Much of the multi-page menu is given over to a glittering variety of wines. That this restaurant is serious about wine can be rightly inferred from the scores of bottles cradled in the large walk-in display racks at the entrance.

Also serious are the by-the-bottle prices, which top out at a breathtaking $240. Numerous selections are available by the glass, as well, ranging from $7 to $15. I started with a crisp Mezzacorona pinot grigio ($7) but then shifted to a mellow Mark West pinot noir ($8).

He: Mellow is the approach to take at The Melting Pot, since you're apt to be there for a while. Not because the service is slow--it's generally anything but--but rather because the stick-and-dip adventure takes some time.

She: Fondues may be ordered separately or as the house-recommended, two-person Big Night Out, a four-course romp from cheese fondue to salad to entree to dessert.

At the top of the Big Night Out prices is the Lobster Indulgence ($89); we ordered the slightly less expensive Fondue Feast, starring filet mignon ($79).