Say the word “fondue,” and most Americans are instantly transported back to an age of leisure suits, pet rocks, and disco. But today, as communal dining has become increasingly popular, it’s only natural that fondue has returned to the restaurant (and party) scene.

You certainly don’t have to be British to like the idea of afternoon tea. What’s not to like about an afternoon snack of finger sandwiches, scones with jam or lemon curd and Devonshire cream, small cakes and cookies, and a pot of freshly brewed tea?

“Grateful for each hand we hold
Gathered round this table.
From far and near we travel home,
Blessed that we are able.”

— “Thanksgiving Song” (Mary Chapin Carpenter)

Anyone who has ever prepared or partaken of a Thanksgiving dinner probably has a funny story about the experience – thigh-slapping tales of leaving the plastic bag of innards inside the turkey while it roasted, the family dog stealing the bird from the kitchen counter, the oven catching on fire, a crucial ingredient forgotten, etc. Perhaps you frantically dialed the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line so the dinner could be salvaged, or maybe you avoided the trauma altogether and gratefully decamped to a restaurant to let someone else do the cooking.