Candice Bergen Says 14-Year-Old Fondue Mishap Set Swiss Restaurant Ablaze

Q: How does a Swiss restaurant remember the night Candice Bergen's fondue dinner almost burned it down?

The Olden in Gstaad appears to remember it as a local legend that outlived the night itself. Bergen said that when she was 14 and attending school in Gstaad, she slipped out to dine at the Olden, a long-established upscale restaurant in the resort town. During a meat fondue dinner, she poured her wine into the hot oil, triggering a burst of flame that shot to the ceiling and forced diners to evacuate into the snow. The restaurant later reopened after repairs, but the episode stayed in local memory. The clearest evidence is what happened when Bergen returned years later with her husband, Marshall Rose. She said a ski instructor recognized her and asked, “Aren’t you the woman who burned down the Olden?” Bergen replied yes, adding that her name had “lived on.” That suggests the story became part of Gstaad folklore, with the restaurant and town informally preserving it through word of mouth rather than any official memorial. The Olden itself is no ordinary venue: founded in 1895, it is one of Gstaad’s best-known institutions and has long been a gathering place for affluent international visitors. In that setting, a dramatic fondue fire involving a future Hollywood star was the kind of incident likely to be retold for decades.

Q: Why did Candice Bergen call her date with Henry Kissinger better than her date with Donald Trump?

Candice Bergen said Henry Kissinger was the better date because she found him far more engaging and polished. She described him as “lovely company,” “smart, beyond smart,” and someone with “great manners.” By contrast, her date with Donald Trump was, in her telling, brief and unimpressive. Bergen said it was a “very short date” and that she was “home by 9.” She also recalled him arriving in a maroon limousine wearing a matching suit, vest and patent leather boots, details that underscored how differently she remembered that evening. So her answer came down to personal impression: Kissinger struck her as intelligent, courteous and enjoyable to be with, while the Trump date did not leave the same favorable mark.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 10

Candice Bergen said on Ted Danson’s podcast that she accidentally set the Olden restaurant in Gstaad on fire when she was 14, forcing diners to evacuate into the snow.
Bergen said the blaze started after she poured a glass of wine into hot fat during a meat fondue meal with older girls, sending flames up to the ceiling.
The “Murphy Brown” star said she had sneaked out because she was too young to be out at night, though 14-year-olds could drink wine in Switzerland.
Years later, Bergen said she returned to the area and was still recognized as “the woman who burned down the Olden,” a story she revisited in the same podcast episode.