Melting over the Melting Pot

For my birthday the husband and I decided to use a gift card to The Melting Pot.  (It has only been collecting dust for 2 years!) Because of all of my previous food allergies, I had never been to The Melting Pot let alone tried fondue.  Honestly, I was more than a little skeptical about fondue.  I mean I can shove meat on a stick, boil it in pot over the stove, and then dip it in some melted cheese all in my own kitchen.  So why would I pay (ok I wasn’t paying this time) so much money to do this in a restaurant?

Besides, fondue seems like something fancy rich people do or maybe goofy teenagers on TV.  Have you ever seen Glee? There is  a segment that the ditzy, but loveable Brittany does with her cat called “Fondue for Two.”  Basically it is spoof on TV shows that interview celebrities; they always have some disgusting looking fondue and scream the theme song “Fondue for Two” a couple of times.  I couldn’t get this song out of my head until we got to the restaurant. 

However, once we walked in the doors all the joking and preconceived notions melted away along with the name of the restaurant and yes, I experienced "the fondue effect." The manager greeted us and really introduced us to the concept of fondue.  He said that he had been with the company for 10 years and he even said it was an expensive place, but worth the experience.  He answered my above question without me having to ask: fondue isn’t so much about the food itself, but the experience.

And that is what my husband and I enjoyed: an eating experience.  Our waitress was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and helped us pick the items that were right for us.  We decided to splurge and order the four courseoption.  We started with the cheese fondue and chose spinach and artichoke.  We were given bread, apples, broccoli, and cheese to dip in the gooey pot of melted Fontina and Butterkäse cheeses, spinach, artichoke hearts and garlic.  I never thought that apples and cheese would pair well, but the combination of sweet apple and garlicky cheese was an experience itself: intriguing and delicious.

Next came the salad. We ordered the California Salad which consisted of mixed baby salad greens, Roma tomatoes, candied pecans and Gorgonzola cheese with Raspberry Black Walnut Vinaigrette.  I’m not a fan of Gogonzola cheese as it’s what I call a “stinky cheese” and tastes too strong for me; however, the vinaigrette completely made up for the stinky flavor.  It was a deep sweet flavor with a tiny kick of balsamic vinegar that made me curious for me.

 

 

 

Finally, the main course arrived.  The husband tried The French Quarter which had Cajun seasoned shrimp, chicken, Andouille sausage, and pork, while I ordered The Land and Sea which consisted of herb crusted chicken, sirloin, and shrimp.  The waitress recommended that we choose the Seasoned Court Bouillon as the broth to cook the meat.  Because the husband’s choice was so flavorful, we didn’t want something to overpower that flavor. And this was the real experience! The meat is served raw and you really do cook it in boiling broth. It sounds simple enough, but it is FUN!

 
Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, we ordered dessert! We ordered the s'mores - melted chocolate, marshmallows, and bits of graham crackers. I could have eaten it with a spoon, but they gave us strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, and marshmallows that only complimented the delicious sauce. (After we started cooking our meats, I completely forgot about taking pictures, so there are no pictures of our delicious dessert.)

After three hours of eating, I truly understand "the fondue effect!" And I truly appreciate a good eating experience.