The Melting Pot- A True Dining Experience
I recently had the pleasure of dining at The Melting Pot in Larkspur, California. If you have not heard of The Melting pot it is an amazing fondue restaurant with more than 135 locations in 35 different states. The Melting pot was one of the most enjoyable and memorable dining experiences I have had to date. All of the detail from the romantic atmosphere to the delicious flavors and the superb customer service has had me craving more since the moment I left.
It’s not that often that my significant other and I get the chance to go out without the children, so when the opportunity arose, we took full advantage. When arriving at the Melting Pot, you walk into a lightly lit brick walkway with soft music playing. The windows are dark and the small lights create a path you follow to your table. The ambiance is quite stunning and that alone was very impressive. The calming atmosphere was very relaxing and really allowed us to enjoy our surroundings.
When arriving we asked if we were celebrating anything special and we were, our 6 year anniversary. With it being a special occasion we were seated in “lover’s lane” which was a private booth with a very intimate setting.
Our waitress took plenty of time guiding us through the cheese and salad options that were on the menu.
We chose the Spinach Artichoke which was a combination of Fontina and Butterkase Cheese, Spinach, Artichoke hearts and garlic. The cheese fondue comes with an assortment of breads, chips, vegetables and fruit for dipping.
The second course is a Salad of your choice. Alex went with the The Melting Pot House Salad which came with Crisp romaine and iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, crispy croutons and sliced egg with your choice of Peppercorn Ranch Dressing or the sweet and tangy House Dressing.
I went with the California Salad came with Mixed baby salad greens, Roma tomatoes, candied pecans and Gorgonzola cheese with Raspberry Black Walnut Vinaigrette. It was SO good.
We were both surprisingly already getting full before the main course came. This is where it gets serious! Each person chooses their own Entrée and you share a cooking style which is the broth that your Entrée will be cooked in.
Our Waitress brought over the seasoned broth and the fondue forks for us with our Entrees and explained how long to keep each of the different foods in the broth so the food was properly cooked. We went with the COQ AU VIN which was a Burgundy wine infused with fresh herbs, spices and Mushrooms, delicious!
There are plenty of options available for all diets and personal preferences. I do not eat meat so I went with the Good Earth Vegetarian Entrée, which came with Artichoke Ravioli, Asparagus, Tofu and potatoes.
Alex went with The Classic which was a Seasoned choice Angus sirloin, Memphis-style BBQ pork medallion, Pacific white shrimp, herb-crusted all-natural breast of chicken, and teriyaki-marinated sirloin, he said it was one of the best he has ever had!
The forks have different colored handles which is great because several times we forgot who was cooking what, we were obviously carried away by all the options.
After roughly an hour and a half of pacing ourselves through our meal we were ready for dessert, and boy were we in for a surprise! I do not care how full you are, you MUST save room for the chocolate fondue. The menu offered at least 6 different options for Chocolate Fondue; it was so hard to choose! We ended up going with the Yin & Yang because I love White chocolate and Alex loves the dark, so it was a perfect combo for us.
With the chocolate fondue you receive fresh strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, Rice Krispies Treats, marshmallows, pound cake and brownies to dip! Yes, all of this and I’m not going to lie, we finished the entire plate!
As if things couldn’t of gotten any better, our waitress also brought out a Special Plate covered in chocolate writing, “Happy Anniversary” It really topped off our night out in an exceptional way.
They also do similar plates for birthdays and other special events. Our experience at The Melting Pot exceeded any and all expectations we could of possibly had.
Check your local Melting Pot for specials and events. They offer a monthly “Ladies night out” and special events such as Valentine’s day. You do Not want to miss out on this truly magnificent dining experience.
* Thank you for The Melting Pot for hosting our meal, all opinions are 100% mine
