Dip into the Melting Pot

The Melting Pot

418 York Rd.

Phone: 410-821-6358

Price: $30-40

Location: Across the street from Towson Commons

Hours: Mon.-Thur.: 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

Fri.: 5:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.

Sat.: 4:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.

Sun.: 4:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Web site: http://www.meltingpot.com

Entering the Melting Pot without having any ideas of what type of food to expect affects your experience quite a bit. I came to this place knowing that it had something to do with fondue. But I did not know what fondue was either. Curiosity ran high as I entered the restaurant.

The restaurant is rather large considering the amount of time it takes for each waiter to take care of each table. Upon entering, there is a quiet bar area on the left that expands into another room that, like the other side of the restaurant, is filled with cozy, private booths that create a more personal dining experience. There is even a second floor to the restaurant with more booths.

Basically, how the restaurant works is something unique that needs to be explained to patrons who have not dined there before. To start off, the cheese fondue is popular, and there are several different combinations of cheeses to dip into. For the main course, there is a variety of meats and vegetables that are served raw on a platter to your table. You can either cook them in a boiling oil-based fondue or a lower-fat, bullion-based fondue. Finally, for dessert, there are plenty of mouth-watering options, all of which have plenty of chocolate in them. The menu also offers meals for two or more people, which, if you're with several people and are getting the cheese fondue and main course as well, offers a cheaper alternative.

The menu was not that extensive, as every possibility is each of the three areas of appetizers, entrees and desserts seemed to be very similar to other others.

Our table ordered two cheese fondues to start with: the cheddar cheese and the traditional Swiss cheese. The waiter came out with a white wine and beer base for the two fondues, and began to heat up the bowls and mix the cheeses with the base right in front of us. Additional spices were then added step by step, such as mustard and pepper, and gradually the cheese melted into a dipping sauce for the rye, pumpernickel and wheat breads that came out. To my surprise, granny smith apples, celery, carrots and cauliflower was also brought out for dipping. Each amount of bread, vegetables and fruit was just right to finish off the different cheese dips. The cheddar cheese fondue was my personal favorite, as I found the Swiss to be a little too bitter for my liking. Maybe it is only me, but I also preferred not to dip the apples in the cheese. The prices for the dips were somewhat expensive at $9, especially when the cheese fondues are considered appetizers.

The main entrees are similar to the cheese fondues in terms of dipping principle; meat and seafood are now the dipped items instead of the grains and vegetables. Instead of the cheese as the dip, there is now an oil or bullion base in which to cook the food, and then several different types of sauce to dip your cooked food in to add flavor. Surf and Turf seemed to be a popular choice, but the market price when I went was a hefty $66 to feed two.

I had heard much about how great the dessert was here, so I was excited to try the chocolate fondue offered. The process was similar to the making of the cheese and the main fondues for two, with chocolate being the main dip. White, dark and milk chocolate are the three types offered, with many types of variations. Flaming turtle, a mix of milk chocolate and nuts, was very good and not too sweet.

Cookies and cream was dark chocolate mixed with Oreo cookies, but if you are not a dark chocolate fan, then it may be too strong for your taste buds. Both came with a mixture of fruits such as bananas, strawberries and pineapples, along with other extremely sweet offerings such as brownies, marshmallows, cheesecake and pound cake. Both dips were good, but I could only have this dessert in small quantities, as the chocolate was extremely rich. Prices range from $12 for a small to $20 for a large, which increases both the amount of chocolate and the foods available for dipping.

The Melting Pot is a unique experience, with the fondue being a unique way to eat dinner. Be sure to call in ahead of time if you have a large party. For an average college student, it should be a unique, albeit once a year event, for a good dinner for two could cost well up to $80.00. However, it is one dining experience that I could say is well worth the money.