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The Melting Pot, a dipper's delight

October 26, 2006 12:50 am

By NANCY DEARING ROSSBACHER and STEPHEN W. SYLVIA

For THE FREE LANCE-STAR

She: Nearly anyone old enough to remember the 1970s, when fondue was king at cocktail parties, has a long-forgotten fondue pot languishing somewhere in a kitchen cabinet. Mine's vintage avocado.

At The Melting Pot, a chain founded in the mid-1970s, fondue never faded. It just went upscale.

He: The Melting Pot at Central Park, owned by Murphy Tan and opened in July, features a welcoming, well-stocked bar and a warren of dining rooms with upholstered booths. All is muted, from sound to decor to lighting. In fact, the lighting is so muted that on a recent visit, three of us had a friendly disagreement about whether the walls were cobalt, sage, or eggplant. No matter; the overall effect is comfortably elegant.

Each gleaming black table has a built-in heating unit upon which stands the sleek metal fondue pot that is the focus of the entire experience.

She: Much of the multi-page menu is given over to a glittering variety of wines. That this restaurant is serious about wine can be rightly inferred from the scores of bottles cradled in the large walk-in display racks at the entrance.

Also serious are the by-the-bottle prices, which top out at a breathtaking $240. Numerous selections are available by the glass, as well, ranging from $7 to $15. I started with a crisp Mezzacorona pinot grigio ($7) but then shifted to a mellow Mark West pinot noir ($8).

He: Mellow is the approach to take at The Melting Pot, since you're apt to be there for a while. Not because the service is slow--it's generally anything but--but rather because the stick-and-dip adventure takes some time.

She: Fondues may be ordered separately or as the house-recommended, two-person Big Night Out, a four-course romp from cheese fondue to salad to entree to dessert.

At the top of the Big Night Out prices is the Lobster Indulgence ($89); we ordered the slightly less expensive Fondue Feast, starring filet mignon ($79).

Within minutes, our server was filling the pot in front of us with the fresh ingredients for a traditional Swiss fondue: Gruyere and Emmental, white wine, a sprinkling of nutmeg and tangy Kirsch. Other choices included an untraditional Mexican fiesta version with jalapeños and salsa, a cheddar fondue and a variation with fontina and bleu cheese.

The traditional Swiss was smooth, rich and hearty, and served with a heaping bowl of fresh bread chunks.

He: Of the half-dozen salad selections (all $6 à la carte), the mushroom salad got my attention. Mushroom fanatics will delight in the Parmesan-laced mountain of mushroom slices atop a bed of greens.

The California salad was a laudable medley of greens, tomato chunks and walnuts, topped with lively gorgonzola and a raspberry vinaigrette. On the sweeter side and also praiseworthy was a strawberry-almond salad with mixed greens and feta cheese.

She: Diners have a choice of several styles of cooking for the entrees, including a citrus-infused Caribbean bouillon; Fondue Bourguignonne, which is canola oil-based and features fondue batters; and a health-conscious Fondue Court Bouillon of low-sodium vegetable broth. We opted for a more traditional Coq au Vin Fondue with garlic, mushrooms and Burgundy wine ($6 additional charge).

Because our Fondue Feast platter included sizable chunks of filet mignon, chicken and pork, with shrimp dancing around the outer rim and two colorful, peppery raviolis perched alongside, the server said a few cautionary words about adequate cooking time and safe food handling.

He: It was then, with three of us playing dueling dips, that the significance of the color-coded fondue forks came to the fore.

She: Stop, thief! That was my filet on the blue fork.

He: The Coq au Vin cooking base not only went well with all the selections on our shared platter, but also with our companion's Seafood Trio ($21), a presentation of shrimp, scallops and rosy salmon.

She: We let the mushroom caps, broccoli and red bliss potato chunks served alongside float in the pot at will and snared them with the "Oops!" spoon supplied to capture fork-escapees.

I lost count of the parade of sauces served as go-withs: hot, sweet, mild, garlicky, cheesy-- there was something for every taste. Of particular note was a cream-cheese and chive concoction that went well with the vegetables, and a sprightly curry that paired well with everything, particularly the salmon.

He: There are eight chocolate-based sauces available for the dessert course, of which we went for the simple, rich, dark chocolate. A cafe latte ($4) nicely accompanied the multitude of tidbits on the dessert platter: pineapple, strawberries, white and chocolate marshmallows, pound cake and brownies. The centerpiece was a wedge of chocolate-drizzled, cherry-topped cheesecake.

Last thoughts: An enjoyable indulgence for those with ample time and discretionary income.

She: This may be the only aspect of the 1970s I'm absolutely delighted to see return.

Nancy Dearing Rossbacher and Stephen W. Sylvia publish a Civil War magazine together. She likes to cook. He likes to eat. To reach Rossbacher and Sylvia, e-mail them at
Email: editor@nstcivilwar.com. Or call 540/374-5448 with comments about today's restaurant review.