Melt With You

After our visit at the West Side Market, we stopped by Legacy Village, a shopping complex. Melting Pot is nestled within the Village.

Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant. With their prices, it's not a place we common-folk can partake in very often.

We treated CJ to a birthday luncheon and ordered the "Big Night Out," ($80/couple) their seasonal set that includes a salad, cheese fondue, main course (broth) fondue, and a dessert fondue.

Spinach and mushroom salad

Bug and CJ ordered the spinach and mushroom salad. The salad was made of sliced baby portobello, fresh spinach, sliced red onions, chopped bacon, roma tomatoes with burgundy shallot vinaigrette.

Caprese salad

I had the caprese salad. The fresh mozzarella was milder than I expected. However, the cheese in concert with the flavorful tomato slices, leafy basil, and the drizzled sweet, bold balsamic glaze meshed well.

Relatively cool pot of cheese with roasted garlic, basil and tomato pestos

Despite not being a fan of cheese, mostly due to smell and poopy problems, I was pleased with the Quattro Formaggio. The four cheeses blended with the roasted garlic, basil and tomato pestos were fontina, gruyere, gran queso, and perlini (bead sized fresh mozzarella).

Quattro Formaggio

The melding of cheeses, garlic, and basil was fantastic with the cauliflower, which was fun to stab. I enjoyed the 3 types of bread also. With the crumbly bread, we worked as a team, reeling our booty from the persistent stringy cheese without many casualties. Apples, carrots, and celery were also available to dip into the blend. If I could have licked the pot without scalding my tongue, I would have.

Mojo broth

Printed on the menu is an apt description of the main course Mojo broth: "Caribbean-seasoned bouillon with distinctive flavors of fresh garlic with a citrus flair!"

The dipping ingredients included filet mignon florentine, limoncello balsamic sirloin, shrimp diablo, sun-dried tomato chicken, orange fennel pork tenderloin, porcini and portobello sacchetti (pasta), mushrooms, broccoli, and red potatoes.

Main course with mojo

My favorites were broccoli and sirloin, with the shrimp and filet running a close second. The broccoli burnt my tongue several times, as I left it to simmer in the peppery citrus concoction. The bright citrus flavor of the sirloin was surprisingly delicious. The filet was unearthly tender, and the gigantic shrimp were spicy.

Sauces for the main course

There really wasn't a need for dipping sauces, but I tried them anyway. The mild curry sauce was the best due to its subtle flavor. I least liked the teriyaki sauce because it was too sweet and salty. I could have eaten the sweet and sour sauce on its own because of the bits of citrus, but didn't want it on my food. It didn't dawn on me until now, but the cream cheese, sour cream, and chives dip was probably for the potatoes. Oh well, it wasn't bad with the sirloin. I didn't much care for the gorgonzola sauce, mainly because I don't like gorgonzola. Heh.

Smores and tiramisu

I wanted the tiramisu, CJ wanted the chocolate smores, so our chef made both. The tiramisu was made with milk chocolate, espresso mousse, and ladyfinger crumbled and folded into the chocolate. Chocolate smores blended milk chocolate, marshmallow cream, and crushed graham crackers.

Whew! I still have my eyebrows!

There were several moments I felt uncomfortable as the flames blossomed and flared out, so I moved as far back into my seat as possible.

Candlelight

We stabbed at strawberries, bananas, Rice Krispie treats, graham cracker coated marshmallows, powdered dark chocolate coated marshmallows, brownies, and pound cake. The cheesecake was good, leaning more on the thick side, but not NY style dense.

All kinds of yum

My favorite was the banana-tiramisu combination. The smores was a little too sweet for me. The tiramisu was sweet, but the coffee knocked it back a few notches. The gooey ladyfingers were pretty cool.

Full bellies!

The meal was wonderful in every aspect. The dining experience is dependent on your chef, since the food appears to be consistently well prepared and seasoned. We've only eaten here once before and had a cool and goofy chef then.

As much (or little) food as this may appear, you walk out of the place sated. I've never had an aching, bulging stomach, nor have I been the slightest bit hungry. I haven't heard Bug pining to go to Burger King for a sandwich afterward. Or he may be carrying a sizable chunk of the meal in his belly.

- Cassaendra

Melting Pot
24741 Cedar Rd
Cleveland, OH 44124-3786
(216) 381-2700