A Beast

Accustomed to the crowd at Melt on weekends, the three of us arrived in Lakewood at 10:40 taking no chances even on a Thursday morning. When we walked into the restaurant 2 minutes after the posted opening time of 11:00, 3 tables were already seated.

After some deliberation, Michael chose the Godfather melt ($11.50), garlic bread stuffed with provolone and a 3-cheese lasagne made with layers of fresh fennel-oregano pasta, along with marinara and pesto served on the side by request.

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The lasagne, with its mildly spicy tomato zip, could stand on its own. One would expect the contents to be extruded from all sides after a bite, but the sandwich was constructed well enough that it neatly held its form.

Bug ordered the gyro melt ($11.00), shaved beef and lamb, tzatziki, tomatoes, onions, feta and Muenster cheeses. Since it had a lot of sweet onions, I didn't take a large bite of this sandwich and, instead, pinched off a piece of meat. The seasoned morsel tasted no different from what I've eaten at a gyro place.

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My choice was made on April 2nd when I received an email notification of their specials for the month -- the Corny Beast ($11.00), grilled beef hot dogs sandwiched between American cheese and bread, dipped in cornbread batter, then deep fried. Bug suggested that I double the dose of grilled goodness ($2.00), so I obliged.

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When my plate arrived, we all gasped at the behemoth, the beast! The size of each half of the ridiculously sized sandwich was as large as a cornish game hen. Of course, this went to the smallest person sitting at the table...

I was only able to finish one-fourth of my crisp mega-corndog oozing with cheese, half of the fries that I dipped into the accompanying chipotle ketchup, and my mug of soup. Ah yes, the soup.

Instead of coleslaw, I ordered the soup of the day, a bisque of wild mushroom and black barley. Despite being a touch salty for my taste (even air is salty to me), I immensely enjoyed my creamy soup packed with mushrooms and firm, nary a squishy or bloated grain of black barley. 

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Before the month is up, I hope to try their cheesecake of the month, cappuccino crunch cheesecake, a coffee cheesecake embedded with chocolate and toffee bits, topped with chocolate ganache, crushed toffee, and mocha cream sauce. I have yet to try one of their cheesecakes, always opting for their monthly bread pudding special.

- Cassaendra

Melt
14718 Detroit Ave
Lakewood, OH 44107
Tel: (216) 226-3699