Unless of course they have a game room or play area or a Kid's Eat Free menu. Because kids, man.
But I had two kids at camp this week, and my husband and I were dying to get out and go somewhere yummy and new-to-us for a change. So when The Melting Pot (located in the Highlands) reached out to me about stopping by, I knew I couldn't say no!
I haven't done fondue since, um, probably my early 20s (and my husband was a complete fondue newbie, which made the experience even better!). And for no good reason! Fondue is such a great bonding experience for couples, friends, families- everyone, really! Instead of simply waiting on someone to bring you food ready to eat, waiters bring you food you get to prepare yourself, at the table. The experience takes a bit longer than a typical dining out experience, meaning you get to spend more quality time with your dining mates. We thought The Melting Pot would deliver us an upscale, interactive dining experience that even our 4-year-old would enjoy... And we were right! We had fun from start to finish and left with some great photographs and the satisfaction that comes with a fantastic meal.
At The Melting Pot, you get to prepare your own food table-side. Appetizers, main courses, desserts... You prepare them all at your table while enjoying conversation (and possibly drinks!) with family and friends. You select your cheese to start. And then fruit, vegetables and breads are delivered to your table in perfectly-sized pieces meant to be skewered, dipped and enjoyed with or without the accompanying condiments.
We tired out the Best of Arlington menu, which is a four-course meal with all the yummiest foods. We opted for the popular Wisconsin cheddar because we knew it was a yummy cheese for our youngest to enjoy. She loved the concept of dipping her food bites into cheese before enjoying them. (She also just loved the skewers in general, but I digress) The cheese was mild and delicious and so fun to dip bread and veggies in! Our salads came next, and they were a nice taste of greenery before we dove into the main course.
All the fondue choices sounded excellent for the main course, but we decided on the popular and mild Seasoned Court Bouillon, which gave our meat and seafood the perfect amount of flavor! I am personally not a massive meat eater, so I stuck to my seafood options with the main course. I got to enjoy both lobster and shrimp, two of my favorites, and the flavor here did not disappoint! My youngest loved the pork while my husband enjoyed the steak. The meat and seafood was served with six different dipping sauces that let each of us flavor our food to our fancy. We all loved the Greek Yogurt dipping sauce. Yum!
Perhaps our favorite of all, though, was dessert! I mean, anything dipped in chocolate instantly becomes my most favorite thing to eat. Fruit? Brownies? Cakes? All of these, please! It was hard to pick which chocolate fondue we wanted because they all sounded so good, but we decided, in the end, to go with The Original, which was chocolate with peanut butter. We loved dipping all the sweet treats in the chocolate. I think my favorite was the brownies because one simply cannot have too much chocolate!
I highly recommend The Melting Pot for an extraordinary date night (or family date night- kids will love it here!) experience. The menu will not disappoint, and the food will be a treat for adults and kids alike! Even better, The Melting Pot frequently does great events where you can experience the menu and other perks and fantastic prices. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for upcoming events! The Melting Pot is also a fantastic community partner- the restaurant frequently donates to area 501c3 organizations such as The Junior League. As if you needed more reasons to love this place...
Go. Enjoy fondue. Maybe even treat Dad, since today is Father's Day! What are you waiting for? (Although maybe call and make a reservation first to ensure you get a seat!)
Disclaimer: I was given a free meal in exchange for my review of The Melting Pot in Arlington. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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