Fondue is fun to do!

On this particular night the answer to "What to do?" was a fun and gooey trip to The Melting Pot.
Located in downtown Minneapolis next to the Foshay tower, The Melting Pot is a fun destination in the heart of the city. This was our first time at The Melting Pot and at any fondue based restaurant for that matter.

Not really knowing what to expect we sat down and gave a look at the menu. Our waitress was very helpful in explaining how things worked and what was included in each of the meal options.
The menu was loaded with choices and one could easily experience entirely different flavors upon each visit. We decided to start with some cheese fondue to begin the meal and chose a Mexican style mixture.

The tables are equipped with a built in stove top. This is pretty cool but makes for holding hand over the table a bit tough.

Our waitress mixed the flavorful concoction in our pot in the table and once it was ready we had a variety of things to dip in the cheesy fondue. We had our choice of apples and crackers as well as tortilla chips and bread for dipping. The apples were and interesting choice but my favorite was the bread. Soft warm bread covered in gooey goodness made for a tasty appetizer.

The main course was a bit of a surprise for me. You begin by selecting from a number of broths that you will be cooking your food in. That’s right, YOU do the cooking. After you pick the broth you get a plate full of raw meats of your choosing. I picked something of a variety platter that included chicken, shrimp, steak and sausage. Our waitress mixed in some vegetables and gave us some recommended cooking times and we started to cook.

The food was good and the cooking experience was unique. The poking, dipping and going after floating vegetables is far from the ordianry. It is a fun time filled with cooking and picking what to eat next and the time your food is cooking is great for conversation.

At last came dessert. We were so excited. My wife and I are not big fans of regular chocolate. However...we absolutely love white chocolate. They only have one white chocolate dessert but it looked so good! The White Chocolate Apple Cobbler is basically white chocolate melted with sweet apples and streusel toppings. The dessert is accompanied by a tray full of delicious sugary snacks and fruits for dipping. The items for dipping are refillable, which we took advantage of.

The dinner was over and we were stuffed. There was so much variety and food. My favorite was the dessert. My wife and I could not get enough and dipped till the pot was clean.

Overall we had a good time. The wait staff was excellent. They attended to our needs, answered our questions, kept my water glass full and most importantly left us alone to enjoy our evening when they did not need to be at the table. The evening was pretty expensive between parking and the meal but well worth it. If we go back I think it would be just for cheese and dessert. Not to knock the main course but for the price I would rather enjoy the melty fondue goodness of cheese and chocolate.

Another thing to note is that it is very oriented to large groups and can be very fun with all the dipping and pots to choose from. An evening for two is just fine but a group outing allows for more possibilities and interaction.

Things To know Before You Go
Parking - There are endless options for parking downtown. Most will run you about $5. There is a lot across the street
Prices - For a whole meal for two and drinks expect to pay over $100
Reservations - Highly Recommended even during the week