Melting for The Melting Pot

4 Course Fondue with White Wine Wine Flight: 5/5

Serving means an abundance of change. So Michael and I came up with an idea that ensures us some fun. We collect our loose change and set it aside. When what ever is holding the change is full we cash it in and spend that money on something fun.

Since Michael was just signed on to the Chicago History Museum for another project, and I got a job at The Cheesecake Factory, I thought, “What a great excuse to celebrate!” So we decided to take a chance on The Melting Pot for some fabulous fondue.

This was Michael and I’s first time to the melting pot, and I have to be honest, it was a little overwhelming. Walking into a dimly lit basement, taken down a rich buttery colored hall, into the dining room of dark wood, dim lights and steaming pots, was like venturing into a V.I.P club, making me feel like an outsider. Confusion must have been plastered on our faces, but our well rehearsed server, Will, was able to break down the experience for us. There was just so much to take in: cheese course, salad course, meat course, cooking style, dessert, drinks. After a day of work, my head was ready to explode. But neither Michael nor myself were feeling very picky, so we opted for the Alpine Big Night Out, leaving us with only two choices—meat and cooking style. Then we were off.

For those of you who have never fondued before, the experience, lasting about 2.5 - 3 hours, originated in the Alps, and is all about dipping. A variety of courses are available, but the suggested progression of the meal is cheese, salad, entree, dessert. The Melting Pot, though, has perfected the process: color coating skewers, bringing an arrangement of dip-able goodies, and catering to a variety of palates. The great thing about the selection Michael and I made was the fact that their was a wine flight designed to accompany each course, 3 white wines for $10 bucks, each pairing with the flavors of the meal.

Our first course was a Alp and Dell Cheese Fondue, a combination of riesling, garlic, mustard, nutmeg, Gruyere, Raclette, and Fontina cheese, combined table side, and warmed to perfection. To accompany, a variety of breads, apple slices, dill gherkins, cauliflower, and summer sausage, each sliced to bite size pieces. I don’t know about you, but I would hate to be the cook who has to slice and dice everything. The warm cheese offered a bold mustard wine flavor, with a lingering garlic after taste. Paired with the summer sausage the effect was smoky and savory.

To pair with the cheese, a, 2008 Schmitt Söne Spätlese Riesling, one of my all time favorite wines. For those who do not know, a Spätlese riesling is produced by waiting until after the first frost to harvest the grapes, this makes the wine even sweeter than normal riesling. When paired with the cheese, my mouth was over taken with a dichotomy of favor, sweet yet smoky, bitter yet fruity, and smooth yet crunchy.

The second course was salad, a bed of mescaline greens, topped with oven roasted tomatoes, Gruyere, Raclette, and Fontina Cheeses, hard boiled eggs, honey roasted almonds, all topped with a shallot vinaigrette. Although a modest portion, the flavor was huge. I am not a huge tomato fan, but the oven roasted almonds that topped the salad were sweet and juicy, like a roasted red pepper.

The wine that was chosen to pair with the salad was a 12th edition Sokol Blosser, white blend, called Evolution. With the sweetness in the salad from the tomatoes and shallot vinaigrette I was hoping for a wine with a bit more dryness or oakiness, but instead the pair was sweet with sweet, leaving my palate craving more variety.

Then it came time for the entree, and variety is an understatement. A new pot was brought to the table filled with chicken stock and oil. Will came by to turn our stock into Coq Au Vin by adding mushrooms, herbs, garlic, red wine. A plate of raw meats, vegetables, and dipping sauces followed, and just when I thought I was getting the hang of fonduing, everything was taken to a new level. We were given two additional skewers, instructed on how long to cook the meat, and told how to make soft potatoes. Instead of dipping we were soaking, and the sauces, there were six different sauces—2 for beef, 2 for chicken, 1 for shrimp, and 1 for vegetables! Luckily for me, I am not afraid to try anything, so while the first batch of chicken, filet, N.Y strip, shrimp, sausage, ravioli, broccoli, mushrooms, and potatoes, were bathing, I sampled the sauces.

To pair with the entree, the flight offered a 2007 J.L. Wolf, Gewürztraminer, called Villa Wolf. With a subtle dryness, and strong lychee notes, the wine worked well with the veggies, chicken and shrimp, but left me craving a richer, dryer, chardonnay, or fuller bodied pinot noir to accompany the red meat and ravioli. Although, having an overall refreshing quality, the wine worked well by cleansing the palate between bites. Little bite sized flavor explosions ice skated around our tongues before plunging into our stomachs. We were in culinary heaven.

Then, when we thought we were going to bust at the seams, dessert came. White Chocolate Apple Cobbler Fondue, served with Cheesecake, rice crispy treats, strawberries, bananas, and graham cracker and oreo covered marshmallows. Served with a complementary flute of bubbly, courtesy of Will. Rich buttery white chocolate, with bits of apple, and streusel crumble, melted its way around little bits of crunchy rice crispy treats and smooth cheesecake. Before we knew it the bowl was empty, our glasses,empty, and I looked across the table at my expressionless boyfriend, too full to smile.

As we rolled ourselves out of the restaurant we decided that walking home was probably a good idea, after we had suffered up the stairs. The best part of the evening, the 20% industry discount we received, making our entire dining experience, under $85. That’s what I call a perfect pair.