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Fondue Makes Fond Memories

Tribune photo by MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER

Cheddar cheese fondue is a popular staple for romantic dining at The Melting Pot in Tampa.

By JOHN W. ALLMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 26, 2008

TAMPA - Is there fate in fondue?

It's a question rattling through my head after a visit back home last weekend.

It was a good visit, and an emotional one. I got to sift through decades of memories stored in boxes that someday will be mine.

My father tagged along for the ride back to Tampa, and suddenly slapped his knee. He had forgotten to give me something - my grandmother's fondue set. I had no idea, as he explained, that my grandmother - I called her "Nuna" - had fairly regular dinner gatherings with my family around the fondue pot.

I asked him why such an odd item would seem important to hand down to me, and he said it was because I had raved about a visit to The Melting Pot.

In a city like Tampa that has so many chi-chi dining destinations, we often overlook the Pot, a longtime national restaurant chain.

Yes, it's expensive, and you're paying up to $90 for a meal that you have to cook yourselves.

But it's also an intimate, romantic and just plain fun place to go.

The Melting Pot has a variety of dining options, each with its own selection of different meats, seafood and sides.

There are choices for the single-minded individual who wants his or her own fondue pot and all-inclusive dinner selections, called Big Night Out, which feature a built-in appetizer, salad, entree and desert. The most expensive of these is Lobster Indulgence, which features twin lobster tails with salmon, pork, shrimp and chicken.

We chose the Big Night Out Fondue Feast for $77, and weren't disappointed.

The cheddar cheese fondue, a hearty mix of medium-sharp cheddar, Emmenthaler Swiss, lager beer, garlic and seasonings, was tasty but lacked kick. Still, the melted concoction clung nicely to the bits of bread, apples and vegetables that accompanied it.

The Southwestern Cobb salad was good with a nice arrangement of romaine and iceberg lettuce and standard salad toppings, but the peppercorn ranch (just enough spice) elevated it to delicious.

The Fondue Feast includes five meats (Filet Mignon, marinated salmon, barbecue pork, Key West shrimp and honey-Dijon chicken) plus four spinach-artichoke ravioli and a bowl of mushrooms, potatoes, broccoli and squash.

It comes with a choice of four cooking styles (i.e., broth and seasonings), including a cholesterol-free canola oil.

We chose the coq au vin (a flavorful broth of herbs, mushrooms, garlic, spices and wine) and listened as our server instructed us on cooking times; reminded us not to leave metal utensils sitting in the boiling broth (Hot!); and explained the five dipping sauces.

Each sauce complements a particular meat: The bourbon apple butter goes best with pork. The gorgonzola cream is perfect for filet. And so on.

It's a good idea to save room because the dessert fondue may just well be the best part of the meal.

I recommend a choice that's not on the menu, but prepared upon request. It's a modified "Snickers," which decadently combines chocolate and peanut butter and gets even better when it's coating a bite-size piece of cheesecake, pound cake, brownie or Oreo marshmallow.

I'm going back home in mid-July, and I plan to retrieve Nuna's cooking set so my wife and I can start our own tradition. But that won't end our Melting Pot adventures. Especially now that I know fondue runs in the family.

DINING REVIEW

The Melting Pot

BOTTOM LINE: A perfect romantic dinner awaits with food and fondue.

WHERE: 13164 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa

HOURS: 5-10:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday, 4-11:30 p.m. Saturday, 4-10:30 p.m. Sunday

CREDIT CARDS: All major

RESERVATIONS: Yes

CHILDREN'S MENU: No

ALCOHOL: Full bar and wine list

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes

PRICE: Entrees range from $16 to $39 for individuals and $53 to $90 per couple.

CALL: (813) 962-6936