Yesterday, my husband and I went to the Melting Pot for his first fondue experience. Now, keep in mind that he does not do dairy and I do not eat meat so this was interesting to say the least but I wanted him to experience what I experience with my girlfriends all the time so, off we went. We were celebrating my birthday which is rapidly approaching this weekend. We thought it would be perfect to go to the one near my daughter's daycare provider so we could eat a quick meal and then be off! Quick meal? Are you crazy? The fondue experience is not for those who want to be in and out or even for kids. We imagined our daughter sticking her hands into the pot or getting injured with the skewers. As we sat in the waiting area for 15 minutes and what felt like an eternity we were thinking, if they would just seat us, then we could get started. Anyway, at precisely 505pm we were seated and I realized we had only one burner so I asked if we could have two - my husband eats chicken and I do not and I generally am not thrilled at the thought of chicken with my veggies but alas, it was futile! We could only have one pot. So we fondue'ed on. Since it was my birthday and I am in the birthday club, I had a coupon for free dessert fondue (a $15 value) if entrees were purchased so I decided to forego the yummy cheese since my hubbie could not partake and try (for the first time) the vegetarian entree. This entree consisted of raw veggies such as potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli and squash (the ones that come with all entrees) and ravioli, asparagus, tofu, artichokes, portabello, and eggplant. I had to get my veggies into the broth first, and then my husband got to cook his meat. Of course, I grew impatient while he ate cause I had already scarfed down my food which was yummy. Their dipping sauces really make the meal.
I think my husband was amazed that he had to cook the food himself. When he thinks of fine dining, he thinks cooked food brought to the table. Needless to say, the evening was fun - we used my new cell phone's stopwatch feature to time the cooking of the meat and veggies in the broth. Of course, our daughter was approaching almost 11 hours in daycare so that made me a little anxious. I think we definitely should save meals like this when family is watching our girl but all in all, from start to finish, we were done in 2 and a half hours which in Europe is a SHORT meal. So, I say we did good.
I have to end this blog on the dessert fondue. We went with Flaming Turtle as our dessert fondue and what a sweet treat! It was a little too sweet - the caramel really sweetens the entire thing. I think my husband enjoyed the rice krispies, fruit, and other assorted items that came with our meal. I felt like I had eaten too much. I do not know how I do the four courses when I go with friends: cheese fondue, salad, a side of veggies in the broth, and the dessert fondue. Seems overkill but I enjoy the fondue experience. I only wish I did not feel rushed these days - seems like after work, all thoughts I have turn to my daughter and how I want to spend time with her. A note for those who are planning a fondue outing- plan on spending at least 3 hours start to finish and do not eat a big or late lunch. Happy Fon-DO to you!
