Stephanie L. Sandler
The Melting Pot, a
fondue restaurant in the Poughkeepsie Galleria, is a fun and unique dining
experience. Where else can you begin the meal with a pot of cheese, end it with
a pot of chocolate, and in between cook raw meats and veggies right at your
table? Equally important, the restaurant not only accommodates food allergies,
but has a full, leather-bound gluten-free menu, which includes actual breads
and baked goods for desert.
Deciding to test it as
a kid-friendly endeavor, we dressed up the girls and went to The Melting Pot
for a Sunday afternoon dinner. The atmosphere was dark and trendy, but fun for
the family. We were seated with kids menus and crayons, and chose a cheese
fondue appetizer course, an entrée sampler, and a chocolate fondue dessert.
Appetizer:
A fondue pot began to heat in the middle of our table on an inset burner, surrounded
by little bowls of cut-up apples, celery and carrots, and chunks of bread for
dipping into the cheese that soon followed. Our waitress refilled the veggies
and bread, which helped as it took a while for our entrée to arrive.
Entrée:
The entrée of raw pieces of shrimp, chicken, and steak arrived next, along with
a pot of hot broth for cooking, a bowl of uncooked potatoes, broccoli, and
mushrooms, and an assortment of dipping sauces. Each of us had our own set of
color-coordinated fondue forks, which tickled the girls. We quickly learned how
to overlap our forks in the pot so that the meats would cook evenly. Although
it took quite a bit of time to cook all the food, we had fun doing it.
Dessert:
To end the meal, it was the fondue we all were waiting for… milk chocolate! It
arrived with a medley of strawberries, pineapple, marshmallows, brownies, and
pieces of muffin (in lieu of non-gluten-free pound cake). The look on a child’s
face when presented with a pot of chocolate is priceless. It’s worth going
there just for dessert.
It did not go unnoticed
that although we are gluten-free, we were able to eat bread and brownies like
everyone else. That’s a rarity in restaurants, so kudos to The Melting Pot for
going above and beyond. Some caveats for families with young children: In all,
the meal took two hours. Dipping and cooking your own food cannot be rushed. If
you have a baby or toddler, best to get a babysitter. Similarly, we were given
raw meats and bubbling hot liquids right at our table; both could be dangerous
for young kids. Finally, the meal for a family of four was $100 — pricey for a
regular dinner out, but definitely worth it for a special occasion.
Stephanie L. Sandler is a mom of two and a Hudson Valley Parent blogger
The Melting Pot
2001 South Rd.
Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall
845-632-6171/
845-632-6171
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