1-30-11 Sunday (Mystery Fork Meats)

We met with our realtor, Donna, at the Adams Home model center.  The 3 of us sat down with Michelle (sales rep) for 3 hours talking about upgrades, changes, pricing and other such important stuff.  We cannot sign a contract until we get a bank approval letter.  There’s the possibility that we could miss out on the lot that we love so much if the bank takes too long.  If we miss out, we will not build this house.  As I may have mentioned previously, the lot/location are the key here.  Oh, and no, the builder will not take a deposit on the lot.

I’ll admit that I do a lot of hokey stuff in the blog when I’m bored.  Next time I’m bored and we have a definite confirmation that we can build, then I’ll start boring/exciting you with photos, blue prints, changes, etc, etc.  Until then, you can read about dinner.

Dinner.  The Melting Pot.  The last night of Charlotte Restaurant Week!  The menu:

Because we had 4 of us (Deanna, Ruby, Jim and I), we were able to get 2 pots.  This was fantastic!  The cheese fondue we had a pot of “Spinach Artichoke” and another of “Fondue a la France”.

   

Salads.  Who cares.  Main course – Ruby, Jim and I got “The French” and Deanna had “The Coastal”.  In one pot we chose the broth cooking method, and the other, the oil.  Jim and I had never had the broth.  I found it to be full of flavors.  Very good.  Ruby was a first timer for the oil method and she enjoyed it.  Deanna was totally new to the Melting Pot and she loved it all.

Above: Broth

Above: Lower right is mine and Ruby’s raw meat platter to share.  Near the top of the plate are dipping sauces and fillings.  Fillings for the mushroom caps picture next to the fondue pot along with broccoli and potatoes (all raw).  At the top of the picture – upper left is Jim’s raw meat plate.  Upper right – Deanna’s raw meat plate.  This was so much food!

Dessert.  Yum.  Extra yum.  We chose “White Chocolate Crème Brulee” and a pot of “The Original”.

    

Both were divine.  The fondues were accompanied by:

Holy goodness.  Delicious.  Here’s some other photos of us:

Above: Deanna shows off her fondue forks.

Above: Garret shows off his fondue forks.

Above: Jim shows off his fondue forks.

Above: Ruby shows off her fondue forks.

Above: Deanna watches Ruby retrieve some food.

Above: Jim.  He’ll hate this photo.

Aside from good food, The Melting Pot is just plain ole fun.  My favorite is the laughing about remembering who’s fork is where (they are color coded for each person) and how everyone forgets what the hell they had in the pot.  I’ll summarize the humor and complexity in what the server tells you about it.  Now, I doubt I have the information precise but that’s the point.  Who the hell can remember:

“This you broth cooking method which is great for blah blah blah and blah blah.  Steak should be cook for this long for medium, that long for well.  Chicken needs at least blah minutes.  Shrimp this many.  This takes this long.  Throw this in the pot, but never put these in the pot without forks.  Here’s 2 batters.  A tempura batter and a sesame batter.  This one is good for this and this.  That one is good for this and this.  Potatoes take this long, mushrooms that long, and broccoli some thing else.  Here’s 6 dipping sauces.  This one is blah blah blah and is good with blah blah…”

etc, etc.  I always laugh.  It amuses me.

We had such a fantastic time.  Out of all the restaurants we ate at during Restaurant Week, The Melting Pot is definitely the most fun.  It is expensive but if you want to try it you can always go just for the chocolate.  OR just a cheese and then a chocolate fondue.  They also run specials.  Sometimes it’s a special for couples.  Check it out.  The larger the group the more fun!