The Melting Pot, Columbia

Well, OK, it's a chain and it's more expensive than I think it ought to be, but you have to give The Melting Pot a few points in its favor. It's hanging in and generating traffic at the Wilde Lake Village Center (which is its own sad separate story), it's on OpenTable, it's a pretty restaurant once you're inside, and best of all, fondue is fun.

The menu choices at the Melting Pot can get a little overwhelming, with big-ticket feasts, combinations and cooking styles to choose from. We tend to stick with the individual entrees which themselves are combos of meats like Shrimp and Sirloin or the Land and Sea that also has chicken. We really enjoy the unlimited vegetables that come with the entrees, and the accompanying salads are not bad. We enjoy sharing the food and trying the various dipping sauces to customize things to our own taste.

Usually the entree is plenty of food, but sometimes that doesn't stop us from ordering the chocolate fondue for dessert. It's always good, but we always feel stuffed afterward. One time we tried to get through a cheese/entree/chocolate combo and we didn't come close...and doggie bags don't really work so well for fondue. So we stick with the basics and usually have a good time at The Melting Pot, but it's still more of a special event than an everyday place for us.