{image1}Remember your mom's Sterno-powered, avocado-green fondue pot with the lumpy cheese mixture bubbling inside? Well forget that image and instead envision fondue at its finest -- inside a chain restaurant called the Melting Pot that has finally made its way to Milwaukee.
Now open in almost 70 locations throughout the country, Milwaukee's first Melting Pot will open this March in Brookfield --19850 N. Bluemound Rd. -- in the old Tony Roma's space.
"We were looking for a unique business opportunity," says Ruby Soik, who co-owns the franchise with her husband Matthew. "And we found it: Something that's both new and different."
The Melting Pot is an upscale eatery offering a variety of cheese, chocolate and hot oil/broth-based fondues. Many Melting Pot diners choose a four-course dining experience, complete with an appetizer (cheese) fondue, one of the Melting Pot's signature salads, an entrée fondue (shrimp, sirloin, chicken, beef, lamb, shrimp, etc.) and a dessert (chocolate) fondue.
Servers prepare the fondues in front of the diners who then cook the food themselves before dipping the delicacy into one of the many available sauces.
The tables are wired with single, double, triple or quadruple electric burners to accommodate parties of all sizes. According to Soik, electric burners are the key to evenly heated, smooth fondue.
The skewers have also been perfected so fonduers are less likely to lose their piece of food in the roux. (But remember, if one does loose their chunk of bread in the piping pot of cheese, fondue lore requires the "dipper" to kiss one of the people at his or her table!)
The first Melting Pot opened in Maitland, Florida in 1975, but fondue -- derived from the French verb "to melt" -- originated many moons earlier in Switzerland where it was a practical way to make good use of hardened cheese.
Soik spent several years with her family living in Argentina, Italy and Brazil and has traveled extensively as an adult.
"I love a variety of foods and unusual preparations, which initially drew me to the Melting Pot," she says.
Soik sees the Melting Pot as an ideal destination for just about any group, from corporate parties to couples. Her restaurant features private rooms for business meetings as well as intimate tables for two.
"There's really a romantic side to it," says Soik, who has heard that dozens of proposals have taken place in other Melting Pots and hopes her spot will inspire a few "I do's."
"I am looking forward to helping my customers celebrate their special events-whether it's creating the perfect romantic evening, or providing a place for friends to unwind over a relaxing meal," she says.
Although the Melting Pot is a chain, no two franchises are alike and both the décor and menus vary. The Soiks are still finalizing their menu, but know they will feature more than 125 wines and a glass, walk-in wine room that will hold over 1,000 bottles of wines and will be visible to diners.
The owners originally thought they would open their franchise in Milwaukee's downtown, but changed their minds due to the Marquette Interchange project and fears that it will decrease travel to the area.
"We also like that our location is very visible and has easy access," says Soik, who holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Masters of Business Administration degree from Marquette University.
"Fondue is 'interactive eating' which makes for a really neat experience. It's a great place for business or to celebrate."
Whether you fondue at one of the restaurants or in the comfort of your own home, here are a few Melting Pot tips:
Use electric hot pots instead those with open flames. Open flames make controlling the temperature difficult. |
Exercise caution. Remember to be careful around open pots full of hot bubbling oil, broth or chocolate! |
Use color-coordinated handles. The colors help guests know which morsel in the pot belongs to them. |
Find fondue forks with barbs on the end. It helps to keep the food from falling off the fork and into the pot. |
Use thick metal fondue forks. They are less likely to bend when cleaned. |
Use fondue forks with sufficient gaps between the prongs. It makes cleaning the utensils easier. |
Don't use fondue forks with wooden handles. The handles tend to fall off in the dishwasher. |
Don't wait to purchase a fondue pot before you cook fondue. Try using a double boiler (it actually cooks more evenly than many fondue pots). |
For more information, go to www.meltingpot.com
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
