Stirring Things Up At The Melting Pot in Westwood

Melting Pot Fellow foodie Sophie and I were invited to try the special menu at The Melting Pot, 250 Center Avenue in Westwood. Ample parking is provided by the Westwood Parking Authority. We were able to pull up right in front of the restaurant. Another delightful experience was the fondue style of preparing and cooking your own meal. I must admit, it took longer than expected and I had to rush to attend the Paramus Bandshell Concert. The new experience of fondue cooking was well worth the delay in arriving back in Paramus.

Owned by Will & Carol Layfield, this is one of three Melting Pot restaurants that this couple successfully operate as franchise owners. Civic minded, they have made their venue available for fundraising for such organizations as The American Cancer Society, Care Plus Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and the Ronald McDonald House, just to name a few. This astute couple also has party menus and special menus for the younger generation.

Some of the specialty items offered were a Yin & Yang Cocktail, a superbly crafted combination of white and dark chocolate that Sophie ordered and was delighted with the presentation and the taste. Next, Cara, our server prepared a Feng Shui Cheese Fondue explaining all the ingredients as she added them one by one and then explained how to dip the various ingredients that she placed before us for dipping with our long handle two prong forks. We then tasted the salads and after that the main course. Having confidence in Sophie’s tastes, I let her select the dishes. I was not wrong! Then again, it would have been difficult to pick anything wrong, the food was so delicious.

We carefully cooked our meats, chicken and fish, especially the shrimp and salmon. We were alerted to the fact that the potatoes, although quartered, took a long time and a suggestion was made to cut them again and insert them in the pot to cook while we were feasting on the delicacies set before us to fondue. This advice was not wrong, the potatoes do take a long time, unlike the other vegetables and viands.

It is our opinion that no meal is complete without dessert. A fondue pot with delicious Yin & Yang chocolate was set before us along with cheese cake, strawberries, marshmallows, pound cake and crispy rice squares. We sampled them all!

A terrific eating experience at The Melting Pot, make sure that you allow enough time to savor the food and preparations.