Week 2: Fondue? Huh?

Hey everyone!
 Dana Littlejohn here to continue week 2 with a question for you: Do you fondue?

Had someone asked me that a month ago I would have said: what's fondue? A few times a year restaurants in our city get together and lower the prices of meals. The proceeds from those meals go to specific charities. Usually the restaurants in question are very expensive and my husband and I don't usually get the chance to go, so when these things come up we try to take advantage.

We went to the Melting Pot. It is a fondue based restaurant just outside Indianapolis in Carmel Indiana. I had never had fondue, but I had heard it was like a melted cheese thing. My brain went straight to queso. I like queso I kept an open mind, although I had no idea how you could build a whole menu around melted cheese. Our server Bonnie walked us through the whole experience. She was very patient and extremely knowledgeable with all of my never ending questions.

The appetizer was absolutely fantastic. The server made the cheese fondue at the table. When it was done she brought the bowl of veggies, the chips and apples for us to dip in.

The main meal was delicious! Bonnie took away the cheese fondue and brought back a pot of already heated broth. Our food came raw. I had surf and turf; lobster, sirloin pieces and shrimp. John had carnivore delights; filet Mignon chunks, pork slices, seasoned lamb and chicken pieces. We were to add the sides first, pieces of potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms and asparagus and let them boil for at least ten minutes before adding our entrees.

 I ordered the specialty drink, a Romance martini. Those are strawberry slices floating on top. I had a few of these so I don't really remember what was in it. I just know it was delicious. :)

Our dessert came moments after dinner was complete. In the fondue pot this time was white chocolate and bananas flambé. Bonnie added a few shakes of cinnamon and sparkles jumped off the blue fire. It was amazing. To dip in the melted chocolate we had a variety of delights! Strawberries, rice krispy treats, bananas, brownie and red velvet cake chunks.


What did I think of my new experience?
Well...there were two minor things that poked at me. I thought it was a lot of work and a little expensive for me to be cooking my own meal, and then there was the snafoo with the carrots. As we ordered our meals, I asked our sever not to garnish any of the main dishes with carrots because I am allergic. We wanted to taste each others food and having an epi-pen situation would kill the mood. Alas, my husband's meal still arrived sitting on top of a very pretty julienne carrot garnish. Thus I could not taste anything he had.

Now, having said that, my visit to The Melting Pot was a unique and pleasurable experience. The music, the ambiance and design of this place was wonderful. Perfect for date nights. No wonder they had so many awards for best romantic restaurant on the wall as you entered!

The meal was a crescendo of deliciousness! Each part was better than the next. I absolutely loved everything that was served...well except the asparagus. Having never had it I didn't know if I liked it. Now I know: HATED IT! :) but everything else was absolutely amazing.

I will definitely repeat this experience and if you have a Melting Pot (http://www.themeltingpot.com/) in your city you should check it out too! Hey! I liked it so much I'm thinking of putting it into one of my books! :)

TA!
Dana
http://www.danalittlejohn.net/

week-2 ocean delights? NO!

Hi everyone!

It’s Monday again and time for me to share what new thing I have done. This past week my friends and I took a trip to Savannah. Weather was great and because they are close to the shore finding seafood places to eat are easy for me. I guess I’d be considered a semi-vegetarian. I don’t eat land animals at all, no pork, beef, fowl, lamb, goat, none of it. Visiting my uncle’s farm as a kid traumatized this city boy so bad. I saw stuff I had no busy seeing at the tender age of 8. I never ate meat again! But, that’s another story.

Anyway, my friend took me to this Italian restaurant known for its octopus entrée. Now okay, just because I don’t eat land creatures doesn’t mean I eat everything from ocean. But you know what he said, don’t you? Of course you do. He hit me with the ‘how do you know you don’t like it if you haven’t tried it?’

                                             

So, we’re at the restaurant and the server is telling us all the wonderful things about the rich history about the food. Although octopus isn’t served in a lot restaurants all over the US, it is apparently very famous in Italy. They offered a dish in all 3 courses, soup, chopped on a salad and an entrée with a sauce made of parsley, lemon, olive oil and red hot pepper. My friend ordered the soup and I ordered the one with the special sauce.

                                                       

Now when the server slid the bowl in front of him I almost couldn’t take the picture. My mind immediately went back to that scene from Indiana Jones’s Temple of Doom. You know the one I’m talking about? When the kid and the singer were with Indy at the palace and the food they were offered freaked them out because it was all bugs and animal parts? Yeah. I was freaked just like that….but not as much as when my plate came.

                                              



See what I mean! I couldn’t even take the picture you’re looking at. My friend did! How do you eat something that looks like this??? I couldn’t even look at it without wanting to hurl!

Well, since I had too, I put on my big boy pants, closed my eyes and cut a piece off. It was rubbery...and chewy and my stomach was pissed that I swallowed it. It’s only saving grace was the sauce and there wasn't enough of it to trick me into thinking I was eating something else.

It wasn’t the best tasting meal I ever had, let me tell you, but it didn’t kill me. My friend and I did end up switching meals because I just couldn’t do it. The octopus soup, wasn’t too bad. If you can get pass the big glob of tentacles in the center of the bowl to eat the soup you would find lit tolerable. It kind of reminded me of a spicy Manhattan chowder.

What did I think of my experience?

Well…you know, I paused here for a long time looking for some politically correct way to explain it, but I can’t. The bottom line is I was freaked out so much that I can’t tell you what my dish even tasted like. As for the soup I mostly closed my eyes and slid my soup down the sides of the bowl as I ate!

Trying to eat octopus gave me the willies. There is no way I’m eating that again. There’s lots of other stuff for me to eat.

Man, I hope the next 50 weeks are better for me because this journey ain’t starting off the good foot for me. LOL Maybe I'll try bungee jumping next!

Until next week!

Carson

http://www.guyslikeromancetoo.blogspot.com/