It's Really Only a Purple World

The Melting Pot of Westwood, New Jersey - An Amazing Dining Experience; Review and Giveaway!

Did you ever go to a restaurant and have a meal that was more then a meal?  Did you ever have a true dining experience?  That is what you will find at the Melting Pot in Westwood, New Jersey.

The setting itself is perfect.  Classy, subdued, elegant, and comfortable.  You notice the details as you walk in the front door.  You know that this is not the place to eat on the run.  Instead you know that this is the place to slowly take it all in.

It really is a great place for fondue and so much more. I recently had the opportunity to try their new Fall French Menu.  Ooo-La-La!

Our fantastic waiter, Abilio, helped us to get started.  He explained the new menu and how to choose from what was offered.

I started my meal with a Creme Brulee Martini, which consisted of Stoli Vanilla Vodka, cointreau, Monin Creme Caramel and ice cream.  It really set the tone for the meal to come.

My mom, Judy ( everyone wave Hi!) decided on the Wine Sampler.  She really loved the whole idea of this set of drinks.  It consisted of three different wines, each placed on a placard that described the attributes and blends!  A a wine lover, Mom appreciated the cue card:)

Our first course was  "Fondue a la France" a rich, smooth combination of baby Brie, Fontina, Gruyere and Raclette cheese served with Nueske's bacon, onions, white-truffle cream and fresh chives.  It is served with apples, celery and carrots, and bread for dipping.

Wow!  It was smooth, flavorful and had just the right amount of "bite".  It was a great way to ease into the art of eating fondue and it was fun to see how the different dipping items tasted when dunked in the cheese.

Next course was the "Salad Nicose", which combines haricot verts, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and Nicose olives with a tangy shallot Vinaigrette. 

Beyond the beauty of the presentation, it was fresh, flavorful and provided a real glimpse into some of the flavors and taste of France!

We also had the chance to sample the Ceasar salad as well, which The Melting Pot is known for.

This is served with coated pine nuts which gave an already amazing salad and extra-ordinary kick!

Are you getting that this is not your ordinary "eat and run" dinner yet?

Our main course was the Fondue Fusion.  It includes Cold Water Lobster, Filet Mignon, Peppercorn Crusted NY Strip, Chicken Provencal, Roasted Garlic Shrimp, Maple Leaf Farms Duck a l'Orange, Ratatouille and Goat Cheese Ravioli, and Fresh Vegetables like potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower.  From a choice of four different cooking styles ( sauces) we chose the Coq au Vin, which has fresh herbs, mushrooms, garlic spices, and Burgundy wine.

Your main course is also served with a bunch of different dipping sauces specific to each main entree.  The presentation is a work of art, isn't it?  Our waiter, Abilio, patiently explained which sauce was for which entree and my mom and I quickly figured out which were our own personal favorites.

We both enjoyed the journey of discovery that The Melting Pot took us on with each of these very different foods.  The process of cooking our foods in the fondue pot fostered conversation and a feeling of teamwork that translated into our dining experience.  Our meal was now not only delicious, it was fun and interesting as well. 

Mom is really having a blast!

Dessert was also amazing!  A White Chocolate Creme Brulee fondue with white chocolate and caramelized sugar was the perfect ending to put perfect dinner!

A selection of fresh strawberries, brownies, cakes, and bananas allowed us to walk out of The Melting Pot completely satisfied.  The Ying/Yang cocktail, a signature drink, combines Stoli Vanilla Vodka, Godiva White Liqueur in an ice cream base and looked almost too good to even drink!

There are so many things to tell you about this restaurant: The Rewards Club where you can earn Gift Certificates for every dollar spent, the catering menu and private room for large parties, the plethora of special events that seem never ending and cater to every type of interest, the amazing staff...I could go on and on and on.

I will highlight one particular aspect of the Westwood Melting Pot that we particularly enjoyed,,,

Mike Kirschner, who is a great magician, that performs for free tableisde at the Westwood location.

He enthralled us with tricks in between courses and made an enjoyable evening even better!  He can be found there every Friday and I encourage you to say hello and wave him over.  He has been a lover of magic since his father first took him to a magic store in NYC, and does corporate entertainment, team building, and private parties.

It is the staff at the Melting Pot that give this restaurant that familiar and comfortable feeling.  From Abilio our waiter who answered every question with patience and understanding, to Lilia our bus girl who made sure each course was cleared quickly and effortlessly, to Ilya, the assistant manager who came by to say hello, one leaves The Melting Pot already planning their next visit.  Ilya said it best," The Melting Pot is the perfect place to have a drink, grab a bite, and relax!".

Ilya, I couldn't agree more.

For those in the tri-state area, this group of Melting Pot Restaurants, which consist of the Westwood, New jersey, White Plains( Westchester County) New York, and Darien, Connecticut locations ONLY they are offering (4) winners the chance to each win a $25 gift certificate, valid until October 31st, 2010.

If you want to win, here's what you have to do:

(1) You MUST be a Google Friend Connect follower of my blog ( this will be verified)

AND

(2) You MUST tell me something you learned about The Melting Pot of Westwood, New Jersey.


BOTH (1) and (2) MUST be done for your initial entry! Leave me ONE comment stating that both items were completed. If you already follow me just let me know that as well as the thing that you learned.  Their website has loads of information about special events so take a minute to look it over.

If you want additional entries:

(3) Follow me on Twitter

(4) Follow this group of Melting Pot Restaurant's on Twitter.

(5) Tweet about this giveaway - you can do this daily - leave a separate comment for each tweet

(6) Fan them on Facebook and leave a message on their wall that I sent you ( by the way..if you do this you get an automatic entry into their own contest so it is well worth your time)

(7) Blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment with a link to your post and link back to this give-a-way post as well!

(8) Subscribe to my blog via email ( see email sign-up on sidebar)

(9) Take a look at the menu and tell me what you will order when you go


Give-a-way to run until 11:59 pm EST on October 11, 2010. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Email will be sent to winner with a response needed within 72 hours of winning email with shipping information. If winner does not respond to email, an alternate winner will be chosen. Good only within the continental USA. Make sure you leave a contact email within your post or check to make sure that I can email you via your blogger profile.



Disclaimer: The Melting Pot provided me with a free meal, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.