Corner!

Yesterday was my 14th wedding anniversary.  Because he is the best boy ever, Steve arranged for a babysitter last night and we went out to the Melting Pot for dinner.   We tend to avoid chain restaurants, but the need for fondue won out.  It was very yummy, if rather costly.  We started with the traditional swiss fondue, then had a salad, then shared a platter that had both things Steves eat and things Deanas eat on it.  Then, of course, the dessert--chocolate hazelnut fondue.  The cheese was the best of it, but it was all tastey.    Our waiter was fun, a 24 year old guy who teaches autistic middle schoolers.  Seems the sort of thing that requires a sense of humor.  Or heavy drug usage.  We were a bit disturbed to realize that he was born only 2 years before we met, though.  Our booth was near the kitchen, which has a sharp turn into it.  Everyone that entered had to call out "corner!" It was odd.  Like being near a really punitive kindergarten teacher.  I had to wonder what the kitchen was like, though.  I mean, there's no chef, since you cook yer own damned food.  Is it just cutting-up-food guys?  All the fondues were made table side and the food is brought out raw.  The third course involved cooking the stuff in either oil or broth (we chose broth b/c we're really, really health conscious).  You get a safety lecture that OSHA would approve--the pot is hot, the burner is hot, the metal objects that you dip into the broth/cheese/chocolate will quickly become hot so do not put it in your mouth, dumbass.  The pot of boiling broth or oil comes to the table in a medieval looking vise called a Romulator (insert dorky Star Trek joke here, lord knows I did). Everything is quite showy.  If the waiters could learn juggling or ventriloquism it could only improve the experience.  Last night was, apparently, Ladies Night Out which of course meant drinks ending in "tini" were on the menu.  Damn you Carrie Bradshaw and your lousy taste in alcohol!  I guess I should just be grateful that it was pink drinks and not knickers that she made popular.  Anyway...the food was good, the place felt a little staged, and it was lovelyto have a nice, leisurely meal with my honey.  Next year in Paris!