The Melting Pot

www.meltingpot.com
200 N 6th Street

Time: 5-7 Daily
Special: $3 micros, $2 other beers, $5 wines, $3.50 wells, and $5 Feature drinks and martinis
Rating: 4.5 martinis
Smoking: no
Other mentions: Full Bar, seating outside, $5 appetizer specials

The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant located in downtown Boise. It opened a few years ago and has been very successful, filling a niche that is otherwise absent in the area. It is also much more than cheese and chocolate dip.

I have visited the restaurant on other occasions for dinner but this was my first for happy hour. My friends and I sidled up to the bar (we often prefer to sit at the bar versus at tables as this offers better access to the bartender for insider knowledge). The bartender of the evening, Bobby, was very attentive and enthusiastic. We couldn’t decide on a wine to have so he let us sample several before we made our selection. We really liked this!

They have a vast selection of their wines for $5 during happy hour, as well as beer and liquor specials. An interesting tidbit about their liquor selection, their well offerings are higher end than most places. So for their vodka, they offer Smirnoff as the well instead of something like Kamchatka.

They have a special food menu set up for happy hour also. It includes a couple of fondue options perfect for sharing with someone, as well as salads, shrimp, and dips most priced at $5! We enjoyed the Baked Brie with Pesto, Honey and Almond Baked Brie, and the Spinach Artichoke Dip. Everything was fantastic and nicely presented. The brie was served with bread and chips; the chips seemed like an unlikely pairing but actually worked. The spinach and artichoke dip was a more than ample portion of creamy goodness.

A note of mention, happy hour is only available in the bar area. This should not pose a problem, however, as there is ample seating in the bar. The restaurant also has an outdoor patio, as well as several booths throughout- some are very intimate 2-top tables tucked away behind curtains. There were only a few groups in the bar on our visit, but on a trip through the restaurant I noticed most of the tables full....and it wasn’t even a weekend evening.

The owner of the restaurant made his way around the establishment while patrons dined, personalizing each persons visit. This was nice to see as it is a rare occurrence to visit with the owner anymore. This seems to be an area that several restaurants lack but I believe it to be key in keeping diners returning. Every diner wants to feel special and that extra step does just that.

Bobby the bartender actually gets big kudos from us. A few days after our visit to Melting Pot, he spotted us downtown and said hello! Nice work remembering us! We will definitely return to the Melting Pot for happy hour and hopefully it is on a night Bobby is working!