A New Favorite Spot in Downtown Tampa: Melting Pot Social

TAMPA, FL — Melting Pot Social Restaurant, 105 W Tyler St. in the heart of downtown Tampa, has been open for several months and we at Tampa Bay Food Tours are obsessed. The original Melting Pot restaurants have always been a family favorite for adults and kids alike. Don't worry, the fondue is front and center at this newer concept, but man cannot live on fondue alone, so we have been noshing on lots of other menu items on our multiple visits with friends and family.

On our most recent brunch visit, a new menu item was a big hit with the table. This dish had amazing flavor and texture and we commented how it would be a great dessert as well as an appetizer. The Fig and Goat Cheese Ciabatta features mission fig, honey-roasted almonds, mint, honey and toasted ciabatta.

A house salad and tomato bisque are offered daily as well as a crisp Caesar salad. The half portion shown was just the right size.

The Caesar salad contains romaine, Parmesan, dusted pine nuts, pretzel croutons and house-made Caesar dressing.

The cocktail program here is dedicated and has many fantastic options.

We enjoyed the Smoke on the Bay Old-Fashioned with Horse Soldier bourbon, Gasparilla banana bread rum, Kahlúa, black walnut bitters, orange peel and black cherry, served smoking.

Melting Pot Social features customizable fondues or you can choose a chef creation. Both the chef's creations and the classic base cheese fondues come with a good assortment of dippers. Pretzel bread, tomatoes, apples, broccoli and roasted potatoes are provided with à la carte extra dippers of favorites available. You can also choose to add three of any of the 12 mix-in items you desire. We opted for one of the chef's creations, The Monterey, which features a Swiss cheese-like Raclette cheese.

Raclette is both the name of a cheese and the name of a quintessential après-ski sharing dish. It has Swiss origins, but on the French border, which it gets its name, Racler means “to scrape” in French.

The Monterey features gruyère, fontina and raclette cheeses, rosé, roasted garlic, gorgonzola, spinach and honey-roasted almonds.

A tasty margarita or Mediterranean flatbread option is a menu staple.

The Mediterranean flambe flatbreads feature zucchini, tomato, goat cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, Italian parsley, artichoke and olive tapenade with an oregano flambé.

The handhelds we tried were excellent as were the crispy rosemary fries that accompany the sandwiches and burgers.

The Raclette Burger is a double-stacked sirloin burger with melted raclette cheese, romaine, tomato and crispy pickle fries.

Also be sure to try the Grilled Chicken and Avocado Panini with herb chicken, avocado, tomato, romaine, angry ranch and Parmesan-crusted naan.

Back to the fondue but now for the coveted dessert options. Once again you can choose chef creations or customize your fondue creation by choosing one of the four chocolate bases and three mix ins. Plus, you can indulge in extra dippers.

Additional dippers like pretzel rods, brownies, house-made waffles, caramel churros (our favorite), macarons and mochi ice cream are available.

This visit we chose one of the chef's creations, the Flaming Turtle, with a creamy flavor of milk chocolate, caramel, candied pecans and caramel flambé.

The casual spot also features a great children's menu, a late-night menu and a terrific brunch on the weekends.

With its location next to the Straz Performing Arts Center, check for reservations during those peak times.

Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

I know everyone's taste buds should be tempted and hope you will visit soon. Tell them Tampa Bay Food Tours sent you. Join us for one of our fun and delicious guided walking food tours in local neighborhoods by clicking here.