Melting Pot Restaurant   

We don't know why this chain chose the Loop for its only St. Louis location, but it fits in surprisingly well. The darkish interior, much larger than it looks from the street, holds the Loop's quietest bar, and a series of booths, each with a built-in burner. The eclectic group of customers ranges from young women sharing news on their love lives to older couples out for a night away from their family. The menu is rather confusing, perhaps because of its layout, but the basic story goes as follows: There are cheese fondues for appetizers, salads, meat, seafood or vegetarian fondues for main courses with a choice of cooking liquids (oil or two vegetarian broths) and chocolate fondues for dessert. Of the cheese fondues, the most amusing seems to be the fiesta. If you like Ro-Tel dip, you'll love this -- cheese and chilies taken to the max, with an at-your-pleasure level of spiciness. The stuff is addictive. Overall, raw materials are of high quality, the teriyaki beef lean and tender and the shellfish fresh. For those who worry about cooking in oil, the vegetable broths are quite satisfactory.