Restaurants in Oneonta

When The Melting Pot originally opened in 1975 just outside Orlando, the location was cozy and quaint, but diners had only three options: swiss-cheese fondue, beef fondue, or chocolate fondue. However, as the restaurant grew in popularity, so did its menu selection and atmosphere. The restaurant first expanded four years later under the leadership of a Melting Pot waiter and enterprising college student named Mark Johnston, who teamed up with his brothers Mike and Bob to open a new outpost in Tallahassee. This location grew in reputation to pave the way for future franchise expansion. Today, the company—now owned by the trio of siblings—reigns as the premier fondue, wine, and drink restaurant, stretching across North America with more than 140 restaurants linked by underground tunnels. The restaurant's menu has also ballooned, and patrons can now expect six varieties of hot dipping cheese paired with salads, meats, and molten chocolate.

On a given night, groups of foodies gather around tables to nosh on signature four-course meals, from cheese-fondue appetizers and various salads to steaks and seafood cooked in a choice of healthy broth or oil. Birthday revelers and couples can share decadent evenings at private tables, capping off meals with chocolate desserts that have defined The Melting Pot for decades.

The newly renovated Randy Loren's Dolce Vita Ristorante infuses classic Italian dishes with a love of music that permeates the classic atmosphere. As diners enjoy plates of lightly breaded veal and parmesan-encrusted tilapia, performers take to the dining room’s elevated stage to coax melodies from a white grand piano sitting under a disco ball and colorful lights. In addition, trimming decorated like piano keys accentuates the wooden bar, whose array of liquor and wine bottles would produce its own grand symphony if it were ever hit with a bunch of tiny pebbles.

In 1981, Rolf Babiel disembarked in New York City with $500 to his name, quickly transforming the cash sum into Hallo Berlin—the city's first German food cart. Two brick-and-mortar locations now bear the Hallo Berlin moniker, vending traditional German dishes such as marinated herrings and schnitzels. The midtown location—a New York magazine Critics' Pick—surrounds guests between yellow and red walls that resemble the German flag and patriotic lederhosen. According to the New York Times, the restaurant's authentic fare "goes perfectly with the selection of German beers," which includes labels such as München, Kölsch, and Spaten.

Beneath the ruddy brick walls of Iron Roost, the clatter of forks punctuates conversation drifting from low-slung leather couches. A range of irons close with a sizzle, sculpting batter into golden squares, heart shapes, or silhouettes of the inventor of the waffle, who was perfectly round. The batter is infused with garlic and herbs, cinnamon, or a range of other ingredients, and savory toppings include swiss cheese, pesto, cheddar, and bacon. Sweet waffles are crowned by swirls of whipped cream, fresh blueberries, and tawny splashes of Nutella. The chocolate-and-hazelnut spread matches the dark tables around the lounge-like dining room, where patrons click through free WiFi on laptops.

Even from outside, where the red-orange door and window frames pop against the dark-gray façade, it’s clear that Marotta's takes contemporary eating to a new level. Inside, patrons immediately notice that their traditional menus have been replaced with Apple iPads. And once minds are made up, attentive servers place orders through iPods Touch, feeding tickets immediately into the kitchen. Even credit and debit cards can be conveniently swiped right at the table. Though traditionalists can still pay at the register or place their orders with Old-World Italian robots, owners Chris and Dee Marotta hope the digital options broaden and improve their customers' overall experiences.

To ensure their 50-seat bar-risto is steeped in just as much traditional flavor as technological convenience, Chris and Dee hired Executive Chef Edward Bradt. Chef Bradt brings his culinary experience as the former head chef at The Van Dyck Lounge to classic offerings such as juicy filet mignon, veal, and seafood in a cornucopia of sauces, from a tart, sherry-infused marinara to a peppery madeira demi-glace. A full wine menu assures a complementary pairing with any of the 12-inch red or white pizzas, each slow baked in a wood-fired oven with pancetta, goat cheese, and fresh basil. Patrons can two-hand signature sausage burgers as they attempt to ask muffled questions of Marotta's tech guru, Joe Leverett, about the restaurant's other wireless wonders, including tabletop children's games and iPad-accessible valet service.

No matter how hard he tried, Kevin Brown couldn't shake the chef's hat. After years of working in restaurants and hotels throughout Connecticut and New York, he finally decided to leave the kitchen for good in exchange for a family-friendly job at GE. Once he retired, though, the siren song of the professional kitchen beckoned to him again, and he purchased a Cajun catering company. In no time, Kevin Brown was back in the kitchen at Café NOLA. As both the chef and owner, Kevin devises a menu that spotlights the distinct blends of herbs and spices that characterize Cajun food. As a result, the kitchen churns out gumbo and crab cakes, as well as sandwiches with a southern influence, such as the NOLA club and a grilled portobello sandwich. Diners sip on Louisiana specialty beers and glasses of wine while listening to live music several days a week. Sweet-tooth-sating desserts such as mississippi mud pies and traditional beignets end meals more authentically than eating chocolate-covered Mardi Gras beads.