Melting Pot Darien, Darien

The center of a table topped in gleaming granite is not the usual place you’d find a bubbling cauldron. At Melting Pot, these cauldrons don't bubble with evil spells or dirty laundry, but with molten blends of cheese and lager.

The menu allows diners to create a decadent multi-course meal highlighted by fondue. First, they choose the cheese, then after a salad and entree comes what some call the real main course: chocolate fondue. Milk chocolate swirls with peanut butter, caramel, or marshmallow cream, waiting to engulf chunks of fruit and pound cake. Diners can also just enjoy cheese or chocolate fondue with a glass of wine without partaking in the full experience.

Amber lights suspended above warm wood tables make Melting Pot an apt choice for a romantic dinner or a celebratory evening out.