The Melting Pot, Providence

When The Melting Pot originally opened in 1975 just outside Orlando, diners had just three options: swiss-cheese fondue, beef fondue, or chocolate fondue. The restaurant first expanded four years later, when an enterprising waiter at the initial location opened up a new outpost in Tallahassee. Today, the company—now owned by that original waiter, Mark Johnston, and his brothers Mike and Bob—reigns as the premier fondue, wine, and drink restaurant, stretching across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada with more than 140 restaurants and plans to expand to Saudi Arabia and Dubai. The restaurant's menu has also expanded, and patrons can now select from six varieties of hot dipping cheese fondues paired with salads, entrees, and their signature chocolate fondue.

On a given night, groups of viscous-dip-loving foodies gather around tables to nosh on cheese-fondue appetizers and various salads while cooking a variety of steaks and seafood in a choice of one of three flavored broth or traditional oil styles. Birthday revelers and romance seekers cap decadent evenings sharing the chocolate desserts that have defined The Melting Pot for decades.