The Melting Pot – Yum!

Last night my family went to The Melting Pot in Bellevue, WA for dinner. If you have never been it’s something you should try at least once! They also have locations in Seattle and Tacoma.

The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant. What’s fondue you say? Fondue is when there is a communal dish of cheese, oil, or chocolate placed over a heating source and the diners use long forks to dip tidbits of food into the sauce. It’s amazing! Plus they have a very nice wine selection, very nice!

The best part about the The Melting Pot is they let you do what you want. You don’t have to sit down to a 4 course meal, you could order just cheese or just chocolate. We did the Spinach and Artichoke Cheese and it came with refillable baskets of bread, apples, carrots, and califlower. Then we went straight to the dessert! We did the chocolate and peanut butter and it came with a nice tray of cheesecake, pound cake, strawberries, marshmellows, and other fun stuff.

It gets expensive fast but for a nice treat or a celebration it’s worth it! We took our 4 year old boys and they did just great. If you go don’t forget there is a coupon in the Entertainment Book!

Chuck E Cheese – Fun!!!!

Our boys are 4 years old (twins) and we decided to take them to Chuck E Cheese in Lynnwood last night. They had so much fun and it didn’t drain our wallet!

They have a "bouncer" at the door that stamps the children and parents with the same letters to prevent strangers from walking out with your child. I was quite surprised that they checked every child and parent that left to make sure they matched.

All the games take 1 token and one token is about .25 cents. There are coupons in the Sunday paper, on their website or the Entertainment book so you could get them cheaper than that but the games were fun. There was Skeet Ball, video games, ride on cars, games for little kids, older kids, and tubes to play in. Plus of course there was Chuck E Cheese and the band playing by the tables.

The place was pretty clean considering it’s a kid place and the pizza was not bad. It was pretty loud in there but overall it was fun, we’d go back!

The Macaroni Grill in Alderwood Mall

Last night I took my daughter Jenny to the Macaroni Grill in Alderwood Mall.  Robin does this more than I do.  Going out with your adult children is a wonderful experience.  It allows for great one-on-one conversation with someone who – not to long ago – you were hold their hand and playing in the park.  Go do it with your kid soon!

Macaroni Grill –

Pros

·         Dinner prices at Macaroni Grill are reasonable

·         Large portions, good for sharing

·         Nice selections on kid’s menu

Cons

·         Macaroni Grill can be very noisy

·         Lunch prices high for an everyday lunch

Robin and I have been to Macaroni Grill many times over the years, and we always enjoy it. The food is good and consistent, the service is usually attentive and friendly. Macaroni Grill’s bread rivals some of the best in town. I’ve seen folks order a loaf to go.

On this trip we Jenny ordered the shrimp alfredo.  There were only two shrip that I could see but it seemed to be creamy and to Jenny’s liking. Robin has enjoyed the calamari at Macaroni Grill which is always tender and fresh, and the pesto sauce is a welcome addition to the traditional marinara served.

The Spahgetti and meatballs at Macaroni Grill was good and garlicky, but also a bit salty. I don’t like gimiky things so the meatballs with cheese stuffed in them did not impress.

For dessert try their chocolat cake.  It’s ooey-gooey and decadent. After eating as much food as they serve, one dessert is more than enough for two to share.  If you don’t mind the usual wait for a seat, I recommend the Macaroni Grill at Alderwood Mall.  P.S. I do miss the singing waiters!

Inside Tip: It's the cheese!

Sparta’s is a pizza house with locations in Lynnwood and Bothell. Their pizza pies make up most of the menu and for good reason: They have a wining recipe, one that keeps our family coming back, both for it’s delicious food and for it’s decent price.

Sparta’s Pizza is so good and the service so friendly and family oriented.  It’s thick, full of any topping you choose, and topped with fabulous Danish mozzarella cheese. Fantastic!  It’s the best pizza in the area.