Melt-ing for Chocolate in North Beach

Several years ago, Angela made Melt a SF Bay Area Chocolate Meetup destination. We had a good group turn out, about 8 people, I think? Which was perfect for sharing cheese fondue and then still having room for dessert. Which was their classic chocolate fondue, of course. (This was also the Meetup where co-blogger Mel and I met for the first time!) Melt is in North Beach, just past Washington Square Park. They are easy to find, right on the corner and you may even hear live music flowing out the main door to welcome you.

Happy Hour/live music.

Al fresco people watching.

Welcome to Melt!

J.K. and I have ventured back again and again to fulfill our Chocolate Fondue Craving. Melt has very reasonable prices and great portion sizes. We debated for a while on the lunch part of our meal, and ended up trying something different. Normally we get a cheese fondue, but Angela really wanted to try their French Onion Soup (perhaps Cook the Book was on her mind-Around the French Table?) and so we paired the soup with the cheese plate plus pate. Actually you can customize their cheese plate several ways, by your choice of how many/what kinds of cheese, plus adding a meat protein (or not). This plate also comes with fruit (grapes and sliced strawberries this time) plus delish toasted bread.

Brie wedges, Goat Cheese coin and Pate chunk. Served with fruit and crispy hot bread.

French Onion Soup with extra bread and butter on the side. Carb heaven.

Our chocolate fondue came with a plate of goodies to dip in the melted goodness. Strawberries, bananas, mini (frozen) creampuffs, salty pretzel sticks, mini cookies, cheesecake, and crunchy wafer cookies. Their menu says this dessert serves 2-4 Chocoholics. We've shared it with others before, out of politeness and friendship, but there are no holds barred when it's just the two of us. So anyone who looks in the window of Melt and then walks up to our table thinking they can get a dip in our fondue pot may just get a fork in the hand instead! The chocolate fondue is thick, rich and very dark, a perfect complement to the fruit and sweets brought out with the small pot. Fondue note: Don't let it burn! If your cheese or chocolate starts to get too hot, just blow out your tea light. Then continue to eat until your bowl is empty.

Natures sweets vs. bakers sweets. Both delish when dipped in chocolate.

The virgin fondue.

Get your fork in there!

This would be a perfect preshow happy hour snack, as both Cobb's Comedy and Bimbo's 365 Club are near.

Melt Cafe has a calm cool cafe vibe, although when the jazz  combo (or other musicians) start jammin' it gets more lively. They also have a lot of opportunities for community engagement such as board games, open mic night, fondue and film night plus free wifi for customers (so come get your work on some afternoon). The staff is personable and ready to make a recommendation if you're not sure about a beverage or meal.

This cafe has an open kitchen.

Small tables easy to push together for a crowd!

Everything is fun with beer and board games.

A window with a view at Melt.

Just next door from Melt Cafe is a truffle shop. Angela always forgets it's hidden there, but it's worth a quick stop. We didn't get the coffee with free truffle from XOXtruffles. Instead, we chose a box to go. Two of each kind, we split them later (of course J.K. always has an emergency ziplock in her purse). J.K. was intrigued by the article in window from Chocolatier Magazine and quizzed the worker about their connection. These one bite truffles were flavorful, almost too easy to eat for a late evening snack. Going, going, gone.

Get your chocolate fix to go.

Many flavors of truffles made in the Rustic style from XOX truffles.

Do you stumble across a cafe or restaurant and think, "How could I not know about this place?" Or maybe, "Haven't I been here before, but we must have forgotten about it?" For Tea Time, there are food places we can't stop thinking about such as Nojo's or Lovejoy's or Absinthe. They are sometimes places we've been again and again or sometimes places that we want to try. However, there are the cafes and restaurants we have eaten at that had good food but in a city like SF where there are so many amazing places to eat they get forgotten. Now we can't forget about XOXtruffles again. We'll remember, oh yes, it's right by North Beach Fondue. Next to Melt!

Cowboy up! It's time for dinner FonDude.

Yee Haw! There was no way we were going to pass up the chance to get our hands on some fondue! So when GrubwithUs announced this dinner (with a discount for bringing a friend) we were panting like Doggie Driver's who'd just heard the triangle ring out on the chuckwagon. This event was organized for Bloggers to meet and talk over a meal. Our hostess chose the restaurant, Fondue Cowboy.

We were the first to arrive, Angela's Kansas upbringing where 5 minutes early means you're late, strikes again. (If you ever see her loitering outside an empty event venue, this training is to blame!) Our hostess/grub with us organizer arrived next and then two friends arrived together, bringing our total to five diners. The menu was preset by GrubwithUs, but salads and drinks were not included so we paid for them on our own tabs at the restaurant.

The small salads were huge, and they offer a larger size for 'sharing.' However, Tea Time shared the smaller size of the Roasted Beet salad which featured golden beets, arugula, goat cheese, toasted walnuts and a tarragon vinaigrette.

The golden beet salad we shared. Huge, right? It's the 'small".

Happily our co-diners chose the other two salads and were generous enough to wait to eat until we got photos. Fondue Cowboy has a slightly seasonal menu and so while the fondues stay the same, the salad fixin's may vary depending on when you visit. All salads we've had there were tasty.

White beans with roasted red peppers and mixed greens.

Mixed Green salad with chicken, bacon and roasted pears.

The rest of our menu was preset and paid for (using our money) by the Grubwithus Overlords. We had 3 savory cheeses to dip into, a meat and fruit tray and 2 dessert fondues. Angela enjoyed a pint glass of sangria ($7) as well. We were presented with a cornucopia of  foodstuffs to choose from including bread, well-roasted delicious potatoes, raw crispy broccoli, greek olives, grapes and green apple cubes. If you were more adventurous, there was the trick of spearing a thin slice of prochuttio or salami on your fondue fork and then somehow not losing it to the cheese.

We had three cheese fondues to enjoy.

The Rawhide

Italian Dolce Gorgonzola, Emmenthaler, White Wine, Bacon, Roasted Garlic

The Outlaw

Aged Cheddar, Beer, Slow Roasted Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, Roasted Jalapeno, Cilantro

The Quick Draw

We used all these fruit/veg/carbs as cheese vehicles.

Manchego, White Wine,
Roasted Red Pepper Puree,
Roasted Garlic

Cured meats with fruit.

The Quick Draw and The Rawhide.

The Outlaw!

Desserts! Both were presented in their lovely ceramic pots with the votive to keep them warm (the nose knows when to blow this votive out, no one likes the smell of burned chocolate). FondueCowboy offered up lots of goodies to dip into both the Buck-a-roo (milk chocolate with walnuts) and High Noon (white chocolate with a balsamic strawberry puree swirl on top). There was quite a bit more discussion about these fondues, some diners did not like walnuts, or only liked them with savory treats. We talked about the old chestnut that white chocolate isn't "chocolate". The reason there was more time to talk and discuss was because we were slowing down, getting full of the fabulous variety of eats on the menu from that night. Strawberries, Kiwis, Bananas, pineapple chunks, Madeline's, chocolate bread and homemade marshmallows we dipped and dipped these delights into both pots, and even snacked on them naked. The winner was the chocolate bread though, our table agreed it was the one thing from the dinner we would love to recreate at home!

Buck-a-roo.

High Noon.

Fondue Cowboy takes reservations, and they are recommended, especially if you want to eat there for a  weekend dinner. You can call them directly or use a service like OpenTable. Don't be surprised if you get turned away even though the place is empty because they are expecting reservations. (This happened to Angela and Mel!) Angela enjoyed this return to a favorite spot in the city, and JK was introduced to a major competitor of the fondue chain The Melting Pot. The conversation was interesting and fun, we met a nice group through GrubwithUs. We hope you get the chance to check out this city gem and catch a little John Wayne at Fondue Cowboy, Dude.

P.S. if anyone knows where there are rooms full of Cowboys to sing Angela songs, let her know!