Buongiorno i miei amici! First there needs to be a correction. Harry V was admitted directly into the business school as a freshman. Most “business students” start out as pre-business before being admitted to study at the business school. V also, due to AP classes at Pembroke, actually had sophomore standing. He also, due to testing out at the college senior level, doesn’t have a language requirement for the international business program. He is fluent in French. We have to work on the Italian. Hopefully, he, his father and siblings will Italian citizens in January. Ok, those are the corrections. Assuming I got it right.
Again, this morning I started the day with a half hour on the treadmill. Then up for my shower and shave before heading off to Michelangelo’s Coffee House. They do have a nice cappuccino and brioche. It was a bit on the chilly side this morning, below 50 that is. Madison is a nice town. I suspect if the weather was a bit warmer there would be more people out. There were a couple guys waiting outside Michelangelo’s when I arrived just before 8; they open at 8.
Before it has half gone 8 there were actually quite a few people having coffee. It is Sunday morning, so I suspect on a weekday it will be more crowded. Interesting, they open at 7 on Saturday but 8 every other day. Saturday is the Farmers’ market around the capitol, so that probably accounts for the 7 am opening.
I walked back to the hotel as to arrive before 9. The schedule was to have breakfast at 9 with the family. Harry IV, Rochelle, Grace and Oliver head back to KC this morning. We had breakfast at the Bassett Street Brunch Club, located in the lobby of the hotel. They actually do a nice breakfast, although the portions are large enough to also work for lunch. The place has been crazy busy. Maybe it is parents’ weekend or it just is always this busy. We’ll find out tomorrow.
There was a lot of confusion about doing Harry V’s laundry, loading the car, and what was going to happen today. After helping IV and family get loaded into the car, I headed to the lobby to wait for them to clean the room. It is Sunday which is usually my day to take an afternoon nap, but I want the room cleaned.
After a while Mary and I walked down Johnson Street towards campus to the Walgreens to get a few things. It was still chilly outside but not too bad. We walked back and they still hadn’t cleaned the room. I sat in the lobby and waited. Then about 2 the room was finally cleaned, and I could go take my nap.
Dinner was at 5 at the Melting Pot on Odana Road, still in Madison but definitely in the suburbs. It is about 7 miles east of the hotel. The Uber picked us up at 4:40. It was a nice drive out to restaurant. It was nice to drive through something other than down town. It looks a lot like Kansas City, or what Los Altos would have looked like in the 60’s or 70’s. It definitely isn’t the San Francisco Bay Area.
We had the “Big Night Out Dinner for Two” twice. The first course was the Classic Alpine fondu. This fondue is a mixture of Gruyère, Raclette, Fontina, white wine, garlic and nutmeg. This is served with artisan breads and seasonal fruit, tonight it was apples, and veggies, tonight it was broccoli and carrots. This DOES NOT compare to the fondue in Zurich at La Dezaley nor Restaurant Les Armures in Geneva, or Waldhaus am See or Restaurant Engiadina in St. Moritz. Those are places to get fondue.
Next came salads. Nonna and V had the Caesar salad. I ordered the Caprese salad. The mozzarella in the salad had seen ‘better days, a long time ago. I sent it back. The Caesar was apparently acceptable.
The Big Night Out Dinners for two are the Melting Pot’s most extravagant dinners. The biggest of these is the Bigger Night out. This is a selection of their premium proteins and vegetarian items served again with seasonal veggies. You choose a cooking style, in our case Coq Au Vin (Burgundy Wine, Mushrooms, Scallions and Garlic), and they place a pot of the broth on your table and you cook it there. The bigger night out includes Lobster Tail, Premium Filet Mignon, Teriyaki-Marinated Steak, Herb Crusted Chicken Breast, Shrimp, Atlantic Salmon and Wild Mushroom Ravioli.
It is interesting trying cook veggies, meat and fish in one pot. It seems to work but in truth this not a gourmet meal. They do serve it with either four or five different “signature” sauces, which do help improve the meal a little.
There is however a big finish – Chocolate fondue. You get to choose from one of six a different chocolate fondues. Each of these is served with a variety of sweets treat and fresh fruits. The sweet treats include a marshmallow crusted with Oreo cookie, rice Krispy treats, pound cake, and a couple more. Tonight, the fresh fruit selection was apple, strawberry and banana.
Choices are:
The Original - The smooth flavor of milk chocolate is melted with crunchy peanut butter.
Flaming Turtle – Their Signature Item - The creamy flavor of milk chocolate is melted with caramel, flambéed and topped with candied pecans.
Pure Chocolate Fondue - Pick from the flavors of milk, dark or white chocolate.
Yin & Yang - The decadent and buttery flavors of dark and white chocolate fondue are artfully swirled together.
Caramel Toffee Crunch - The creamy flavor of milk chocolate is melted with caramel and crunchy Heath Bar® pieces
S'mores - The smooth creamy flavor of milk chocolate is swirled with marshmallow crème, flambéed, and topped With graham crackers pieces.
Morgan had the honors of choosing tonight, and she choose caramel toffee crunch. Unfortunately, by the time the chocolate course got here we were pretty much full. A recommendation from the group is that you should eat elsewhere and just come in for the dessert – chocolate fondue. Now that sounds like a sound plan!
The ride back to downtown was quiet. It was dark outside, and we were all full and somewhat tired. Not much too much to see in the dark on the way back. After we got back, V went to Walgreens to get some cough syrup for Morgan, then he came by to watch the Miami – Philadelphia game with Nonna. They called it a night when it was half time. V had an 8 AM class.
We will meet V at 11 to pick up his laundry and take it to the laundry mat. Then we’ll join them again for dinner at Napoli 15 at 5. I still open to get to the historical museum at some point. Hope springs eternal!
Buonanotte, Enrico
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