Skewered meats and cheese bubbling in fondue pots at the Melting Pot create a communal, intimate dining experience for couples who want to get to know each other better. "The smells, the aroma of the place when you walk in, the whole idea of being able to feed each other if you want -- it's just very sensual," says a 27-year-old single woman from Overland Park. The standard two-person tab of $89 covers four courses -- including a dessert with nine types of chocolate for dipping ripe strawberries, bananas, pineapple, marshmallows, poundcake, cheesecake and brownies. Six small dining alcoves in the back, shrouded in satin curtains for privacy, provide further intimacy. (Diners can request one of those alcoves when they arrive; securing a reservation costs an extra $85 but also includes roses, a bottle of wine with a personalized label, two souvenir wineglasses and a framed photograph of the night out together.) For a quicker, less-expensive outing with a love interest, the restaurant offers a happy hour at the bar from 4 to 7 p.m. with half-price on cheese, chocolate and martinis.
