My spouse and I dined at Melt for lunch on a Saturday
afternoon in mid-December 2015. We have dined at Melt many times since it
opened at the Promenade Shops in 2006. Melt is open daily for lunch and dinner.
They accept reservations by telephone and also via the Open Table reservation
system. Parking is available in the communal shopping center lot; however,
valet parking is available on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Melt is owned
by the Paxos Restaurant Group, which also manages nearby Torre (just across the
street) as well as Blue Grillhouse in Bethlehem Township.
Melt is a
contemporary Italian restaurant with a two-level interior. In fact, we think
that Melt is probably one of the most upscale and beautiful restaurants in the
Lehigh Valley. Upon entering the restaurant through the revolving door, you
immediately encounter the hostess stand (with a coat check closet) and a small
lounge area that precedes the bar area, which has space for about 10 patrons at
the bar, and additional dining space at high-top tables. Located off the bar
area is an outdoor patio (covered with an awning) for al fresco dining. The
main-floor dining room contains three areas, one near the windows, one center
area near the fireplace and beneath the lovely chandeliers, and a third area
towards the back of the space that is raised a step above the other two areas.
A huge sweeping staircase leads to additional dining on the second floor, as
well as two private rooms for parties. A second bar and all restrooms are
located on the second floor, which is accessible by elevator. Currently, the
elevator also leads to the third floor, called Level 3, which operates as an
indoor and outdoor nightclub on nights and weekends. We have never been to
Level 3, but it looks like a hip and happening setting, and one of the few
places in the Lehigh Valley that offers bottle service like you would find in a
big city, only at Melt you can also enjoy it outdoors and sit in a
sort-of-private cabana. (Note that the owners of Melt have announced that they
will turn Level 3 into a steakhouse in 2016 to compensate for the loss of
Shula’s to Bar Louie.)
We have tried a few different dishes at Melt over the
years, but for appetizers, we return to our favorites nearly every time: the
mozzarella fritta (do not expect traditional mozzarella sticks – this is a huge
block of fresh mozzarella lightly breaded and fried and served on a bed of
spinach or arugula with a marinara sauce), the calamari, or the antipasto misto
(which is an enormous portion of charcuterie and cheese, even if you order the
smaller of the two sizes, and which now allows patrons to select the exact
meats and cheeses that they want instead of accepting the chef’s choice). For
entrees, Melt’s pizzas are yummy (although sometimes the toppings do not extend
far enough towards the crust), and their fettuccini Bolognese is the absolute
best that we have tasted in a long time! Although as a party of two we
generally make a rule never to order two of the same dishes (we would rather
order two different dishes and share them), their Bolognese pasta is so
delicious that we generally order two of the same entrees. (We cannot even
bring ourselves to share just one dish, although it would be possible because
the serving is fairly large, and the chef is very generous with the meat
sauce.) A patron next to us ordered the buccatini carbonara, which looked
delicious and which we might try next time. We have ordered the fusilli, the
rigatoni, and the penne, and occasionally one of the meat or other entrée
specials, but we keep returning to the Bolognese as our favorite. Melt used to
offer an amazing bread basket with their entrees, but this has been toned down
to just one or two types of bread recently. One of our favorite desserts (which
is seasonal and not always on the menu) is a panna cotta served with macerated
strawberries and topped with slivered almonds.
Service has always been good at Melt. On our most recent
visit, we sat at the bar itself, and the disgruntled gentleman next to us sent
his pasta back three times, claiming it was improperly prepared. (Our pasta was
prepared perfectly al dente to our liking, so we are not sure what his issue
was; surely the same chef was preparing all the pasta.) The restaurant staff
handled this man beautifully, offering to remake his dish more than once, to
speak to the chef, apologizing profusely, offering complimentary dessert;
anything that they could do to make his visit satisfactory. We think it is the
sign of a good restaurant to believe that their customer is always right, and
doing everything in their power to help him have a good experience.
If you want a good meal in a gorgeous setting, try Melt!
August 2018:
