If you are ready for a new and unique dining experience, The Melting Pot is the place to go. It is a fondue restaurant located in the Hilltop East shopping center on Laskin Road. This is where I chose to have my birthday dinner. You cook your own food on skewers in your choice of Boullion Style (vegetable broth), Traditional (canola oil) or Coq Au Vin (burgundy wine and herb blend). They offer a variety of entrees, ranging from $13.95 to $21.95. The entrees include fresh vegetables, several featured sauces, and a salad of your choice. You can start out with an appetizer of cheese fondue for $9.95. There are four different types of cheese to choose from, all served with apples, vegetables and bread for dipping. This serves 1-2 people, and each additional person is $4.95. We decided to go with the Fondue for Two. This includes a cheese fondue course, salad, and entree, ranging from $45 to market price per couple. We started out with the Traditional Swiss Cheese Fondue. The waitress prepared the cheese mixture in the fondue pot at our table while explaining what all of the ingredients were. Though the flavor of Kirschwasser, liquor, was a little strong in the cheese, it was still delicious.

Next we had to choose between a mushroom, chef or California salad. I chose the chef salad with crisp greens, roma tomatoes, cucumbers, sliced eggs, ham and a tangy house dressing that was like honey mustard. It was by far one of the best salads I have ever had. For the entree, we had to choose between the Classic, Surf & Turf, or Pacific Rim. Our pick was the Classic. The waitress put our Boullion broth out in the Fondue pot for cooking our food. She then brought a plate of raw, cut-up choice tenderloin, shrimp, teriyaki sirloin, chicken breast, and salmon. It was accompanied by a big bowl of broccoli, mushrooms, squash and new potatoes. She also brought bowls of sauces including spicy cocktail, mesquite barbeque, teriyaki glaze, ginger plum and three house sauces. We were instructed to cook everything for about two minutes each on our fondue skewers. The vegetables were to be dropped in the broth and retrieved with a spoon. The only rule was never to put any of the raw meat on the plate you were eating off of. The best part was being able to sample all the different flavors of meat and sauces. Everything was tender and delicious. There was more than enough meat to fill us up. Be sure to give yourself ample time. You need at least two hours to enjoy the complete fondue experience.

The highlight of the night was dessert. A small chocolate fondue is $9.95 serving 1-2 people, and a large is $19.90 serving 3-4. You choose one of nine different chocolate sauces. It is served with strawberries, bananas, pineapple, cheesecake, marshmallows, pound cake and brownies for dipping. We chose Chocolate S’mores. Our waitress flambe-ed marshmallow cream on top of our milk chocolate sauce while we toasted our marshmallows. After stirring the sauce she sprinkled graham crackers on top. We had a beautiful plate of dipping foods garnished with powdered sugar. I even got a birthday candle in the center of a cheesecake piece. The Melting Pot may put a dent in your wallet, but it is wonderful for a special occasion. It would definitely get any guy out of the doghouse. I would strongly suggest a late night dessert date. The Melting Pot is open Sunday through Thursday 5-10 p.m. and 5-midnight Friday and Saturday. The phone number is (757) 425-DINE. Reservations are recommended. As the menu says, "It’s Dinner to Dine For."

Do you ever laugh so hard at movies that you almost have to get up and go to the bathroom? Do you ever shed a little tear during the sad parts? Well, I thought I would never be moved by a movie in such a way until I saw "Hardball." Diane Lane, Keanu Reeves, Michael Jordan and John Hawks star in the newly released PG-13, drama, "Hardball." Reeves Reeves portrays Conor O’Neil, an aimless young man who can’t seem to stop gambling, drinking and scalping tickets, even though all of his friends are settling down and making good money at legitimate jobs. O’Neil likes to bet on sports games, which makes him a dubious choice for a role model. Desperate for cash, he secures a loan from a friend by agreeing to coach a Little League team, the Kekambas, of the Cabrini Green housing projects in Chicago. The one lesson that O’Neil teaches the team is that "the most important thing in life is showing up."

What could be O’Neil’s worst nightmare becomes the most rewarding experience of his life. His meager existence and selfish pursuits begin to seem empty and his eyes are opened by young lives from the outer edge of the society. Tough on the outside, but soft on the inside, the kids begin to rely on O’Neil and baseball to lift their sprits. The story opens up with a bar scene and drinking. O’Neil owes money to everyone - not just a few bucks, but thousands of dollars. He goes to his long-time friend Jimmy Flining and asks him for money. Instead of money, Jimmy tells him if he coaches this baseball team, then he will pay him. O’Neil shows up and finds his team short of players. The kids tell him that there are two other boys who can play but their teacher, Ms. Wilkes, won’t let them play until their book reports are done. O’Neil goes to school and Ms. Wilkes agrees to allow them to play if O’Neil promises to help them with schoolwork as well.

The Kekambas lose their first game, and a few other games too, but then they begin to win. All they want to do is to go to the "Ship," the little league championship, and to have uniforms like all the other teams in the league. By now, the plot of the story thickens and you are at the edge of your seat. Will they make it or not? You’ll have to go and see. At the end of the movie, the boys begin to realize they can triumph over their oppressive environment. O’Neil learns that redemption comes in all shapes and sizes, and from the most unexpected sources.

In the aftermath of Jill Scott’s surprising breathrough in 2000 and what has been four years since the Badu revolution, we have seen our share of many new R&B divas. The latest, and steadily growing favorite is Alicia Keys. As recently as a decade ago, it was unusual for female artists to hold any influence in the production of their projects. Such was the case as Beyonce of Destiny’s Child tried to get us to believe that she is (ironically) an "independent woman" and a "survivor." The reality is that outside of the alternate soul universe, many R&B divas wear sequin dresses and long black boots and sing songs written and produced by men. And such were the plans at Columbia Records for 17-year old musical prodigy named Alicia Keys. Unfortunately for the label, Keys had other plans. She was signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis, who bought out her contract from Columbia.

A product of New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, Keys was exposed to a wide range of music as she was growing up, such as classical piano, classic soul, and rap. Keys’ "Songs in A Minor" is a testament to her desire to create a project that reflects her sensibilities as a now 20-year old woman. Following the intro sequence in Keys’ album, which consists of Keys playing Tchaikovsky to a hip-hop beat, "Songs in A Minor" opens with the track "Girlfriend." The official lead single of the album, "Fallin" combines Keys’ natural blues register with a subtle sample of James Brown’s "It’s a Man’s Man’s World." Keys opens the track acapella with the lyrics "I keep fallin’ in love with you," drawing out the phrase "in love" for seven seconds before squeezing the phrase "with you" into the last bar of the intro as her piano gains momentum. The intro at once attempts to draw the audience into "deep blue" spaces of forbidden love that the song documents but also invokes the gospel tradition, made famous in the classic soul recordings from the past.

"Fallin" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts back in July and then went to No. 1. Keys’ concerns over survival are perhaps more deeply invoked on the track "Troubles," which is one of the more accomplished tracks on the album. Like many vocalists, Keys struggles to find her own unique phrasing, and she borrows from a wide range of titles. Keys’ own voice is most audibly present on the track "A Woman’s Worth," which has a tone similar to R. Kelly’s 1999 song "When A Woman’s Fed Up." Other standout tracks include "Butterflies," which she wrote at the age of 14. The hidden track, "Lovin’ You is Easy" is one of the most poignant songs on the album, but "Goodbye" sounds like it was written for the annoying teen pop band 3LW. Overall, "Songs in A Minor" is a distinct and brilliant album from a woman who clearly has a sense of her creative talents and has struggled to make her presence known in the R&B world. Alicia Keys has enough staying power to last for the next ten years.

When we hear the words "Texas" and "music" in one sentence, the first thing to come to mind is country music. Seven Channels, hailing from Dallas, is about to change all that. Their self-titled debut album is an excellent work of modern rock music. Released by Mars Music, every song is written by the band itself. The four members consist of Kevin Kirkwood on vocals, Dallas Perry on guitar, Ben Holt on drums, and Dalton Humphreys on bass. They got their break when they were selected as one of the "Top Five Unsigned Bands in America" on VH1’s Rock Across America Tour. Mars Music held a national band showcase called "Quit Your Day Job!" Band Quest, and out of 3000 entries, Seven Channels was chosen as the winner and given a contract. The CD has ten tracks. Their style of rock is upbeat, easy to listen to, and catchy. It pulls you in. They combine vibrant guitar riffs with occasional heavy bass riffs that give their music a kind of uniqueness in today’s littered market of rock music. Think: Matchbox Twenty meets Metallica.

The track "Breathe" has already been released ans is playing on local rock stations. It is a powerful message to a lover who has moved on: "I’m breathing you in/I’m breathing you out/I still feel you though you’re gone." With Kevin’s soulful voice and the band’s Stevie Ray Vaughn influence, it’s a perfect combination. There is not a single song on the album that isn’t likable. If you’re worried that rock music is getting boring, Seven Channels will renew your faith. The best tracks are "Velcro Parade" and "Breathe." Just be careful if you’re listening to this in your car and you stop at a red light. You will get strange looks from the people in the cars next to you because you will be tapping the steering wheel and singing along. It’s too infectious not to.