Melting Point is located at 244 Allen Street, just across the road from Allentown Hardware; a small, unimposing place whose front facade is composed almost entirely of windows. The entire dining area is maybe 15 feet by 12 feet, seating 8 people inside. They could do well to put a couple of tables out on the sidewalk for the summer. Once we walked into the place, we were greeted by the cashier/server and the cook, who was up in the pantry loft throwing bread down onto the kitchen counter. Motown music was playing on the stereo. It felt like we walked off of someone's back porch, into their kitchen and they've offered to throw together a quick lunch. The whole vibe was laid back and comfortable and these guys want you to feel laid back and comfortable. It's the very fine line between something innovative but welcoming and something trendy and pretentious. Melting Point does an excellent job of staying on the right side of that balance. At its core, the menu is very simple. Melting Point is the type of place that has elected to do a controlled number of things very wel,l and that they do. I think it's a symptom of a previous generation to try and do a lot of things, rather than just a few things expertly and we are, thankfully, just beginning to move away from that.

I ordered the "No. 42", which is a combination of cheddar and smoked gouda cheese with thick cut bacon, fresh tomato and baby spinach. I asked for no tomato on mine. This is where that thing about "doing just a few things well" really comes into play. Every bite of my meal was as perfect as it could possibly be, and it is plainly evident that this is only the case because the good people at Melting Point took great care in how they selected their ingredients and how they orchestrated their assembly. If the Gouda was a little more smokey it would've thrown off the balance of flavor, if it was a little less smokey it would've gotten lost. The bread was toasted just enough to get the cheese a little melty but still be golden brown.

My dining companions ordered the No. 28 and No. 4 respectively. As a side note, all of the sandwiches are numbered and I'm not sure how the number assignments work. It seems quite random, but it doesn't really keep me up at night so let's press on. I also decided to try the Sun-Dried Tomato and Roasted Garlic Soup with my sandwich. We got our meals to go, because as I mentioned the dining room is a bit tight and also I needed to come back and write this article on my lunch break. The only conversation around our lunch table was the occasional "Oh God, that is amazing!" or "Hey (insert name), you gotta try this!" The food holds onto your attention and doesn't let go until the meal is done.

The price point might make some people take pause. My grilled cheese sandwich was $8.50 and another $3.29 for a cup of the soup and it did take a few minutes to get everything made & bagged up to go. Again though, there is a commitment to quality that you taste in the finished product that will make you throw any concern about the cost right out the window. Good food takes time to prepare and that's not a bad thing, but I would suggest you save this for a day when you have at least 45 minutes to really enjoy it. It's not an everyday kind of option (then it can get old and a little expensive), but it is a great every-now-and-then kind of option. While we were waiting the line grew out the door; clearly, I'm not the only one who recognizes what Melting Point is trying to accomplish. I punctuate any review with the request that anyone who reads this does not substitute my judgment for their own. Hopefully I've intrigued you enough to head down to Allentown and try it for yourself.