There has been a lot of buzz lately about Crave, the new Fondue restaurant and bar in West Des Moines, but I wanted to see if this upscale West Glenn restaurant would live up to its reputation.

When I turned off Mills Civic Parkway, I realized why there was so much buzz about Crave. The restaurant looks posh. Stores like Sticks and A Touch of Italy surround it. The whole shopping district is filled with expensive, upscale stores. The area is relatively new and beautifully designed.

One can tell by looking at the cars parked in the area this wasn’t Indianola anymore. So I parked my car next to a Lexus and a Mustang and prepared myself to walk into the restaurant.

As we walked in, I immediately felt out of place. Not only were we the youngest people there, but some of the only females. The hostess asked us if we wanted to go to the fondue room or stay in the bar and grill. We chose the fondue room.

The atmosphere of the fondue room is very relaxing. The furniture is modern, and almost everything is in a neutral color. The blue and red lights were the only bright colors in the room. Every table has its own range for the fondue. On the other hand, the bar-and-grill area is almost all blue and silver and is dimly lit. There is a small dance floor towards the back and a patio out front. I can see why it would be a relaxing place to go after work.

Looking over the menu, I realized the true reason for the entire buzz. This place is expensive. For a full fondue meal for two, it’s $69 or $85. For each additional person, it’s $35 to $40. The meal includes an appetizer fondue, a salad, a main course meat fondue and a desert fondue. It comes with a lot of food, but on a college budget we couldn’t afford to order the full meal. We opted to get the cheddar cheese appetizer fondue thinking it might be enough food for the three of us. We also ordered martinis to accompany our meal and our sorrow for our low budgets.

The martinis and food were excellent. Unfortunately, the Fondue appetizer was not enough to feed the three of us. We were all still hungry. The table behind us ordered the full fondue meal. It smelled delicious. As we sipped on our martinis, we watched them bring out the desert fondue. It looked wonderful. This was the last straw, we decided to go and get some food we could actually afford.

In retrospect, Crave was a fun place to go. It’s something totally different from anything in Indianola. It would be fun to go have martinis and a light meal. I stress light. Otherwise, one could bring their parents or a very wealthy and generous friend. It would also make for a romantic date. Another option would be to sit in the bar and grill area. The menu is less expensive, but doesn’t offer any fondue.

So until I have a real job and no student loans, I’ll be staring at Crave from afar. I’ll let wealthy professionals enjoy $85 fondue without me. My credit card will appreciate it.