Ryan and I went out on a fondue date last night!
Our first date night of 2013 took us to The Melting Pot in downtown Ocala.
Downtown Ocala is still decorated for the holidays, so we had fun walking around the square before dinner and taking in the holiday sights before they’re put away until next year.
Once we meandered over to the restaurant, we were immediately greeted by the hostess and escorted to a cozy booth.
Drinks!
Tipsy Turtle + Blackberry Bourbon Bramble
Ryan and I planned our date night after I received a press release from The Melting Pot inviting me to try some of the dishes on the restaurant’s new Skinny Dipping menu. The Skinny Dipping menu features three courses – a salad, fondue entrée and dark chocolate fondue dessert – for less than 700 calories. I selected a salad and entrée off the Skinny Dipping menu last night and loved both of my choices! (I veered off the Skinny Dipping menu for the cheese and chocolate fondue courses.)
Our meal began with the cheese fondue!
Ryan and I selected the special of the day which included a big pot of brie and bacon cheese fondue, served with bread, tart apple slices and fresh vegetables for dipping.
Oh cheese fondue, you are so fabulous!
Our waitress suggested placing a piece of bread and an apple slice on our fondue forks at the same time before dipping it into the cheese and the flavor combination was fantastic!
Salads were delivered to our table shortly after we finished the cheese course.
I ordered the spinach salad topped with baby Portobello mushrooms, red onion, chopped bacon, Roma tomatoes and a warm burgundy shallot vinaigrette. Though this salad came off the Skinny Dipping menu, it didn’t taste lightened up at all! The toppings were quite generous and the dressing was delicious.
When it came time to order our entrees, I decided to go for a combination of shrimp and teriyaki-marinated sirloin.
At first I thought the portion looked rather small, but as I started eating, I filled up fast. (I think I had a head start on filling my belly with the cheese course!)
Every entrée comes with fresh vegetables to cook in your fondue pot and I couldn’t get enough of the mushrooms! They were the best, especially when dipped in the various sauces.
Ryan and I both agreed that the five dipping sauces that came with our entrees added so much to our meal. My favorite two sauces were the teriyaki and the mild, yogurt-based curry sauce.
And then it was time for dessert! The shining star of any fondue experience!
It didn’t take much convincing from our waitress for us to order the crème brûlée white chocolate fondue for dessert.
Caramel shavings were sprinkled atop creamy white chocolate and set afire before we cracked the caramel coating with our fondue forks and dipping items.
I am normally not a huge white chocolate fan, but the caramel component of this fondue took it to another level. Ryan and I used our spoons to get every last bit of chocolate out of our fondue pot. Incredible!
And now here’s the really fun part!
One of YOU will win a $100 gift card to The Melting Pot to enjoy your own fantastic fondue experience! (To find a location near you, you can visit The Melting Pot’s Locations page.)
To enter this giveaway, please tell me what course you would look forward to enjoying the most if you won the gift card. Cheese? Chocolate? Entrée?
I will randomly select a winner on Tuesday.
Good luck!!!
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CHOOOOOOOCOLATE!
I love cheese. I think it would be a toss up between the cheese and desert, but Im guessing cheese would win!
Chocolate fondue for sure! It’s amazing.
Would have to try the brie & bacon….sounds delish!!!
My favorite course is the Chocolate. Smores is my favorite! 🙂
Definitely the cheese!! Although I love sweets, I can’t pass up cheesy goodness and I’m curious to try the apple/bread combo!
I’m a big food lover, so I looked at the menu and decided the Chocolate Smores sounds beyond heavenly. Desserts > Cheese.
My favorite course would be the Chocolate!!!
If I have to pick one I’d say chocolate but I like it all!
I would love to try the fondue vegetables! I have never been to a Melting Pot and would thoroughly enjoy it! 🙂
ordinarily i’d say dessert, but that cheese fondue just sounds ridiculously amazing. i’ve never been to the melting pot before, i’ve only heard good things!
chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate please!
My boyfriend and I have been to the Melting Pot in New Orleans (where I live!) once or twice, and we always, always rave about the chocolate dessert fondues. I actually purchased my own fondue set (it doesn’t live up to the Melting Pot by any means!). Although the cheese and entrees are tasty, I am a dessert girl through and through, so I’d definitely be looking forward to the end of the meal, dessert! 😀
Chocolate of course! This is a great giveaway. My husband and I went to melting pot when we first started dating and both got sick the next day! I am pretty sure it was not the food, but rather the stomach bug that was floating around; needless to say, we have never been back, but I would die for the chocolate fondue now! 🙂
Definitely the chocolate– Dessert all the way!
I’m a Chocoholic!!! The chocolate course is by far my favorite. And dipping all the amazing fruits and desserts into the chocolate can’t be beat!
definitely the chocolate! sugar all the way 🙂
Cheese, cheese and more cheese!
Boy, for me it would be a pretty close call between the cheese and chocolate. I think I’d go with chocolate though, the darker – the better!
Definitely the cheese!
OMG that all looks so delicious!! I think I would love the dessert course the most. LOVE white chocolate!!
I would have to say that the cheese fondue is my favorite part 🙂
I’ve always wanted to go to the Melting Pot & I’m definitely all about the melting pot!
I meant I’m definitely all about the cheese…ha!
I would love love love to try the dessert course! Dipping food in CHOCOLATE is right up my alley!!! Hope I win =)
I love the Melting Pot! Cannot go wrong with cheese fondue!!
The cheese course is easily my favorite course! I love the Melting Pot.
AHHH THE CHOCOLATE for sure even though the cheese looks very tempting!! I would LOVEEEE a gift card there! I have never gotten the chance to go since I’ve never lived near one until now! YAY Richmond 😀
I ate at the Melting Pot last night, too, but near San Francisco. We had the Smores combo for dessert and it was delicious! They didn’t tell us creme brulee was an option. Different menus in different parts of the country??
Chocolate!!! I would definitely have to try that white chocolate-caramel combo you had. Sounds amazing!!!
Definitely dessert. 🙂 Mmm.
I think all the courses would be amazing! I have never been to the melting pot, but I hear so many good things about it =) I think if I got the gift card I would have to make it a fab date night with my husband to try something new!
Cheese or chocolate, such a tough decision but would probably have to go with chocolate! Yummy!
I love cheese fondue, but I’ve never tried chocolate, mmm!
The cheese!!!! It sounds so delicious!
I think I look forward most to the chocolate, because there are few things more satisfying than sticking a piece of cheesecake into a melty pool of dark chocolate! mmmmm!
Cheese for sure! I love cheese so much!
Oh my gosh the cheese!!!
Chocolate of course!
That is such a tough call but I’d have to go with the cheese!! Or chocolate!! Maybe I’d combine them 🙂
chocolate!! Sounds like a fun date night
I love the cheese and chocolate courses! I could skip the salad and entree and just have those two courses 🙂
Chocolate! We went there for our anniversary and had the most amazing white chocolate fondue. The creme brulee one you had looks DELCIOUS!
I would love the cheese fondue!
Chocolate fondue! I absolutely love creme brûlée.
I would LOVE the cheese course. Nothing beats cheese and bread!
Hi Julie! Love your blog! My husband and I went the melting pot for the first time back in October for our one year wedding anniversary and we loved every bite! I definitely would go back for the delicious cheese fondue but my husband loves desserts so he would love to go back for the chocolate fondue! We loved the melting pot!
No doubt about it, chocolate all the way!
Chocolate all the way!! Melting Pot dessert is paradise for this chocoholic 🙂
Cheese. Cheese. Cheese. Cheese. And I love the fact that they have a gluten free menu.
CHEESE!!!! My boyfriend and I both love cheese, a fondue date night sounds like fun!