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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Chocolate fondue is the ultimate!!! Such a special treat! I can’t agree more about the mushrooms- they are so sneaky delicious! Looks like you guys had a great time 🙂
I would definitely be looking forward to the cheese fondue!! Yum!
Also, I’m a new reader and so glad I found your blog! 🙂
While I am obsessed with the California salad there and ultimately would enjoy every course, the chocolate fondue is hands down my favorite!!! I absolutely LOVE the s’mores and the flaming turtle options and can never seem to get enough!
Looks like an awesome date night! You look beautiful 🙂 I’d choose the chocolate as my favorite for sure…
I have such a sweet tooth, I’d have to say the chocolate! I love the desserts you get to dip into the fondue, also. Yum!
Although I love everything the Melting Pot has to offer, when I hear fondue I think yummy chocolate with bananas! 🙂 yummy!
Chocolate…of course!
I would love love love the choclate course! My boyfreind and I went there our first date almost 5 years ago and we would love to go back!
Definitely the dessert! I’m a sucker for anything chocolate..
I love love love the melting pot. It is such a fun experience. I must admit my favorite part is dessert. How can you beat chocolate covered fruit? 🙂 I’m glad y’all had a fun date night!
I would definitely love the chocolate part! Yum! It’s nice to splurge a bit here and there 🙂 That’s so nice you were able to spend more time on your date night! I feel like a lot of the time, we spend rushing from one activity to the next (or at least I do), so to pause and actually enjoy both the food and time spent with the people you love is really a treat most people don’t allow themselves. Something to work on for this year’s New Years resolution!!
Is that a real question?! Chocolate hands down. Bring on the marshmallows and strawberries!!
Oh the Chocolate! I LOVE chocolate fondue!
I would definitely look forward to the cheese course the most… followed very closely by the dessert!
Totally the cheese fondue! Cheese is one of my weaknesses…love it!
Cheese, chocolate…cheese, chocolate…! Both are so good, but I think I would have to go with chocolate. Yumm!
Definitely going to have to say the cheese course!!!
When my husband and I first started dating we went to the Melting Pot and enjoyed every amazing course!!! It was so exciting to see what came out next! It was a fantastic experience! Unfortunately we haven’t been back since. 🙁 I of course love anything chocolate, but I also would like to try the new skinny dipping options as well! My husband however is a huge cheese guy and I have a feeling he could eat the whole pot full himself…. And I may have to help out some. 😉 I can’t wait to go back soon!
I love that you and Ryan do date nights! I would definitely look forward to the cheese course the most and that Brie with bacon sounds amazing- sounds right up my husband’s alley! 🙂
I would love all three courses, but I am pretty sure the entree would be my favorite with the teriyaki steak!!
Cheese fondue is my favourite!
Definitely chocolate!
CHEESE!! I have a savory palate for sure, but you did make the dessert course sound a-mazing as well!
That cheese fondue looks amazing. Yum!
The Melting Pot is one of my favorite restaurants! I go for the cheese, although the chocolate is a close 2nd. The salads are pretty good too 🙂
I LOVE the melting pot!! My favorite part is actually the vegetable part as you mentioned. I love eating the mushrooms, brocolli and potatoes with the yummy sauces!
The cheese!! Love it with the apples. Never tried it in combination with the bread, need to try that!
The cheese! Always the cheese!
You can never go wrong with cheese!
The cheese fondue is amazing!!
I’m a sweets girl… chocolate for sure!
My favorite course is the entree course. Yummm!
I LOVE the Melting Pot! It’s a Valentine’s Day date tradition =) While the entrees are delicious, the cheese and chocolate are my favorite parts of the meal!
Mmmm melted cheese! You can’t go wrong!
Cheese! Although, that dessert does look seriously amazing.
I have always wanted to try The Melting Pot! I have a major sweet tooth so I would probably look forward to the dessert the most, but the cheese fondue looks delicious too!! I would love to win this giveaway!
The cheese course. Definitely most excited about the cheese.
Cheese or desserts!!! Both the best
Downtown Ocala looks very pretty!
Yum! The cheese fondue is always my favorite!
I can never get enough CHEESE!
I can’t lie- the chocolate would definitely be the most exciting course for me!!!
I was just talking to my husband about going to The Melting Pot for our 6 months of marriage date night! I am most anxious about the dessert because of my sweet tooth but the cheese looks as equally delicious!
I’ve been to the melting pot once before but I’m a fan of fondue (the cheese, that is). But the chocolate fondue was by far one of the best desserts I’ve had. We got the s’mores cookies and cream one and I literally fell in love with it. I probably would have licked the pan if it weren’t hot 😉
That creme brûlée looks fabulous!
Definitely cheese!
I’m a cheese girl! 🙂 Last time I was there I tried the fiesta cheese… To. Die. For.
I’m a sucker for salty foods! The cheese fondue would definitely be mine and my hubby’s favorite! (However, those mushrooms you spoke of sound amazing! I’ve been adding mushrooms to everything recently!)
Definitely looking forward to the chocolate course!
That dessert fondue looks AMAZING! I would go solely for dessert fondue…yum!