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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My favorite course would definitely be the dessert portion. I have never been to The Melting Pot, but I hear absolutely wonderful things about it. I’ve never experienced cheese or the entree portion of fondue, but dessert is ALWAYS close to my heart!
Chocolate! As good as every course looks, I have to go with the dessert! I am drooling a little just thinking about it.
Chocolate! Is that even a question??? 🙂
Cheese would absolutely be the course I look forward to the most. I love fondue and it would be such a nice treat to go!
Ok, I have been to the melting pot before and I was not a huge fan, But I would go back and give that white chocolate creme broule a shot!
The cheese course! I love cheese and I would love to take my big sister out for a night on the town!
cheese!
Gotta be the cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeese course! 🙂
The cheese part indefinitely the best!
Whoops, I meant is definitely the best*
I would LOVE to try the brie and bacon cheese fondue!!
I love the cheese portion…dipping the crusty bread is my favorite!!!
While I am a chocolate lover- I would look forward to the cheese course the most! 🙂 sounds so good!
cheese, cheese, cheese. always cheese.
The dessert course is fantastic!! I’d be getting the s’more fondue for sure. 🙂
I’m a HUGE fan of mushrooms, so I’d probably have to pick the main course.
The cheese!! Although that whole meal looks heavenly!
Cheese. And more Cheese. And did I mention cheese?
I’m a big sucker for all things sweet. So bring on the chocolate.
I’m a sweets, the fiance is a savory. So I want the dessert. She can eat the rest!
that’s a tough one because i realllyyyyyy love cheese & chocolate! but, the brie and bacon one you ordered sounds amazing!
I would think that my favorite part of the meal would be the dessert portion, but I’ve been to the Melting Pot before, and my favorite part is actually the appetizer cheese fondue with the apples and bread! I think I always go when I’m hungry, so the first part of the meal always tastes the best 😀
Chocolate!!!
I would definitely look forward to dessert the most. I have never been to the melting pot, but it looks delicious!
It would be hard to choose between Thr cheese and the chocolate, but I would have to go with the chocolate! Dessert is the best when done well. 🙂
The cheese and chocolate courses tie for me. Both are always amazing!
That looks so fun! I’d love to go to a fondue restaurant one time 🙂
Chocolate for sure!!!
I have never been to the melting pot, even though there is one near me. I would love the dessert course…
Ooh, I’ve never been to The Melting Pot, but have always wanted to and your post convinced me that I need to make a trip soon! I would enjoy both the chocolate and cheese immensely…although maybe the cheese a tad more because that apple and bread combo sounds fantastic!
Oooh, tough choice, I love cheese and chocolate! And the entree looked great too! But honestly, I think I would look the most forward to the cheese course!! Yum!
Chocolate definitely!
Anything with cheese you can count me in!
I would definitely enjoy the dessert. I haven’t been to The Melting Pot yet but it is definitely on my bucket list of restaurants that I’d like to eat at one day. I’ve heard such great things about it.
Definitely the chocolate11
After seeing how delicious the cheese fondue looks, that would be the course I’d be most excited for!
The cheese!!!
CHOCOLATE of course!
Definitely have to go with chocolate on this one!
Definitely the cheese course. I love all of their cheese fondue!
cheeeese! what a great date!
Definitely the cheese course!
I am ALL about the cheese course! I went dairy free for a couple months and felt great, but the cheese calls me back 🙂
I have always wanted to try the Melting Pot. The chocolate fondue sounds amazing!
Chocolate!! Yum!! Cute outfit, too! 🙂
The dessert at the melting pot is out of this world!!
I love CHEESE!!! Especially when it’s melted over apples or pears. So yummy!
Cheese if my favorite course!! I would love it!
Dessert has long been my favorite part of any meal, so I would love the chocolate fondue! YUM
I have never been to the melting pot even though I have always wanted to but I would go for chocolate without a doubt! It would make a wonderful 4 year anniversary date night with my boyfriend! 🙂