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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I loove Melting Pot! I went last year for my brother’s graduation dinner and have been dying to go back ever since! The cheese course is definitely my favorite, so creamy and delicious! I would love to check out their Skinny Dipping menu as well!
LOVE white chocolate and dark chocolate mixed
Putting oranges in that mix = heaven
Great blog
I’m 35 weeks pregnant and CHEESE has been one of my go-to items so it would be the cheese course! Would love to treat my hubby to one last date night before baby arrives in February!
Chocolate!!! 🙂
I absolutely LOVE the fiesta cheese fondue from The Melting Pot. I always look forward to enjoying the cheese course!
I have NEVER been to The Melting Pot and it always looks so amazing!!!
I am a savory fan all the way and would love to try the cheese and entree fondues.
I’ve never been to The Melting Pot but I imagine the Cheese course would be my favorite!
I would LOVE the cheese part of the meal. Yum!
I love the main entre with all the vegetables. We always get refills on veggies!
Cheese is definitely my weakness… so cheese it is : ) The Melting Pot is a great “Date Night” restaurant!
A big pot o’ cheese sounds heavenly!
The brie and bacon cheese sounds delicious, I love the apple and brie combination!
I love melting pot. It’s one of my favourite restaurants. The cheese fondue is my favourite. We get the Swiss cheese and it’s always delicious. I hope to be able to go again soon 🙂
Dessert all the way! I am a big white chocolate fan so I would definitely try what you had.
Like most of the other commenters, my favorite has always been cheese fondue! Although I am definitely a huge fan of dessert, there’s just something about dipping bread and veggies into melted cheese that cannot be beat 🙂 Love it!!
Dessert is always my favorite part of a meal – bring on the chocolate!
I would love the cheese fondue – followed closely by the chocolate. Your post had me salivating!
Dark chocolate fondue all the way! I haven’t been to the Melting Pot in ages… but after this post, I have a craving!!
chocolate, of course! 🙂
Definitely the cheese course!!!
I love the melting pot! This would be a great date night. Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
Chooooooocalate! Love the turtle fondue.
I look forward to the cheese course, for SURE!! I’m drooling just thinking about it!
Chocolate!!
I’d love to try The Melting Pot! I’d love to try the cheese courses Mmmmm
The chocolate! Nothing beats a good chocolate fondue!
Cheese!!
It would be a toss-up between cheese and chocolate! They both sound amazing! I have heard great things about the melting pot! Always wanted to try it!
Cheese!!! I love cheese and I haven’t had a Fondue Meal in FOREVER! Sounds tasty tasty!
Without a doubt, I would love the chocolate course! They save the best for last for a reason right?
My mom and I have always wanted to try The Melting Pot, it would be a great way to celebrate her birthday. I’m sure all of the courses are great but we’re both chocolate lovers so chocolate would probably take the cake;)
I’ve always wanted to go to the melting pot! I think my favorite would have to be the cheese course, followed by the dessert course.
Chocolate, for sure!
The cheese fondue is by far my favorite—love dipping the apples in it! But I do love the marshmallows that come with the chocolate fondue, as well!
Oh, I’ve never been and have been dying to try it. Well, I’d probably be waiting for the chocolate course, but my husband would be a sucker for the cheese course.
I love a good fondue date night, For me, it’s a toss up between cheese and chocolate – but my sweet tooth always wins!
Just discovered your blog through Pinterest and am hooked! I haven’t been to The Melting Pot in years, but absolutely love it. Can’t get enough of their cheese fondue and vegetables.
I’ve always wanted to try the melting pot! I think I’d love the cheese portion at the beginning! You can never have too much cheese!
Dessert would be my favorite!!! I LOVE the Melting Pot and am hoping to go there for Valentine’s Day as my boyfriend has never experienced it. 🙂
Chocolate! I have the biggest sweet tooth, but the only time I’ve been to Melting Pot I filled up on too much cheese and didn’t save room for dessert! Ever since then I’ve been wanting to go back to see what I missed out on!
I’m thinking the cheese!!! That salad also looked amazing!!! Have wanted to go and take the kids for some time!!
Love The Melting Pot. Wish there was one closer to me. It’s difficult to choose my favorite course but cheese is what I think first when considering fondue.
I would love to try the CHEESE course! I’ve never been to Melting Pot and have heard it’s amazing!
The best memory I have is when 3 of my best girlfriends and I all went to the melting pot to celebrate graduating from college! Good Times! If I could go again the course I would look forward to the most would have to be dipping in CHOCOLATE all the way!!!! Its definitely my
favorite all the way!
No question, DESSERT!
I’ve never been to the Melting Pot, but LOVE LOVE LOVE fondue! My favorite course would be the cheese fondue! I have a serious addiction to cheese and add it to anything I can get away with. I probably eat about a pound a week by myself! LOL Everything looks fantastic though!
To be consistent with my New Year’s resolutions, I’d have to pick entree. Although I would not protest if my boyfriend wanted to order dessert. 😉
I have never been!! But I love cheese and that would be a great date night for the Man and I. We are short on time and money because he just went back to school but this would be fantastic!!
cheeeeeese! yum
Dessert… my favorite!!!
I LOVE the Melting Pot so much I would wash my hair with that cheese and chocolate! Maybe it’s my Swiss heritage 🙂