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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Ohhhh this all looks fabulous! I would love to try out the cheese course…and the chocolate course. Two of my favorite foods! 🙂
I love the melting pot. I really love the entre course. The meat and veggies have so much flavor and i love all the different dipping options!
Obviously the chocolate course would be my favorite!
Chocolate!!! Yum yum yum!
Definitely the cheese! That brie looks great!
It would have to be the chocolate! Delicious.
I’ve been to the Melting Pot in Minneapolis a few years ago. The cheese fondue was to die for. I think if I could only pick one course, I’d go with cheese. Yum!
I would most definatley try that Brie fondue! It sounds amazing- followed buy a big pot of Chocolate Fondue!!!!
Why it’s all about the cheese, of course! And if anyone says differently… You KNOW they are lying thru their teeth! Lol!
I love the cheese!
I have always wanted to go here – I think i would love the cheese and the entree and the chocolate 😉 they all look amazing
King of Prussia , Pa location is closest to me! Oh the Melting Pot! I would try the cheese fondue and anything chocolate! With my 3 children under 8 my hubby and I never treat ourselves! We went once on Valentines Day 2004 before children and it was decadent! I would love a date night or even to take my oldest daughter so she could try the myriad of food choices- All of my children enjoy their veggies and fresh clean food! To them dipping anything in pot of fondue is fun!!! YES Chocolate and anything peanut butter to couple that I am in:-)
cheeeeeeese!!
I once visited this place back in 2008 with my husband..the fondue was really great but we didn’t get a chance to visit this again ever since then….this giveaway looks pretty damn good :-)..i would love to try their entree and desert fondue…
Chocolate!!!
I love the CHEESE course – the ooey, gooeyness gets me every time we go out for fondue 🙂
Mine would totally be the cheese, but my husband just yelled, “No way, are you crazy? Chocolate all the way!”
The graham cracker covered marshmallows are my favorite. Paired with any of the Melting Pot chocolate offerings!!
I’ve never been but have been dying to try it. I would definately look forward to the cheese, who doesn’t love cheese. I wouldn’t be able to pass up the dessert though because I love sweets!
Although I do love shrimp…I think I love the chocolate more. And if it’s dark chocolate I can trick myself in to thinking it’s actually good for me to clean my plate. Kind of like eating all of your veggies right? 😉
I would definitely most look forward to the chocolate/dessert. I can’t imagine going to the melting pot and not indulging in it!
I have eaten at the Melting Pot before during Restaurant Week in Austin, but would love to take my mom to experience the fun as well. We would both enjoy the dessert round the most…thank you for the opportunity : )
mmmm… just thinking about The Melting Pot makes me hungry! I actually like to go and get the sampler kind of entree with all the different kinds of protein to dunk. It reminds me a little of hibachi except way more fun because of the do-it-yourself opportunity and the options! Would LOVE to win that gift card!
Cheese course is the best!
My favorite course of the meal is the dessert!! Such a fun dinner date 🙂
YUM!! I had a fondue night with friends this weekend, and chocolate fondue is by far the best part!
By far I would enjoy the dessert-chocolate the most!!!! I would love to win!
The brie and bacon sounds amazing!!! I just went to an authentic Swiss fondue restaurant last night and it was great! I’d love to try The Melting Pot.
The Cheese course, definitely!!! We have two Melting Pots in St. Louis! We love going there for special occasions!!
I haven’t been to a fondue restaurant in years, so I would love to go to the Melting Pot and go hog wild on the chocolate! 🙂
The cheese and chocolate courses are my FAV!!
The apple+bread dipped in cheese sounds fantastic!!
Cheese for sure! I have never been but hubby and I have always talked about going.
My husband and I have been to the Melting Pot once. We LOVED it. The cheese course is awesome. A very close second would be the dessert course. EVERYTHING tastes better in cheese!
I’ve been before and the chocolate dessert is amazing! Would love to get to go again!
FLAMING TURTLE CHOCOLATE FONDUE!!!!!!!!!!!
We recently took our 4 year old here before Christmas. He loved being able to make his own meal and pratically licked the dessert bowl!!! I’m interested to try to the apple/bread/cheese combination now.
I’ve only been to the MP for dessert so now I would love to have some cheee-eee-se!
Entree! The vegetables look fantastic!
Without a doubt, the chocolate fondue!
I’m always so, so torn between cheese and chocolate!
The chocolate desserts would be a dream *____*
Definitely the cheese course! Love all things cheese! A new melting pot just opened 5 minutes from me in NC. I drive by everyday dreaming about fondue!
I’ve been to the Melting Pot once, and ummm..every course was my favorite! BUT, if I had to pick just one, I would say the cheese fondue because don’t get me wrong-I..love..chocolate-but for me, I don’t usually cook or eat with fancy cheeses or fun combinations. It is nice to give your taste buds a vacation! 😉
I have never tried anything like this and before I read your reviews didn’t think I would want to. Everything you described had me more and more interested. I love ALL things cheese, so I would be all about that. Would love to make a date night out of this!
Chocolate!! That meal looked delicious and like the perfect date night 🙂
I am a big cheese lover and if I won I’d bring my boyfriend. Too bad he’s lactose intolerant…I guess that means I’d be able to enjoy the whole dish to myself 😉
If I won the $100 gift card, “I would be happier than a bird with a French fry.” No, really, I would treat my boyfriend to a nice dinner. I’m a sweets girl, so I would be looking forward to dessert the most. The whole meal would be a treat though. We are cheese lovers. 🙂
Looks like you guys had a great time! I would love to try the cheese fondue – total cheese fanatic.
I would go with the cheese course, you had me at bacon 😉