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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The CHEESE fondue is my absolute favorite. I’ve been to a Melting Pot once, and it was years ago. I’d love to go back!
the cheese!!! 🙂
Wow, tough choice. I think the dessert looks amazing but the cheese is calling my name!
Thanks,
Erin
Cheese. All day. Every day.
The melting pot is so fun! Haven’t been in forever! A great place for a Valentine’s Date 🙂 That dessert looked the best to me for sure!
I would 100% be most excited for the chocolate. I went to look at their menu since I haven’t been in YEARS and immediately saw Bananas Foster. DONE! That sounds absolutely incredible.
Definitely the cheese course! I love chocolate, but the tart apples mixed with the melted cheese… yum!
I love their beer and crab cheese fondue. The cheese portion of the meal always wins my heart!
I would love to try the seafood trio!! I have never been to Melting Pot, there are a few near my house!
Perfect timing… I was debating planning a trip to the Melting Pot for my birthday dinner in a few weekends!!
I always look forward to the cheese course… followed in a very close second by the chocolate 🙂
The flaming turtle chocolate fondue sounds amazing
Cheese! I am actually making a cheese fondue tonight with some girlfriends for the Bachelor premier…. woop woop!
Definitely dessert!
dessert for sure!! c’mon! 😉
I would definitely be most excited about the cheese. Nothing sounds more delicious than brie, bacon and apples.
Cheese! Yum, your bacon and brie combo sounds delish!
I looove cheese!!! Especially melted cheese! Oh man that looks tasty! Hope you had a great meal! 🙂
Oh gosh, I’d be sticking my face in the chocolate fondue pot, I love chocolate so much!
Def the white chocolate. I love the melting pot, but have not been for years! I would love to take my daughter, she has never been. White chocolate is her absolute favorite!
The chocolate, for sure!!
Entree for sure! Yours looks ah-mazing!!!
All of the courses sound delish, but I’m a fondue purest and would be most excited for the cheese!
I’ve been dying to try the melting pot, and this post has really impressed me! Everything looks delicious, but I’d be most excited for the chocolate course..chocolate covered cheesecake..who could resist!?
Definitely the entree! Shrimp and veggies, YUM! I could eat veggies dipped in these sauces every day.. it looks and sounds delicious. Could definitely use a date night with my man 🙂
I’ve always wanted to go. It all sounds so yum…but I’m a total cheese fiend so there you have it!
Definitely the chocolate! I’m a dessert girl, and I’ve only been to this restaurant once for my freshman year homecoming dance 🙂
The chocolate for sure! YUM!
Dessert would be awesome
Cheese for me, entree full of red meat for my husband! Neither one of us is big on chocolate, but I’m sure we could suffer through it. 😉
Definitely the chocolate! Need to check this place out in Boston!
Dessert for sure! Me and my boyfriend love sweets!
I’d definitely look forward to the cheese, the brie looks delish!
MMMM……Fondue! I would love all the courses but I would pick the cheese as my fav 🙂
I have such fond memories of my grandparents when I think of fondue.
I have never been to The Melting Pot & would Love to expirence
My hubby & I just saw one in a mall we visited last week.
Would be a great date night 🙂 crossing my fingers (& toes)!!
Cheese hands down! 🙂
Chocolate 🙂
Cheese!!
I would LoVe to try the cheese dish. I have never been to the Melting Pot but it sounds like I would be leaving with a full tummy 🙂
I would go crazy with the chocolate!!! I love food but dessert is my absolute favorite!!!
Cheeeeeese! 🙂
Chocolate Smore Desssert Fondue! For sure!
Chocolate for sure- in fact, your white chocolate creme brulee one sounds fantastic!
Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
Definitely the dessert!
The cheese, definately the cheese! I’m drooling over your pictures.
Chocolate!! But everything there is delicious! I love it and I haven’t been in years!
OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! I’ve been DYYYYYYYING to go to the Melting Pot! It’s always been WAY out of the Date Night Budget for my husband and I, so this would be AWESOME!
I’m definitely most excited about the dessert… or the shrimp… or the mushrooms. Frankly, I guess I’m excited for all of it!!! But if I had to pick one… the dessert!
LOVE the Melting Pot!!! Definitely would be most excited for dessert!!
The cheese course!
I would try the cheese but the white chocolate one looked awesome.
I’m happy to know they now have “skinny” versions of fondue! As for which I course I’d enjoy most… I have to rank them in the same order as they’re served 🙂 It’s perfect.
1. Cheese!
2. Entree
3. Chocolate
Wisco girl!!! Gotta LOVE the cheese fondue!