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 LOVE Melting Pot! My husband and I used to always make a special date night out of it for our dating anniversaries! I have to admit, my favorite is hands down the cheese course. Hot, melty cheese? Drool.
I love the Melting Pot! My favorite course is dessert!
Dessert course 🙂
I’m definitely bringing my boyfriend to this restaurant! Sounds amazing! Looking forward to the melty cheese!
Love your blog, Julie!
Cheese!
I always look forward to dessert so having cheesecake and brownies to dip into melted chocolate would make me look forward to dessert even more so!
I have never been to the Melting Pot but have wanted to for awhile now. I think that the chocolate fondue with all the great dipping items would be right up my alley, although everything looks great!
The chocolate course would be the best part for me
The cheese course is my fav! Love delicious, melty cheese!
Definitely the chocolate!! I’m a big fan of dessert 🙂
Cheese!!!
Dessert of course, I would love trying that caramel white chocolate!
I would definetly try the chocolate! The last time we went was prom and we were poor students who didnt have enough cash to get desert that night! Ha!!
Chocolate for sure!
I’ve never been to the Melting Pot! The crème brûlée white chocolate fondue looks amazing and I would definitely enjoy the bejeezes out of that.
Chocolate, of course!
Chocolate! I tried chocolate fondue at Max Brenner and it was so good. I’m sure Melting Pot’s is just as good 🙂
I have always wanted to try The Melting Pot! I think I would be most excited for the cheese course… cheese and bread – YUM!
I would love to try the cheese course..I’ve had chocolate fondue before, but never actually cheese fondue!
I’d love to try the cheese course- looks delish!
Melted Chocolate…………….. yep sounds good to me 😉
‘Skinny’ and ‘Chocolate’ on the same menu? I’m sold! Though the creme brulee one you had looks delicious as well! 🙂
Definitely the chocolate! 🙂
I have never been to the Melting Pot. What a great date night!!! I would definitely go for the cheese, followed by a very close second to the chocolate :).
So yummy!!!
Cheese course is always a favorite!! Would definitely enjoy their cheese course
I would look forward to the cheese course. It looks wonderful! I have never been to The Melting Pot and would love to try it.
The Ying and Yang Chocolate Fondue! It mixes dark and white chocolate plus looks like a ying yang sign!!!! 🙂 Delicious
I would definitely look forward to the chocolate course the most! The Flaming Turtle sounds fantastic!
obviously definitely the chocolate
Definitely the chocolate course!!
Definitely would look most forward to the cheese course. Everything tastes better with cheese!
Dessert…. Of corse 🙂
I’d love to try e chocolate fondue!
Love love the melting pot!! I always enjoy the cheese the most!! Sometimes my hubby and I just go fo cheese and chocolate!!
Mmmm I’m a sucker for anything combined with dark chocolate so I’d have to say that would be my 1st choice although a close 2nd would be the cheese course!
Dark chocolate for sure! Yum!
Definitely the cheese! Yum!!
I love The Melting Pot!!! Such a perfect choice for a date night. If I had to choose one, which truly, is too hard to do, it would be the cheese course. YUM!
Chocolate!! I LOVE the melting pot’s unique chocolate creations!
You guys look like you had a fantastic date night at the melting pot! I love their salad (the spinach bacon one!) and their chocolate fondues! (I like to ask for more strawberries to pretend I’m being healthier haha)
How can I pick? Its all delicious..but I absolutely love the spinach and artichoke dip with a peach bellini and the turtle chocolate! My and my husband go their every so often and its such a bonding experience! Thanks for sharing your special night with us.
chooooooocolllllaate!!!!!
omg white chocolate = heaven!
Definitely chocolate!
So excited to know they have a Skinny menu!
The chocolate course! Yum!
Cheese fondue for sure!
Cheese!
Cheese fondue….yummy
Chocolate of course! I always get to treat myself when I go out. Don’t normally have that in the house. 🙂