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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Cheese course!
I love The Melting Pot! My fav course is the cheese, all the bread and veggies are the best!
The cheese would probably be my favorite although it all look amazing! I’ve been dying to try this place forever!!
It is a really close call for me between the cheese & the chocolate! Thanks for a chance to win a great giveaway!
You sold me on the white chocolate/Carmel combination for sure!
I don’t know if I can choose just one! They all look so delicious, but I would be most excited about chocolate=)
Tough choice. It would be a toss up between the cheese course or the dessert course. I’m such a sucker for both!
I always look forward to the bananas foster fondue dessert!! It is amazing.
The chocolate fondue dessert! My boyfriend and I love this place!!
Oh man, it ALL looks so good! But cheese is definitely the way to my heart!
The dessert course!! I love chocolate!
I love me some cheese fondue but I have to go with chocolate fondue all the way on this one!! Your white chocolate fondue looks especially delicious 😀
I love cheese, but I would definitely be saving room for the chocolate fondue!
I would eat ALL the noms, but specifically the chocolate-y goodness. 😉
i’d be most excited to try the cheese! who doesnt love bubbly, melted cheese? 🙂
I love the Melting Pot and the cheese is absolutely my favorite. Can’t get enough!! My 6 year wedding anniversary is today, and I would love to take my husband. : )
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Cheese! I *love* cheese fondue.
I’ve been to the melting pot for dessert before and it is so good. I’d like to be able to try one of their main courses the next time I go!
Ohmygosh my mouth was watering through that whole post—and wishing there was a Melting Pot close to me! Turns out, there is!! The creme brule with the caramel looks heavenly.
I love anything chocolate so my favorite part would be dessert!
I’ve always wanted to try The Melting Pot!!! I would be all over that cheese course!!
The dessert! It looks amazing!
Definitely the chocolate!!
Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese! 🙂
Great giveaway!!! I have only been to The Melting Pot once, but there are so many other things that I would love to try! Plus, some of my friends have never had fondue before so I would like to take them there and make it into a little girls night. It would be so fun!
I’ve never had fondue before! But out of all the courses the cheese looked the best!
Cheese! Cheese and vegetables & cheese and bread…. YUM!
I’ve never been to the melting pot before! It’s always been one of those restaurants I’ve driven by & wonderedmwhatnitsnlike! After your review, I most definitely want to give it a try! All the components sound amazing to me but I must say that the chocolate fondue sounds incredible. I blame my sweet tooth! I’d lick the chocolate bowl clean with no shame 🙂
*wondered what it’s like. Silly iPad is hard to type on
Love love love fondue. I used to go all the time as a kid with my family because I was such a picky eater and it was the one type of restaurant where I really went to town on it haha
Cheese, of course!
I love The Melting Pot and I would love to try the creme brulee chocolate fondue! 🙂
Obviously the dessert course! Looks amazing!
Can’t beat the cheese course, however, the chocolate is a close second.
I have been hearing about the Melting Pot for years (and we even have one near us that I pass all the time), but have never been! I think the best part for me would either be the cheese or entree, since I’ve done a chocolate fountain-type thing before.
Cree Brûlée is my favorite! The dessert you had sounds so decadent, I know I could do quite a number on it! 🙂
That’s a complete toss up between the cheese and chocolate! But… I’d probably have to go for the cheese. ; ) Love the melting pot, haven’t been in years!
Definitely the cheese course!
dessert for sure!
I’ve never been to The Melting Pot but now I really want to go! I think the entree looks delicious – especially with the mushrooms – but I think I would be most excited about the chocolate dessert!
What a perfect place for a date night! Me and my fiancé would be all about the cheese. Looks delicious!!
The cheese course, of course!
They all look yum, but clearly I’d be most excited about the chocolate course…yummm
Cheese, for sure! The Brie and bacon you selected looks amazing, but I love every cheese at melting pot. So delicious!!
I LOVE the Melting Pot! And I would look forward to the cheese course the most!!
There is a melting pot a few blocks from my house but I’ve never been! I would definitely be all over the cheese fondue!
The dessert course, hands down! Although your entire meal looked fabulous 🙂
It’s a hard choice… but I think the chocolate dessert takes the cake!
I’m a sucker for creme brûlée !! I haven’t been there since my 16th bday my husbands never been !
Cheese!
All 3 sound fabulous, but I would look forward to the cheese fondue the most!