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!!! Cheese!! Cheese!! Please!!:):) that looks delicious! 🙂
Josh and I will be celebrating our third Valentines Day together in February. Every year we go for fondue, I would love for us to be able to do it again this year at a new restaurant!
Hands down the dessert is what I would look forward to the most!! What a great date spot- you look gorgeous!
It all looks so good! I have never been to the melting pot, but I love chocolate, so I would look forward to that course!
I should have specified, we go for cheese fondue 🙂
I would look forward to the bananas foster dessert fondue! My boyfriend and I went here for our one year anniversary after he surprised me with a hot air balloon ride…our 3 year anniversary is coming up and I would love to eat there again, such a great memory!
Such a tough choice but I’d have to go with the cheese fondue! Those dipping sauces look delicious too!
I would be all about the chocolate part!
We have a melting pot in our city, and it is by far our favorite restaurant in all of Denver! One of our favorite parts is the beer and cheddar cheese fondue. It’s such a great combination of two amazing things on earth…beer and cheese! But honestly, there isn’t anything on their menu that isn’t worth drooling over!!!!
I love the Melting Pot! I’ve only been once, I’d love to try it out again and that desert you got looks AMAZING!
I am all about the cheese!
The cheese course looked amazing! That’s the one I would be most excited about.
The chocolate fondue is to die for! The cheesecake is my favorite part.
Chocolate course FTW, obviously. 😉
Btw, downtown Ocala looks so cute! I’ve never been (just the panhandle and Orlando). It would be cool if you did a virtual tour for a future post!
Nothing better than chocolate fondue!
The CHEESE!! Looks so yummy 🙂
Chocolate of course!
While the entrees look fabulous… I would have to say that as a chocolate lover, I would most enjoy the chocolate fondue with all the fun things to dip!
I’ve never been to the Melting Pot but there is one about 30 minutes from me!! 🙂
Holy hannah I would look forward to the chocolate baby!!!!
The cheese course for sure! I was born in WI 🙂
Cheese, definitely the cheese. Everything tastes better with cheese and if you actually get to DIP in cheese, even better! Live the Melting Pot!!
Mmmm…the cheese. I have always wanted to go to the Melting Pot, but we never could spring for the price. This would be fabulous!!
I have always wanted to go to the melting pot! We have one here in edmonton Alberta Canada , but I have yet to try it so this would be the perfect opportunity for date night with my hubby! I would defiantly try the skinny menu … And would be all over the dessert! Sweet tooth for this lady big time haha 🙂
I would definitely have to say the creme brulee white chocolate!! It sounds sinfully delicious…Will and Grace, anyone? 🙂
cheese course! yummmmmm!
I haven’t been to The Melting Pot, but it looks delicious!! The cheese looks amazing! I would definitely want to try that. 🙂 🙂
Cheese! I’ve been wanting to try the Melting Pot for awhile!
The cheese fondue! You’re salad looked amazing as well! I see a date nigh in our near future!
It all looks delicious, but I would be most excited for the cheese!
Me and the baby belly would love the chocolate dessert course! Yum!!!!
Bread and cheese fondue is my favorite! The shrimp looked pretty good too though.
Cheese all the way! I’ve never been to a Melting Pot and I’ve been dying to go.
I love the idea of trying all the dipping sauces, but I would be most excited about the chocolate!!!
CHEESE!!! 🙂
Chocolate! That looks so amazing
It all looks amazing! Even though the entree looks fresh and very appealing, I would definitely opt for the chocolate dipping sauce! thanks for sharing the review!
I had no idea there was one near me! I would love the cheese!
Tough call between the cheese and the chocolate but I’ll go cheese!
It would be a hard choice between the cheese and chocolate…..but I am a true sweets fanatic, so I would say
Chocolate!
I love the melting pot. My favorite part is the cheese fondue!
DEFINITELY the chocolate! I’m about halfway through my pregnancy and my cravings for chocolate just get stronger day by day!
Anything with melted cheese on it is amazing! Cheese course for sure!
I am huge Melting Pot fan! I used to love going to the one in Orlando but now I live in Northern California and would love to try a Melting Pot on the west coast. I would
especially enjoy the cheese please! 🙂
I also love the idea of the new Skinny Dipping menu! The name is pretty catchy too.
The cheese coarse of course( see what I did there)!! I have never been to a fondue place but as a die hard cheese fanatic I’m sure I would love it! Perfect for valentines day!
100% the dessert!!! That is the best part!
I’ve never been to the Melting Pot and would love to try it! I love anything with bread and melty cheese so I’m most looking forward to trying the cheese fondue 🙂
My birthday is Jan. 29th and I’ve been planning for a few months now to go here for my 22nd birthday. I’ve only been here once and I LOVED it! The chocolate fondue is definitely a go for me! 🙂
I would love to win the gift card and try some of the white chocolate with Carmel fondue. It’s making me hungry Just thinking about it.
Definitely the chocolate for me. Never been to fondue and would love to try it!
The cheese fondue and the dessert would probably be my favorites!