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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Everything looks delicious, but the one I’d look forward to most would be the chocolate for dessert!
I’ve never been to The Melting Pot but would love to try it! The cheese and desserts would really wow me!!!
Cheese, of course!! And I love their curry dipping sauce too. I just looked at the locations and there is one on Maui, which is where we live 🙂
Oh my gosh my mouth is watering! I loved the dessert portion when I went recently for my first time!! Mmm I could go for that- or the cheese! Both are my favorite!
CHEESE! I’ve always wanted to try a fondue place…
Definitely the chocolate and everything for dipping in it!
Like you said.. the chocolate is the shining star of any fondue meal! This giveaway is fantastic.. I’ve been wanting to take my boyfriend to the Melting Pot for a while now (he’s never been!)
I want to say the cheese because I love the apples and cheese combo, but of course the best part is always the dessert. I love all the different choices to dip in the fondue they offer there!
The cheese fondue would be the part I looked forward to the most – the apple/bread combo sounds great!
Cheese, for sure!!
I neeeeed the chocolate course! Perfect for anniversary date night 🙂
The dessert, hands down!
Cheese!! I had the chocolate fondue while in Switzerland and it was AMAZING- but I’ve always regretted not trying the Cheese!!
That looks delicious! I would look forward to the chocolate fondue the most; I can never get enough chocolate!
Desert. Enough said. 🙂
Chocolate please! I can’t get enough of the Melting Pot dessert fondue and would love to try the dark chocolate options. Looks fabulous.
I’ve always wanted to go to the Melting Pot! I would definitely go for the chocolate fondue 🙂
Cheese. No question!
The cheese course of course! 🙂
Oh I would definitely love the cheese course!
I would love to try the dessert!!! my mouth is watering just looking at your pictures:)
without a doubt the dessert would be my favorite course! looks yummy
My favorite is always the dessert…would love to try the white chocolate fondue!
The cheese would be my favorite course!!!! looks like y’all had a great time!!!
– Kathleen Alfano
Most definitely dessert!!
Oh my gosh how fun! I have never been to The Melting pot before, I would be most excited about the dessert of course!
Mmmmm white chocolate and caramel sounds incredible!
I’ve been to the melting pot once and it was sooo good! While the cheese is awesome the chocolate fondue is so delicious! I love dipping the rice crispy treats in chocolate yum!
cheese is good, but definitely most excited about the chocolate!
My husband loves the Melting Pot so this would be a perfect date night for us. I love the cheese course.
I just found your site last night and I love it! My husband and I both love cheese, and that bacon and brie fondu looks amazing! It’s a must try!
Chocolate all the way!! Melting Pot is AHmazing!
Banana fosters fondue sounds amazing!!
Yum! I haven’t been to the Melting pot in ages!! I always loved the cheese course!!
Oh the entree! I’m an entree and condiment gal over everything else so that’s where it’s at for me. Plus, it’s right in the middle meaning I’m not super hungry after appetizers and the meal isn’t nearly over as with dessert. I can slow down and just enjoy. Plus, your entree looks fantastic! Thanks!
Both your cheese and chocolate course looked fantastic!
I just found your blog last night and I love it! My husband and I both love cheese, and that bacon brie fondu looks amazing! It’s a must try!
Definitely the dessert course! It looks delicious!
The cheese for sure!
Without a doubt, the CHEESE! There is just nothing like warm melty cheese!
What a great date night! Sounds like a blast. And I’m very jealous that you’re outside without a jacket. I just got back to Chicago from Miami, and boy is the weather different!! I’ve been to Melting Pot before, had both the chocolate and the cheese. But I’ve never had an entree, would love to try one!
I have yet to go to the meling pot, I always here so many wonderful things about it, I would love to try everything, but dessert is always the best! Your salad looks amazing tho! 🙂
I’ve never been to the melting pot. It all looks sooooo good! Cheese please!
Your date night sounds like the perfect mix of fun and romantic! When you described the brie and bacon cheese fondue, my mouth started watering so I would probably pick the cheese course!
I would definitely look forward to dessert the most! Looks delish 🙂
Mmmmm….cheeeese!! 🙂
The dessert course, all the way ! That looks amazing!!
I think I would just do 4 rounds of cheese! mmmmmmmm
I’ve always wanted to try this place!! You both look like you had a blast 🙂
I would absolutely be sold out on the Chocolate! Chocolate it is.
Keith and I have never beem to The Melting Pot even though there is one literally 5 miles from our house. Ha! There are just so many good resturaunts in Austin that we get easily sidetracked and forget about places in our own backyard. It looks fantastic!!