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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My boyfriend and I have been to Melting Pot three times. Each time we have never ventured away from the S’mores dessert. It is a perfect cap to the wonderful dinner experience.
I would love the cheese course. Yum!
I would love the cheese!
CHOCOLATE! 🙂 Haven’t been there since our first anniversary….we are heading toward #8!
I’ve never been to the melting pot.. I’ve done fondue and my favorite part of the meal is the cheese ,:-)
My boyfriend and I love going to the melting pot when we want to indulge in cheese and chocolate! The Smores is definitely our favorite dessert, but I’d definitely try anything on the menu! And it’s great to know that they have a low-cal option too 🙂
I look forward to the cheese & chocolate! LOVE the Melting Pot, perfect spot for a girls night out and a long dinner.
Cheese for sure!!! I love melty cheese 🙂
I’d love to try the Cheddar Cheese fondue course at The Melting Pot!! Oh and the weekend trip to the location in Sacramento would be an added bonus! 😉
Cheese! The bread, apples, everything tastes amazing when covered in the melted cheese!
Definitely dessert! What you had sounds fantastic!
Oh my goodness, your meal looks amazing! I would definitely pick chocolate.
Hi Julie! If i won this gift card, I would bring my boyfriend for our one year anniversary coming up this February! I think it would be perfect because I am a Pescetarian and he loves …well everything (especially meat!). I think him and I would really look forward to have the entree part! I can load up on veggies and shrimp and he can have whatever his heart desires! 🙂
-Kristina
All other courses are merely stepping stones to the chocolate course when it comes to fondue!! What doesn’t taste wonderful dipped in chocolate?
I have only been to the Melting Pot once but my experience there was delicious! One just opened near my house here in Albuquerque, NM. The dessert is SO GOOD! Chocolate and cheesecake???? Dip me in 🙂
Dessert to end a great meal!!! 😉 Your dessert sounds delicious!!
I have been wanting to go to the melting pot for years and never have! I would be most excited for the cheese course…and I really want to try it with the apple!
Oooh, my boyfriend and I have wanted to try the Melting Pot for so long! I am torn between the cheese & chocolate courses, but I think I would look most forward to the chocolate. 🙂
Cheese course for sure! I have never been to The Melting Pot, but it looks amazing!
The cheese course is the best. I could skip the entree and just do cheese and dessert!
never been, wanna go!! i think i’d like the entree the best!
I’ve never gone to the Melting Pot but I’ve heard amazing things! I don’t think anything would be able to top cheese fondue though, cheese is definitely my favorite!! Thanks so much for this awesome giveaway!
Hello Julie! I adore your blog! I’ve never been to the melting pot but everything sounds DELCIOUS! I’m a huge chocolate lover, but I think I would look most forward to the cheese portion of the meal. YUM! Your blog is amazing, such an inspiration!
I have been to The Melting Pot a few times but fondue is always fun! I would actually love to try your entree because those sauces look awesome! They really do make the difference in a dish.
Ah I’ve always wanted to go to the melting pot! I think I would go nuts on the cheese course!
Chocolate! I love The Melting Pot!
I don’t think I can pick just one course because they all look so delicious. But if I had to I would say the chocolate 🙂
I am such a cheese lover and would definitely love to trybthe different cheese fondues!
I’m a sucker for their original chocolate fondue. Can’t beat that chocolate and pb combo!
I love everything there. But the best part is the chocolate for sure!! Love it.
My husband and I have only been to the Melting Pot once but we are huge fans of all the different chocolate fondues!!!
Thanks for hosting this giveaway 🙂
It doesn’t get any better than the cheese course!!!
Oh the cheese course for sure! Yummy!
Dessert is always my favorite. Looks like you had a wonderful date night!
Definitely the chocolate course 🙂
I would look forward to the cheese course!!
I was thinking of taking my husband there for his birthday! I really don’t think I’d be interested in anything other than just the cheese. And I love that you can get gluten free options too 🙂
Just found your blog!! I would love to try the melting pot. I think the dessert would be awesome. I like that the restaurant has a skinny menu!
Thanks!
Omg I’ve always wanted to try the melting pot! I just haven’t yet because I’ve heard it is kind of pricey. If I went I would want to do the four course meal. I would try the spinach artichoke cheese fondue, California salad, seafood and the yin and yang chocolate fondue
I love the melting pot! Especially the chocolate fondue….so that what would make me most excited about the dessert!! 🙂
I’d love to try the cheese. I’ve never been to a fondue place, so you’d have to try it, right? 🙂
My favorite is the cheese course. I’m a cheese lover!
I love everything about the Melting Pot! My favorite courses are of course the cheese and chocolate fondue!
My favorite course is definitely the cheese! Looks like you and Ryan had a fun time! 🙂
I would have liked the dark chocolate dessert (strawberries, YUM)! But I know my boyfriend would defintely like the cheese pot, especially if it involves bacon! Oh the things you can dip in cheese!
I love the cheese and the chocolate!!!
I would certainly pick the chocolate. What you described and posted with pictures sounds so delectable. It would be worth it to stay within the Skinny Dipper selections just to splurge on the dessert. Thank you for posting. I enjoy reading your blog. Linda
Dessert of course! My junior prom date took me there before the dance and I absolutely lived dessert!
oh man! it’s so hard to choose between the cheese or chocolate……but I think I’m gonna have to go with dessert!! what’s NOT to love about a big vat of melted chocolate!!!!
I can’t decide between the cheese course and chocolate for dessert! It’s just too close a call!
Oh my gosh! I love the Melting Pot! I would love to share the cheese fondue with my husband. We have a rough year ahead of us so it would be nice to have one date before time doesn’t allow it.
Thanks!!