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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The cheese course looks fantastic! With or without the gift card, that restaurant is one I would love to try!
I’ve always wanted to go to the Melting Pot! I would definitely have to say I am most looking forward to the chocolate. As much as I love cheese, I have such a sweet tooth! Hmmm I think I would go just for cheese and chocolate….
I love the Melting Pot and I love every course there! 🙂 YUM! But being a chocoholic, dessert is my favorite course! I would love to win! 🙂
definitely the dessert course!! that creme brulee white chocolate fondue looks spectacular!
Definitely would go for the cheese course- my hub would be in heaven!!
I would love it all but probably salivate over the cheese course!
I have never been to the Melting Pot but have always wanted to! The chocolate and cheese fondues sound absolutely amazing.
I have never been to the Melting Pot, but I do love fondue! It’s so hard to pick because I love all kinds of fondue, but I think I would have to say the cheese! 🙂 It’s good with everything! Thanks!
Popular post! 🙂 gosh I LOVE the melting pot! I went with my fiancee for our first dating anniversary and we haven’t been back since! Would love to go back….especially for the cheese course! mmmm! 🙂
I would have to say the chocolate course for sure! I used to go to Melting Pot for their “ladies night” special where you got the cheese, salad, and chocolate courses with wine for only 30 dollars… such a great deal!
Chocolate chocolate chocolate for me please!!! I love this place!
Cheese fondue is amazing but I would have to admit, the caramel looks incredible!
Oh my goodness! That all looks so good! I have never been to the melting pot but have want to go so badly!!! I think I would look forward to the chocolate fondue the most and all the nummy things to dip in it!!!!!!! 🙂
I’ve never been there and would love to try the chocolate!
Ohhhhhh! I don’t think you can beat the dessert course…I LOVE fondu dessert, but have never gone out for it! That would be the ultimate date 🙂
The cheese and chocolate for sure!!
I would love the cheese!
I am going to take my fiancé to the melting pot for his birthday at the end of the month, so winning this would be perfect! Neither of us have ever been there before, and I think I would look forward to the cheese fondue the most…although chocolate would be a close second 😉
chocolate for sure!! lover of all things chocolate over here!
Definately the entree those shrimp look delicious
most definitely the chocolate…I think I drooled on my keyboard looking at your dessert pictures. 🙂
I have never been to the melting pot but after your post I’m dying to go!! The cheese fondue would be my favorite dish!
Cheeeeeeeeeeeeese please!
Definitely the cheese!
I love the cheese fondue. Melting Pot is such a fabulous place to go for date night. I love that the dinner usually takes over and hour to eat!
Hands down the cheese. Melted cheese is always good. And even though I don’t normally like white chocolate, that one sounds amazing.
Bring on the dessert! 🙂
I would LOVE to try the white chocolate creme brulee fondue! yum!
The dessert looks like a winner to me!
I went there in Atlantic City and loved it! The dessert course is always my favorite!!
I’ve been wanting to try a Melting Pot for years now!! My husband and I have never been to a fondue restaurant and would love to try all three…although dessert would undoubtedly reign supreme!
Definitely chocolate! Looks delicious 🙂
I would love the cheese course. I have never been to the Melting Pot and would love to try it!
The chocolate! No, the cheese! After a year of Dr appts being our dates, the entire experience would be great and a fantastic treat for my sweet hubby. Fingers crossed!
The chocolate fonde of course! My mouth is watering just looking at the picture, I can only imagine how delicious it must be 🙂
It would have to be chocolate!! I have been to the Melting Pot before just for dessert, and it was delicious 🙂
I would love the cheese! Everything is better with cheese and the bacon and Brie combo would top my list!
I have been dying to try The Melting Pot!! I would be the most excited for the cheese and chocolate!!
The cheese and the chocolate would be my favorite parts!!! Cheese and bread? YUM!!!
Definitely the chocolate although they all sound fun!
The cheese app looks AMAZING! I could eat that alone for dinner lol
I’ve only been to the Melting Pot once and not as a date but I’d love to. I would look forward to the cheese fondue because I love love love cheese. On my one visit, we did not get the dessert so I would love to try that. Your pictures looked delicious. But I think I would go for dark chocolate!
I always have to get the chocolate when I’m at melting pot!!! Can’t get enough of it
I couldn’t think of anything more delicious than Brie fondue! Yummy!
I have been to the Melting Pot once, a very long time ago. I’d love to treat my hubby to a date night!
OMG that all looks so delicious! I am a huge sweets junky so probably the chocolate, although I do love me some cheese! I’ve only been to the Melting Pot once and it was a fun experience, though really pricey. :/ But everything in moderation. 🙂 Yum yum!
I would be all about the chocolate!
Would love to win this. Have never been to the melting pot before. Would definitely be looking forward to the cheese.
Oh, definitely the cheese course! 🙂
The course that I would look forward to enjoying the most would definitely be the dessert course! I am a HUGE chocolate lover so I think that I would love to dip all the little dessert bites in a warm chocolate sauce! My twin sister and I have our twentieth birthday coming up and we would LOVE to try out this restaurant- especially the chocolate fondue 🙂
I went to The Melting Pot on a date night a few months ago but my boyfriend doesn’t like chocolate so we didn’t order the dessert. I am a huge chocolate fan so I am dying to try it!