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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Definitely the chocolate course – that caramel shaving topping is so unique!
The chedder cheese fondue is the best! I have even tried making it at home with my own fondue pot. I could eat just the cheese and chocolate and be totally satisfied.
the cheeeeese. i’m always too (deliciously) full by the time the chocolate finally comes around
I would LOVE that crime brûlée fondue!!! That sounds amazzzzzing 🙂
It’s a tough call, but I have to go with the Cheese course!
Yay! I’d love the cheese fondue! I love every type of cheese there is – mozzarella, munster, provolone, etc, etc – so there’s no doubt I’d love the cheese fondue! 🙂
The timing of this post is amazing. I have been trying to convince my husband to try fondue for the last week. I know he will love it but so far we haven’t gone. I got him to read your blog and he is now willing to try! Your pictures and description sealed the deal. Thank you!
Of course I will look forward to the date itself first quickly followed by the amazing dessert!
I’ve only been to the Melting Pot once in my life but I absolutely love it! The dessert is the best part!! I’ve never had the cheese fondue but would love the chance to try it 🙂
I would go for the cheese fondue! I’ve been crazy about it ever since I tried it in a cultural class. YUM! What an awesome giveaway :o)
definitely the chocolate yum!
Now I know why there are so many comments on this post. Chocolate fondue for sure!
The Melting Pot is my favorite! Such a treat! The dessert is always the best part even though I am stuffed by that point!
The chocolate (of course). 🙂
Definitely the cheese!
Besides the Amazing chocolate fondue, I would look forward to a long date! The one time we went to the Melting Pot, it was an almost 3 hour date sitting there being ale to talk while dipping our food. Definitely one of the best low key dates that allowed us to really chat with limited interruptions. 🙂
Definitely the chocolate! Love all the fun dippers they serve to go along with it!
I love cheese but the creme brûlée sounds fabulous!!! I want to try it! 🙂
Cheese! I have quite the sweet tooth, but omfg I love cheese! Plus, with the skinny dipping menu, I would not be veering too far off the New Years diet 😉
I love the Melting Pot!!! Can’t wait to see their Skinny Dipping menu, especially the dessert one (my favorite)!
I have always wanted to go to the Melting Pot..they are not in my area…but that could be arranged:) I would love to try the entree…those mushrooms would probably taste amazing.
Oh goodness!!!! I LOVED the melting pot (the one time ive been!)!!!! I would look forward to the cheese the most. The one you got sounds amazing!! Brie is my FAVORITE!!!! This would be great for a Valentine’s date;)
Chocolate for sure!
I’m all about the cheese course! Yum!
That is a tough decision……i have to say the chocolate! Looks like a fabulous meal!
DESSERT! I usually just think about dessert the entire meal – I would definitely want milk chocolate with some brownies to dip.
The best things in life are cheese and bread. So I say the cheese course!
I would most look forward to the cheese fondue!
Teriyaki sirloin via coq au vin cooking style – mmmm my favorite restaurant 🙂
The cheese course is my favorite. The chocolate is a close second though!
I have been wanting to try the Melting Pot! I am usually a chocolate girl, but the cheese fondue sounds amazing!
Hard choice but I will have to go with the cheese!!
The dessert course is my absolute favorite! I’ve only been to the melting pot once but it’s my favorite restaurant!
definitely dessert!!!!!!
The cheese course is always my favorite, which is why I am glad it comes at the beginning!
I am a huge chocolate lover so my gut instinct is to say that…but your description of the cheese course had my mouth watering!!! I’d love to try that one!
I’m pretty sure that the dessert is and always will be the star of any fondue meal I enjoy!
Hands down the chocolate course!! It’s always been a culinary dream of mine to eat chocolate fondue, I think I might die of happiness if I win this and get to finally try it!!
It all looks so good! I’d probably be most looking forward to the cheese fondue though!
Chocolate!!!
Love, love love that place! Hmm, it would really be a toss up between the cheese course and the dessert, but I think the chocolate s’mores dessert is our favorite.
the cheeeeese! I’ve been wanting to go to the melting pot for years!!
We love the Melting Pot!! The cheese course is my favorite…I think. Or maybe its the desert? I could eat cheese and desert fondue all day long!
cheese course! this would be a great date night for hubby and i
Chocolate!!
That brie and bacon cheese course sounds amazing! I must try it!
I would love to try the Chocolate!
I put the wrong email earlier. I hope it still counts!!!!
I would love to try the Spinach Artichoke Cheese Fondue! Sounds great!!
The dessert course of course! Chocolate fondue and red wine…yum!!
Definitely the chocolate course!