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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I want to try the cheese. That Brie and Bacon sounds delicious.
I have always wanted to try the Melting Pot and have heard such great review from so many people!! I am not sure which I would look forward to more, the cheese or the chocolate, but if I HAD to pick just one…chocolate would probably win by a very small margin 🙂
My husband & I love the Melting Pot, but unfortunately we don’t go much because it can be pricey. However, we have a fondue set at home & use the recipes from some of our favorite MP bases (cheese & entree) to replicate at home on special occasions – such a fun experience!
I think I would have to go with cheese being my favorite because it’s more complicated than the entree fondues & you can get really amazing flavor combos!
It’s hard to choose between cheese and chocolate… Buuut, I think I’m going with cheese (OMG who am I?! What happened to me??)! LOL.
Would be so excited for all of it, but I think the dark chocolate fondue would have to be the winner!!!
Cheese!! It’s just so darn tasty!
Would love to visit this place and try their menu.
Chocolate!! Melting Pot is so delicious!
I haven’t been to the Melting Pot in years, but I would love to take my BF there! Yum!
Cheese please!!!!!!!!
Being the cheese lover that I am…I’m gonna say cheese!
CHEESE…PLEASE!!! 🙂
I love the melting pot and I would definitely enjoy the Chocolate Fondue!! So Good!!!
Definitely the cheese!! I’m obsessed..and would love to take my mama here!! 🙂
Chocolate! I’ve been there before and the milk chocolate is to DIE for!
Chocolate, hands down!
I love cheese and chocolate equally so I would love to try both of them!
Cheese. Definitely!
I would definitely go for the desert, chocolate fondue.. YUM!!
Chocolate fondue course would be the BEST!
Love them all but the chocolate is my favorite!!
I would be alllllllll over that dessert like melted chocolate on a strawberry!
Crème brûlée is my absolute favorite dessert. Ever. You’ve just sold me. I’m there with or without the giftcard! 😉
I would be most excited about the chocolate…….seriously! My friends and I have been talking about a girl’s night to the Melting Pot- I’ve never been!
What a great date night! I have a Melting Pot right by me and love it!
I am all about the cheese…although I do also love chocolate…tough choice! 🙂
All!! I have been wanting to try the melting pot for a while now. This would be a great anniversary date.
So hard to choose… Prob the chocolate course. Yum
Tough pick between the cheese course and dessert. YUM!
I love Melting Pot! They do gluten free really well 🙂 I would have to say the chocolate…I’m a total chocoholic.
Cheese, cheese, glorious cheese!
Definitely the cheese.
Dessert for certain!
A bowl of melted brie? Sign me up for the cheese course.
Chocolate and cheese are my two favorite food groups! My hubby got laid off Dec 31 so this would be a welcome treat!
I would love it all, But the mushrooms the most!!! Mushrooms are my JaM
Chocolate will always be my favorite course!
Cheese!
I LOVE a good cheese fondue! That brie and bacon one sounds fantastic! I live right by a Melting Pot but have never been. Seems like a great girls night kinda place.
That creme brulee dessert looks so good!! I’m excited they have a skinny dining menu. I’d love to try that out for a date night with the hubby!
Chocolate!
Chocolate, of course!! Yum! I’ve never been to the Melting Pot, but I’ve always wanted to go!
The cheese, hands down! There is a Melting Pot just a few minutes from my house and I still haven’t been!
the white chocolate – yummers!
Anything with cheese. Seriously it all looks so good.
Entree, I love sampling all of the meat and veggie options! Great giveaway!!
mmm the cheese looks amazing!
hands down, the dark chocolate fondue for dessert…YUM!
MMMM I would look forward to the entree course with all the dipping sauces!
Definitely the chocolate course.. Particularly the yin & yang choice!! Mmm.
The cheese fondue looks amazing! I would love to try that one 🙂