After yesterday's post, Eating Out Again? you may already be totally sold on The Cheesecake Factory. Maybe you phoned in your reservations immediately after reading my blog. If not, I'll try to sell you some more!
Just kidding.
For me, The Cheesecake Factory is a little pricey for an everyday type of outing. But I do find it perfect for a special occasion. If you are going for lunch, I recommend getting there early. The location next to the Columbia Mall opens at 11 am for lunch every day except Sunday, when they open at 10 am for brunch. By 10:45am, when we arrived, there were already several groups waiting outside. So this tells you something! Nevertheless, we did get a nice, spacious booth. I don't know about you, but I can't stand sitting in those tiny, 2-person tables that are crammed so close to each other you feel as though you are eating lunch with strangers. And believe me, by the time we left the restaurant at around 12:45pm, every single table in the entire place was taken. Inside and out.
A restaurant this popular must be doing something right. And it is not the prices!
One thing The Cheesecake Factory gets right is the selection. I don't think I've ever eaten anywhere with a longer menu or more choices! In addition to their already massive notebook of a menu, they have now added a "Skinnylicious Menu" of lower calorie choices. And I have to say, I was mighty tempted by many of those items! There are burgers, salads, wraps, and even dessert choices, along with a low-carb cheesecake.
However, I selected a French Country Salad which had roasted beets, grilled asparagus, goat cheese, pecans, and mixed salad greens. It was delicious! And although it was only an appetizer salad, and not considered a full entree, it was so large that I couldn't finish the whole thing. Because there was not a lot of protein, I also ordered an appetizer of 3 small crabcakes, which I shared with my mom. The crabcakes were small, very moist, with a crunchy panko coating and served with 2 different mayo-based sauces. They were quite good, but not as spectacular as the salad.
I did go ahead and order the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake for dessert, but I had the waiter bring it to the table already boxed for take out. This way I could take a couple of tiny bites with my coffee, then close up the package and save the rest. If you might be tempted to gobble up your entire slice on the spot, this strategy could save you a lot of calories. Of course, you could also skip dessert completely, but I don't think I'd visit The Cheesecake Factory is that was my plan!
So, now you know even more about The Cheesecake Factory! Needless to say, I have not been hired to promote the place. Just got stuck in a groove, I guess! Today I am trying that Chocolate Quinoa Cupcake recipe I told you about. If they turn out fabulous, I'll share the recipe with you tomorrow!
hocofood@@@
Just kidding.
For me, The Cheesecake Factory is a little pricey for an everyday type of outing. But I do find it perfect for a special occasion. If you are going for lunch, I recommend getting there early. The location next to the Columbia Mall opens at 11 am for lunch every day except Sunday, when they open at 10 am for brunch. By 10:45am, when we arrived, there were already several groups waiting outside. So this tells you something! Nevertheless, we did get a nice, spacious booth. I don't know about you, but I can't stand sitting in those tiny, 2-person tables that are crammed so close to each other you feel as though you are eating lunch with strangers. And believe me, by the time we left the restaurant at around 12:45pm, every single table in the entire place was taken. Inside and out.
A restaurant this popular must be doing something right. And it is not the prices!
One thing The Cheesecake Factory gets right is the selection. I don't think I've ever eaten anywhere with a longer menu or more choices! In addition to their already massive notebook of a menu, they have now added a "Skinnylicious Menu" of lower calorie choices. And I have to say, I was mighty tempted by many of those items! There are burgers, salads, wraps, and even dessert choices, along with a low-carb cheesecake.
However, I selected a French Country Salad which had roasted beets, grilled asparagus, goat cheese, pecans, and mixed salad greens. It was delicious! And although it was only an appetizer salad, and not considered a full entree, it was so large that I couldn't finish the whole thing. Because there was not a lot of protein, I also ordered an appetizer of 3 small crabcakes, which I shared with my mom. The crabcakes were small, very moist, with a crunchy panko coating and served with 2 different mayo-based sauces. They were quite good, but not as spectacular as the salad.
I did go ahead and order the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake for dessert, but I had the waiter bring it to the table already boxed for take out. This way I could take a couple of tiny bites with my coffee, then close up the package and save the rest. If you might be tempted to gobble up your entire slice on the spot, this strategy could save you a lot of calories. Of course, you could also skip dessert completely, but I don't think I'd visit The Cheesecake Factory is that was my plan!
So, now you know even more about The Cheesecake Factory! Needless to say, I have not been hired to promote the place. Just got stuck in a groove, I guess! Today I am trying that Chocolate Quinoa Cupcake recipe I told you about. If they turn out fabulous, I'll share the recipe with you tomorrow!
hocofood@@@
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