Cheesecake Factory

This place kind of speaks for itself. It's a somewhat-upscale chain that does defy the tendency of chains to veer towards mass-produced and mediocre food. The food is still mass-produced and not especially noteworthy in terms of ingenuity, but the quality and quantity are above-average.

I tend to be a one-note customer and always order the same thing here. The menu is actually full of dishes worth trying, but I stick to my Thai chicken pasta. Sub the linguine with angel hair (capellini). The only issue I have with this dish is the chicken itself, which is chunks breast meat and tends to be overly dry. Depending on the line cook who makes it, it can be fairly moist and tasty or chalky and dry. The sauce, which has a peanut/soy sauce base, is awesome. It's paired with julienned carrots and fresh bean sprouts, which compliment it well.

However, I'd say that the best thing Cheesecake Factory has to offer is its house bread. Fresh sourdough and an amazing honey wheat bread that I'm still trying to figure out how to make. I found a recipe for Outback's honey wheat bread (which is very, very similar) that I'm definitely trying next weekend.

The second best would be the desserts. Their cheesecakes are drier, but I don't mind it at all. It's not terribly dry, just not incredibly creamy, which isn't something that everyone likes anyway. They have a new cake called the Lemoncello Cream Torte.



First... it's LImoncello. Oy vay. The cake is:

Layers of Vanilla Cake and Lemon Mascarpone Cream Topped with Streusel and Served with Strawberries and Whipped Cream

(Picture and description from the Cheesecake Factory website)

It equals YUM. The cake is very light, almost like an angel food cake. The cream isn't too heavy and it's both sweet and tart. The streusel is dry and crumbly and contrasts beautifully with the fluffy cake and filling. I can't express enough my love for it.

My favorite cheesecake is Adam's Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple. The description: Creamy Cheesecake Swirled with Caramel, Peanut Butter, Butterfingers® and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups®. I have no words. Crunchy butterscotch mixed with peanut butter. I couldn't love it more.

Here's the menu. Other cheesecakes I enjoy are the original with strawberries, dulce de leche, and Godiva chocolate (it's insane... the ultimate chocolate fix).

Chain, yes, but this place is leaps and bounds over crap like Applebee's.