Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Love at First Bite: The Cheesecake Factory

“VISIT THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY!” That was perhaps the most enthusiastic suggestion I’ve heard my whole life. My friends told me to visit this restaurant when I told them that I’ll be going to the States for the first time. I had no idea what to expect but the weird happy faces and all the jumping gave me the impression that it was a must visit place.
It took me a week to convince my mom to have lunch there. (Yes, my pestering powers are slowly diminishing. It comes with age I guess.) I was thrilled when she finally said YES.
We did a bit of shopping first before heading to the big branch of The Cheesecake Factory in Americana (my favorite place in Glendale). The server Amanda was very attentive and she guided us to our seats the moment she saw us. She also handed the menu and gave us drinks right away. Great service!
I was so excited to order the Hershey’s Chocolate Bar Cheesecake ($7.95 per slice) that it was the first thing I told Amanda. It looked so tempting online. I also ordered Fettuccini Alfredo ($13.50, $16.50-with chicken) and a glass of Green Iced Tea ($2.95). My sister ordered Cheese Pizza ($10.95) as she wanted to have pizza with nothing on it but cheese (yes, she’s such an adventurous foodie!). My mom decided to share with my sister while the friend we were with (let’s call him R) ordered the Smokehouse B.B.Q. Burger ($11.50). 
We were given a complimentary basket of bread that has brown and garlic bread. My sister, a garlic bread addict, attacked the garlic bread. I got intrigued with the brown bread so I tried it first. It was somehow sweet but it was good with butter. (Or perhaps I was just too hungry.)

Our orders arrived pretty much all at the same time so we avoided those awkward moments of whether to start eating or wait for the others to get their food (then again thinking that the food will get cold plus the grumbling angry tummy getting wilder and wilder making the decision making process all messed up).

My Fettuccini Alfredo was really good. It was creamy yet did not have that tiresome taste that will make you gag after a few bites. The chicken was also very flavorful. It was a bit salty thus creating balance with the creamy pasta. 

The Cheese Pizza on the other hand was nothing extraordinary. It was cheese… pizza. But I’m sure that cheese lovers would love this as my sister’s smile was so big while finishing her slice(s).

While savoring my pasta, R suddenly said, “You know what, I couldn’t finish this. Here, get the other half” and gave half of his burger plus onion rings to me. I didn’t know that the word glutton has been plastered all over my face now. Well… I didn’t hesitate at all since all the walking and shopping made me extremely hungry.  
I took one big bite and… the meat was really juicy. It was succulent and was cooked well. The melted cheddar added flavor to it and eating it with the crispy onion rings made it extra divine (for it somehow killed the saltiness of the cheese, smoked bacon, and the dripping B.B.Q. Ranch sauce). 
Now for the chocolate cake that made me drool a few months before my trip…

It was… quite ordinary. It wasn’t as moist as I thought it was. Indeed it was chocolatey but I had other cakes way better than this one. Perhaps I should have tried the Red Velvet Cheesecake instead (but my dear mama told me not to order a lot). 
But let’s end this entry with a happy face… I did get to try the Red Velvet Cheesecake a few days before leaving for Florida. But I’ll post it in my next entry. :)


The Cheesecake Factory is located at Ground Floor, Americana, Glendale. It is right across the Galleria.

The Cheesecake Factory Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

4 comments:

  1. It sure is the paradise of cheesecakes. The Red Velvet Cheesecake is the best!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The only reason I've ever heard of this place is because of The Big Bang Theory, hehe. But I think their food looks absolutely delicious, and I LOVE cheesecakes. I Hope I can visit here in my lifetime!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm really hoping that the food gods will bring this and Porto's to Manila. :)

    ReplyDelete

Comments or other recommendations? :)