The Cheesecake Factory

Last night we had dinner at Marin County's new Cheesecake Factory restaurant. The food was delicious and attractive, and Nate was a friendly, funny and attentive waiter. It's a beautiful restaurant, with a high ceiling, wide columns and an Egyptian decor. Even at six o'clock, the spacious location was packed to overflowing, before it was even "fashionable" to eat. My only complaint is that the restaurant was on the loud side.

I had a savory skirt steak, cooked to perfection and served with crisped onions, mashed potatoes and a corn/zuchini/bell pepper medley. My wife had Joe's Special, scrambled eggs with sausage, dark bread and highly seasoned diced potatoes. The portions were generous, basically two full meals the way we eat.

It's not the first time I've eaten at a Cheesecake Factory. I've also eaten at the one in the Sherman Oaks Galleria and in Woodland Hills. Oh yes... and the original.

In 1977 I was servicing minicomputers at a company in a little business park in the San Fernando Valley. For lunch I'd often go to the little sandwich shop in the same business park. Picture a Togos, a Quiznos or a Subway with three or four tables. The owner was a friendly guy named Oscar who knew everyone by name. The sandwich shop was The Cheesecake Factory, which grew from that little hole in the wall to a national chain of fancy restaurants.

The American dream.


Blog Tag: Reviews