How do I love cheesecake? Let me count the ways...

1) Cherry ... 2) Strawberry ... 3) New York Style ... 4) Chocolate ... 5) Turtle ...... 1,345) .... this list could go on forever!! Cheesecake is one of my absolute favorite desserts of all time. Not only is it rich and creamy, there are soooo many different types you just cannot go wrong. Case in point: The Cheesecake Factory. This restaurant has over 30 kinds of cheesecake, not to mention desserts. Plus, their menu is huge!!

My dear friend Donna (and fellow co-worker) treated me to lunch at The Cheesecake Factory last Wednesday for my birthday. It just so happened that Wednesday was also National Cheesecake Day and $1.50 cheesecake day at TCF! Am I lucky or what?? We made sure we were at the restaurant when the doors opened (we only get an hour for lunch) and we are so glad we did. The line was very long and the place filled up quick. But no worries - we were in there and out with cheesecake in hand in less than an hour.

I know you are wondering about the food. Did I mention that this restaurant has a huge menu? This menu is a book -- with over 15 pages of selections from appetizers to desserts/cheesecake. Well, I had only been to TCF twice before that day so I really did not know what to get - and I didn't want to get the same thing I had before. Donna had mentioned that the Crabcake Sandwich was awesome and very filling, and was what she was ordering. So, I decided to try it as well since I love crabcakes. Let me tell you....it was WoNdErFuL!!! Very filling, as promised, and very tasty. In fact, it was huge!! It was so big that I only ate half of it and half of the fries that came with it (besides, I just had to save room for cheesecake!).

Speaking of cheesecake...if you have never eaten a piece of TCF cheesecake, you do not know what you are missing! It is extremely rich and they are not skimpy on their slices. Plus, you get a mound of rich whipped cream on the side, depending on which type of cheesecake you get. On this particular day, I opted for the Dutch Apple Caramel Streusel. Here is the description:


DUTCH APPLE CARAMEL STREUSEL --Our Original Cheesecake, Baked Apples, Caramel and Brown Sugar Cinnamon Walnut Streusel.


And here is the picture:

Donna opted for something on the chocolate side. And if you are wanting chocolate, why not go for the richest chocolate around? Donna ended up getting the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake- yummmmmm! Here is the description:

GODIVA® CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE -- Layers of Flourless Godiva Chocolate Cake, Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse.

And here is the picture:

Is your mouth watering yet?? :) Needless to say, that was one of the best lunches ever -- good food, good fellowship, and fun times. Well...the cheesecake was pretty good too. :)