After finding several one of a kind menu items around the world, it seems a little cliché to want to get a cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory. But, being my birthday and after watching an amazing performance by the cast of Wicked at the Orpheum Theater, nothing sounded more enjoyable (and cliché) than a nice late-night cheesecake with the family while overlooking the lights of Union Square.
I briefly looked at the endless list of cheesecakes and made a quick decision in wanting a nice and simple slice of “The Original”; the classic creamy cheesecake with a sour cream topping and a graham cracker crust. I immediately closed the menu shut, but the back cover of the menu instantly changed my mind.
How can anyone be so clever in combining two of my favorite cakes into one? Without any hesitation, I placed my order as soon as our server approached the table and in no time, a group of servers were standing before us with my cake in hand.
The extra sprinkles, lit candle, chocolate written “Happy Birthday to You” and everyone singing the birthday song made the cake look much more appetizing than the picture on the back cover of the menu.
With layers of extremely moist red velvet cake between thick layers of creamy cheesecake, covered in a special Cheesecake Factory cream cheese frosting and white chocolate curls, it’s no wonder “Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake” was the winner to The Cheesecake Factory’s “What’s your flavor?” contest in April..jpg)
From January 28th, through February 28th, nearly 10,000 contest submissions were made; each consisting of a unique idea for a new cheesecake flavor. The winner would receive a trip for two to Los Angeles, CA and the chance to have a cheesecake named after them and produced by The Cheesecake Factory, which, in Cheesecake Factory’s 30 years, will be the very first menu addition name after a guest.
Only one entry per person was allowed but each submission may have included any or all the following: a video, a photo, an audio file and a text description of the flavor combination. Five finalists were chosen on the basis of cheesecake flavor combination and creativity and each idea was posted online for public vote. The winner was graded on the basis of receiving the most public votes during the voting phase (50%), cheesecake flavor combination (25%), and creativity of submission (25%).
At the end of about 20,000 votes and weeks of intense anticipation, the winning cheesecake flavor was chosen and introduced on July 30th, 2009; National Cheesecake Day. Congratulations to Stefanie Gaxiola; a Redondo Beach resident who probably didn’t need the trip to Los Angeles. Nonetheless, thank goodness for her creativity and wonderful pallet, for I have found the perfect birthday cake.
Only one entry per person was allowed but each submission may have included any or all the following: a video, a photo, an audio file and a text description of the flavor combination. Five finalists were chosen on the basis of cheesecake flavor combination and creativity and each idea was posted online for public vote. The winner was graded on the basis of receiving the most public votes during the voting phase (50%), cheesecake flavor combination (25%), and creativity of submission (25%).
At the end of about 20,000 votes and weeks of intense anticipation, the winning cheesecake flavor was chosen and introduced on July 30th, 2009; National Cheesecake Day. Congratulations to Stefanie Gaxiola; a Redondo Beach resident who probably didn’t need the trip to Los Angeles. Nonetheless, thank goodness for her creativity and wonderful pallet, for I have found the perfect birthday cake.
In addition, because The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated and Feeding America has created a wonderful partnership, 25 cents from the sale of each slice will be donated to the national hunger-relief organization that helps feed more than 25 million hungry Americans each year.
P.S., I loved the cake so much that I went back the next evening to get it again!
P.P.S., The only reason I didn’t get it a third time is because on the second night, I discovered The Cheesecake Factory is so kind in showing the calorie content per slice in the display case!
All Seven Iron Chefs and Chairman Kaga in Kitchen Stadium. Left to right: Sakai, Ishinabe, Morimoto, Michiba, Chen, Nakamura, Kobe.
As a high-school student in Hiroshima, Japan, Morimoto was on his way to becoming a professional baseball player. Unfortunately, that career had ended due to a shoulder injury. On the up-side, he pursued his dual dream of becoming a sushi chef. After eight years of culinary training in Hiroshima, Morimoto opened his first restaurant at the age of 25. He specialized in Japanese cuisine, infused with European and Western cooking techniques and ingredients into his preparations. Five years later, Morimoto sold the restaurant to further explore and define his unique Japanese fusion.
When Brian and I heard Morimoto owned a New York restaurant, we made sure we made reservations for the next time we visited our friends who lived on the East Coast. As an accomplished Iron Chef in both Japan and America, who wouldn't want to?
With all the geometric shapes and indirect lighting, walking into "Morimoto" felt like stepping into a whole different world. Being a little early for our reservations, our hostess recommended us to wait downstairs. As we descended down the stairwell, we were enthralled by the "bottle wall."
The "bottle wall" is composed out of 17,400 half liter plastic bottles, filled with mineral water and LED lighting. The combination created this shimmery effect that added to the Zen-like serenity throughout the restaurant. Glass privacy walls between tables, rice paper walls, and an organic ceiling that resembles the raked sand of Eastern rock gardens also added to the modern-chic ambiance. (
People were dining in the lounge area, but a full meal was waiting for us in the main dining room.
After my glass of wine and Brian's bottle of Sapporo, our table was ready. As previously mentioned, Morimoto had dreams of becoming a sushi chef. In the the back of the restaurant, sushi bar seating was available.
As much as Brian and I love sushi, it was recommended to sit in the dining area for have the "full experience".
I love how the Japanese are very innovated.
This was a great way to get our palette going. The sushi tasted fresh and the soup had the perfect amount of seasoning. Nothing was too unfamiliar yet and the portions were just enough to get me more hungry for our entrees. Oh, the entrees...
The beef was perfectly cooked medium rare as the juices gushed out when my chopsticks picked each piece up. Each flavor-filled bite was amazing, but the Hamachi ribbons were unlike any sashimi I had ever had. Although it seemed very simple to make, the mixture of the three ingredients made a perfect blend. I wish I had ordered a full plate of the Hamachi Ribbons!
Yet, everyone at the table looked so please as each member of the table shook his hand. One lady had pulled out a pen and book for this person to autograph. I couldn't help but stare and wonder who this "author" was.
It turns out, Mr. Morimoto frequently visits all his restaurants. Knowing that he takes time to meet those who appreciate his creations made the "full experience" complete. Brian had ran into Morimoto in the restroom, but had left his phone and camera at the dining table with me. But when we identified the man in the white hat, we didn't hesitate to ask.
After a Sunday night Warriors game, a group of us wanted to grab a late-night snack. Locals had recommended us to go to Fenton's which closed at 11:00pm (midnight on Friday and Saturday). Like Rachel Ray, we took the locals' advice.
"Table of six, please."
Not only did it grow for food, but when we also passed the room where all the magic was made, I got even more excited for the dessert. There it was... The Ice Cream Factory.
What makes Fenton's ice cream so great? It is believed that by making hand-made ice cream daily in small batches is their secret to creating their signature style. With 33 ice cream flavors, a few seasonal ones, and four sorbets, it's impossible to find your favorite on your first visit.
Because I was anticipating for dessert, I didn't want to spend much time deciding what food to order. I just stuck with them special for the night to make it easier.
They were out of curly fries for the night, so regular fries had to suffice for the night. Yet, that wasn't such a bad substitution!
It really was a coffee cookie dream! And the strawberry really did taste like fresh strawberries! The strawberry scoop of ice cream was a little too soft for my liking, but the texture of the coffee was perfect; firm with a little "icy-ness".
It was a large ice cream dish of Caramel Cream Almond Crunch served on a couple of bananas, topped with caramel sauce, whipped cream, almonds, and a cherry.
Having two successful locations, (the first at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV and the other in Scottsdale, AZ) a third location opened on June 28, 2007 in Century City, Los Angeles, CA and has become a favorite lunch spot for the Beckhams. After several sitings of the Beckham family at Pink Taco, including Victoria's 34th birthday celebration, I really wanted to see why they loved it so much.
Although my friends and I were one of the first customers of the day, the lack of people did not take away from the fun environment inside. With so many bright colors and festive decorations, the interior gave a little Andy Warhol-ish vibe. It was Chevy's meets hi-fashion.
Since it was such a beautiful day, we were recommended to sit outside. As we walked through the restaurant, out to the patio, the multicolor scheme continued. Two large flat screens were set up outside to satisfy those who wanted to watch the games but not sit at the bar.
With amazingly friendly service, we were seated in the corner, outdoor booth. I tend to find waiters and waitresses with great personalities in Los Angeles. A lot of them are aspiring actors or actresses who always run the chances of serving someone that can offer their next big break.
What else could complete a perfect girls-day-out on a hot LA afternoon, sitting on the patio of a very trendy restaurant?
It was huge! The almond-coconut coating of the ice cream was delicious! The texture had a nice crisp to it and the vanilla ice cream inside was nice and frozen. To add a little more flavor to this dessert, the cinnamon chocolate crispy tortilla tasted like a piece of peanut brittle taken to the next level. This after meal creation was a perfect infusion of sweet flavor and texture.
As much as I love restaurants that have been featured in the media (which is why I understand why Jeannine seemed a little unsure of her restaurant of choice), I also love finding places that have just amazing food (which Jeannine also knows about me). Thai BBQ and Seafood was one of those places. 
When entering the restaurant, it did not look like the cleanest, nor chicest place you would find.The (lack of) ambiance was set with a ton of fake ivy plants hanging on the walls and a large fish tank in the back of the restauarant.
After being seated in our green-colored booth with cracked uphosltery, the waitress came by and placed the menus in front of us.
All of a sudden, an abundance of excitement was at the table. 
It turned out, I was the only one at the table who hadn't tried the Original Thai BBQ because there are several other locations found throughout southern California. This particular location was just privately owned and named something different. Everyone knew, at that instant, they were going to order an "S-1," which was the Kai Yang (BBQ Chicken) Dinner Plate. Three people getting the same order at a Thai restaurant sounded wrong. How could we not get Pad Thai (the most popular Thai dish out there)? I had to be different and order Pad Thai and every one's face was filled with disgust. In time, I was able to convince the table to mix up the order. Here's what we got:
2. Phad Thai (I thought it was "Pad," but the menu read, "Phad"; Thai rice noodles with shrimp, bean sprouts and egg, scrambled in a mild special sauce),
3. "S-2" BBQ Pork Spare Rib Dinner Plate (Thai B.B.Q. pork spare ribs with shrimp fried rice, served with the house sauce),
“Brazilian?!?”
La Bufadora is a marine geyser, or Blowhole, located on the Punta Banda Peninsula in Baja California, Mexico. It is the second largest blowhole in the world, and can shoot upwards as high as 80 feet above sea level (
The place was a little small for our group of fifteen people, so I waited outside for Brian to order me something. I didn't mind waiting because I could see the meat being cooked right in front of the window. Although the window lacked in cleanliness, it did not take away from making the food look so appetizing.
A few minutes later, Brian had called my name to come in. He needed verification on the order. It smelled incredible inside. There was only one counter that separated the workers from customers, but a lot of the action was done right in front of us. We were able to watch the meat being prepared straight from the grill as well as home-made tortillas made from scratch. The woman in front of us would create a small ball of dough, place it in a press, and then cooked it on the skillet behind her. That's what you call fresh tortillas!
It was a small menu to choose from, but had exactly what we asked for... Tacos. Yet, the $4.00 Hamburger threw me off a little.
We two carne asada and two shrimp tacos. Within seconds of ordering, our carne asada tacos were prepared and we were able to top them any way we wanted. Mine was full of steak, topped with guacamole, sourcream, cheese, cilantro and a ton of pico de gallo.
Brian and I couldn't wait to sit down and began eating them even before our shrimp tacos were ready. I couldn't tell you what specifically made these tacos so good. It could have been because it was freshly made meat or tortillas made from scratch. Or maybe it was the toppings which they made from vegetables they probably grew themselves in their backyard. Or it could have been just the feeling of being in Mexico, overlooking the water, with good company. Whatever it was, the carne asada tacos were great. But... they weren't the best. The shrimp ones were!
Now, I know the sign said "Fish Taco," but the shrimp ones sounded more appetizing and I'm glad we went that route. With perfectly deep-fried shrimp and all the same fresh ingredients as our carne asada tacos, this was the winner in my book. Not only did the tortilla taste like it was from a bakery and the tomatos straight from the farm, the cripsiness of the batter on the shrimp gave the tacos just enough crunch to have a flawless texture. We definitely did not leave there after having only one of each; especially one shrimp taco. I'm surprised the place didn't close down after we left for stripping them of their inventory.
Thanks, Jenny.
