It's been many moons since we've been to Cheesecake Factory. One reason is because our waistlines can't take it. Another reason is because we like the restaurant more for a group activity. Also, because there is so much food, we'd prefer to go for lunch, but generally are too busy on the weekends to take time to dress up for the activity. We may have to arrange to go back sooner.

Cheesecake Factory is a great place to take advantage of the recommendation I made once before. If you share the food, you have a wider variety of food in your belly and can increase your chances of a greater time. We shared a beautiful mixed green salad and the pasta pictured above, but we DID NOT share the cheesecake. The pasta was great. I take pride in the fact that I caught the description on the menu as saying garlic and crushed red pepper and pointed it out to Paul before he ordered the basic "marinara". I took a bit of the sauce and spread it on my grandmother's "marinara" pasta. My mother had also missed the extra flavored sauce. Paul graciously shared the peppers with my dad.

Cheesecakes are a matter of taste. Many people like different things. Paul wasn't too proud of his banana cheesecake, but I ate my chocolate raspberry over the next couple of days. My grandmother (little thing that she is) who had shared Mom and Dad's salad, our appetizer, and Mom's pasta and hadn't even finished all of that refused to even bother asking for a box. She was determined to eat her entire cheesecake right then and there. And she did! The only one of all 6 of us to finish every bite! When you find something that hits your taste-buds just right, not much can stop you.