Cookshop

Cookshop is an American farm to table restaurant in New York, located a few blocks away from my office there.  There isn't a lot about it to make it stand out in particular - no celeb chef, no fancy decor or vibe lighting.  It somehow manages to be located in a touristy area (near the Highline, near Chelsea Market) and yet has a casual, neighborhood feel to it.  It is always busy but not hard to get reservations.  In short, you'd probably never notice it, if you didn't live or work nearby.  

I noticed Cookshop only because they are available on Doordash for delivery, and I was really craving liver one day, and they were one of the few results to come up.  The menu overall was quite appealing to me.  So I ordered from them (after doing a modicum amount of research to make sure people generally liked the place).  It was great.  A year later, I attended a work event with pre-organized small group dinners, and my group was assigned to Cookshop.  I was excited to get the full restaurant experience, but I found it really quite average.  I don't see any reason to return, but I wouldn't be opposed if someone wanted to drag me there.

They are open daily for lunch and dinner, and on weekends for brunch.  Both of my "visits" were at dinner.

Visit #1: August 2024, Delivery

My first "visit" to Cookshop was when I was really craving chicken or duck liver, and ordered just that for delivery.  I was really pleased with it, and vowed to order, or visit, again soon.

Chicken Liver Mousse. $14.

"Pickles, focaccia crackers."

This was really quite good mousse.  Remarkably smooth and creamy, no graininess to it at all. It was sprinkled with a little bit of something on top, that I couldn't quite identify. If I had any criticism, I would say it needed a touch of salt, but that was very easy for me to add some nice large flakes fleur de sel. Really top notch liver mousse, really. 4/5.

The pickled red onions had a great harshness to them, and the acid helped cut the richness of the mouse. I usually like to have a sweet element to a liver dish though so I did miss that. 

The crostini weren't interesting, very hard and abrasive, drizzled with a lot of olive oil. I didn't end up using them, and opted for some truffle brioche toast that I had instead and greatly preferred that combination. I generally want a light fluffy brioche as my carb component for any kind of liver.  2/5 For the toasts, but I still give the dish a 3.5/5 overall. 

My Creation.

The next day, I made my own little creation with the rest of the mousse.  I was VERY pleased with what I made: chicken liver mousse + my great aunt's homemade dilly beans (for acidity to cut the richness) + fresh blackberry (sweet component that is always nice to have with pate/mousse) + sprinkle of smoked sea salt (to make it all pop), on a truffle brioche toast (major upgrade from their crostini).  This was 5 star all the way.

Visit #2: August 2025, Dine-In, Dinner

My next encounter with Cookshop was a full year later, when I went in person, for dinner, with a group of 7, for dinner, at 6pm.  The food really didn't live up to my expectations though, and was really quite mediocre.  Themes were far too much olive oil on everything, and underseasoning.  Service was average.

Patio Seating.

In nice weather, there is a fairly large patio space for outside seating, which I suspect is a big hit at brunch in particular.  However, it was dreary and cool the day we visited, so we were inside.

The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived, but quickly filled up.  It was extremely noisy within, I failed to get a photo, but there was just nothing to dampen the sounds, and it was impossible to hear each other even at our own table, across from each other.  Service was ok, not neglectful, but not super attentive, infrequent check backs.  They did try to hit some higher service points, like crumbing the table between courses, bringing out fresh cutlery between courses, etc, but didn't really deliver on a high service level experience.

Oven.

One feature inside is the big wood fired oven, where you could see pizzas and roast meats being cooked.  I was surprised that the menu doesn't call out the wood fired items more explicitly, as that seems like a unique feature.

Menu.

I was excited to order from all areas of the menu this time, as there were appetizers, mains, and desserts all jumping out at me when I looked online.  Alas, some of the menu changed the day I got there.

Cabernet Sauvignon. $20.
Trig Point 'Diamond Dust' Alexander Valley, California 2022.

The wine list was pretty short, for reds, there were four options: an Oregon pinot, an Italian, a Spanish, and a California cab, which I went for.

It was a very boring wine.  No real structure, nothing really to it. Not high acid nor tanin, but just ... boring.  Low 3/5.

This is a $30 bottle that they were selling for $20/glass.

Appetizers

Most of my group was fairly hungry when we arrived, as we were at a work summit all day, and, unlike me, they relied on the event catering, and hadn't eaten in 6+ hours.  They quickly ordered some appetizers for the table, doubling up on most of them per the server's recommendation for our group of 7.  We went for mostly hot apps, and skipped the single raw bar option, oysters.

I was heartbroken when we arrived to see the menu.  The dish I was planning to order for my appetizer, and probably NOT share, was gone!  My precious chicken liver mousse that I had before.  It was literally on the menu the day before, but rotated out that day.  I decided to still ask the server about it, who initially told me "if it's not on the menu, it means we changed the menu, and don't have it anymore", in a polite enough way.  I did ask her if she'd still check with the kitchen to see if they had any left, and she sorta non-comitally acknowledged my ask.  She returned several times to check on us, deliver drinks, etc but didn't mention the liver.  I asked again if she was able to ask, and she said no, she hadn't, and this time at least said she would.  I think she could tell I was going to be a bit annoying. She never got back to me this time either, BUT it did work out ...

The appetizers arrived in a couple waves, with a few min lag between waves.

Focaccia. $12.

"Whipped ricotta, olive oil, lemon, rosemary."

The hungry carb lovers really enjoyed the focaccia.  I never care for focaccia, so I skipped it, but tried the whipped ricotta.  I thought it was fine, not interesting, but the group really liked it.  The pool of olive oil on top seemed unnecessary, but set the tone for the rest of the main, which was very olive oil heavy throughout.  It was attractively presented on the cutting board.

Deviled Eggs. $14.

"w/ tuna salpicon."

The group also ordered a bunch of deviled eggs, which came 4 (halves) to an order.  I do like deviled eggs, although rarely order them out (and yes, deviled eggs went through *such* a phase in SF a few years back where ~everywhere had them on menus, with fun toppings/seasonings/etc, so this is not novel to me).  I think I ate way too many deviled eggs in college, where making them myself in the dining hall was my fun hack (as we had hard boiled eggs available in the salad bar, mayo and mustard and pickles in the sandwich bar, etc).

They had a somewhat unique presentation, with the eggs perched on top of extra yolk filling, and the filling clearly applied inside and out with a piping bag.  They were sliced the opposite way of how I slice them when I make them myself, but I suspect this allowed for more generous filling (and they seemed to use more yolks than whites per piece).

I tried one when there were still several left.  The filling was entirely average - it wasn't particularly creamy, it wasn't particularly seasoned, it was just generic deviled egg filling.  The tuna salpicon on top was a nice touch though, it added a salty briny pop to the eggs, much like roe does (another common bougie-up deviled eggs topping).

The tuna was unique, but still just 3/5 as there was nothing compelling about these.

Tempura Vegetables. $17.
w/ lemon aioli.

The server told us all about the vegetable tempura, which changes out based on fresh seasonal vegetables.  She recommended it, and told us it had squash, okra, squash blossoms, and I think a few other things.  I wasn't particularly interested as none of the particular veggies called out, but the group ordered it.  It was a fairly sizable portion, so I did try a few pieces.

It wasn't very good.  The ratio of batter seemed way off, far too much coating, which I wouldn't have minded if the flavor was good, but the batter also didn't really have much flavor.  Nor were they well seasoned.  Kinda greasy.  The pieces were nicely crisp however.  Eh.

The lemon aioli was standard, not particularly strong lemon.  Others dunked their tempura in the ricotta instead.  2/5.

Crab Beignets. $19.

"Carolina lump crab, smoked bluefish, corn, tartar sauce."

We finally got to an appetizer I ordered, not because I was that excited for it, but because it was the most appealing thing on the available menu (as the liver was not an option).  I knew from having read reviews that people were pretty lukewarm on it, and that in particular I should not expect a beignet, but rather, basically a crispier ball shaped crab cake (that also had corn and bluefish in it), so my expectations were set accordingly.

And yeah, the reviews seem accurate.  The balls were very crispy, perhaps a touch over fried, and definitely nothing beignet like about them besides the shape.  They came on top of what was dubbed a tartar sauce, and I usually love tartar sauce, but I wasn't into this.  It seemed more like a watery relish, with lots of chunks (good), but far too much red onion/acid, no brininess, and was just strangely liquidy.  I was excited to dredge my crab in it, until I took one bite, and changed my mind. 1/5 tartar sauce.

Crab Beignet: inside.

Inside was indeed a generous amount of crab, but also bluefish that had a pretty strong flavor, and masked the more delicate crab.  It was fairly fishy.  The corn I didn't actually notice while eating them, but the kernels were there.  So crispy, yes, but again a bit greasy, and the taste just wasn't very good. 2.5/5.

Charred Bread (for liver).

A few minutes later, another server emerged, and put a bread board on the table. We had not ordered another bread, but he quickly explained that it was a gift from the kitchen.  The bread was toasted fairly crisp, and was a kinda generic rustic/peasant loaf style.  Kinda average, not good nor bad, but also not something any of us really wanted.  3/5.  

I later realized this was intended to go with the liver (when I had it previously, it came with little crostini.  I'm not sure if their preparation changed, or if this is just how they improvised given that the liver was no longer on the menu).  

Off-menu Liver!

And behold, my liver!  Although it was not on the menu, and although my server definitely never indicated that they could still indeed whip this out for me when asked, it did show up, with a smile (from another staff member) and a mention of being a special gift from the kitchen.

It came served just as I had it a year ago with pickled cucumber and onion, plus a slightly odd garnish of an herb I couldn't identify.  That herb showed up later on my scallop dish, looking equally, if not moreso, random.

It was creamy, richy, and quite good, but I again felt it was missing salt to make it pop (harder to solve there in the restaurant than at home where I had nice finishing salts handy, and they had no salt or pepper on the tables and I was too lazy to ask), and missing a sweet component to balance it out. The pickles were quite harsh and highly acidic, but did cut through the richness of the liver a bit.

So, the liver itself was easily 4/5, probably 4.5/5, but the composed dish was more like a 3/5.  It wasn't a problem as I had ordered the other appetizers, and just took this home to play with.  I served it on top of fluffy toasted brioche one night, and on truffled brioche crackers another, and added fresh blackberries and fancy salt, and really adored it again.

Salads / Sides

The menu has a trio of salads, only a super basic little gems (literally, just lettuce and radishes in, you guessed it, olive oil dressing), a stone fruit salad, and heirloom tomatoes.  For sides, there are four vegetables, one of which is another raw tomato dish (this time beefsteak tomatoes, but I'm not sure what else is different from the salad version, as both has oil and basil and little else ...), plus romano beans, eggplant, or corn on the cob.  The middle two options didn't seem particularly seasonal, which seemed odd, given the farm to table nature of the restaurant, and the fact that it was peak summer.  I found it interesting that there were no carbs/starch side options, no token mashed potatoes or even fries (although the later did come with a few dishes).

The server tried to encourage ordering some vegetable sides for the table, but no one was interested.  No one wanted salads either.  I however really did want some vegetables, so I ordered one of the two tomato dishes, randomly picking the heirlooms (considered a salad) as it seemed perhaps a bit nicer?

Heirloom Tomatoes. $18.

"Olive oil, salt crystals, basil, red onion."

The dish was basically exactly what it seemed it would be.  Assorted colors and sizes of heirloom tomatoes.  Some thin sliced red onion.  A bit of basil.  And of course, lots of olive oil.  Like other dishes, they needed salt, despite salt crystals being an explicit ingredient.

I didn't find any of the flavors of any of the tomatoes to be nearly as intense as I hoped.  They were vibrant, and it looked great, but the flavors were fairly average.  My office salad bar had more flavorful tomatoes.  Absolutely nothing remarkable about this dish, and certainly not worth $18.  3/5.

Mains

The dinner menu has only 8 main dish protein choices, pretty much the basics: burger, steak, roast chicken, and slightly more interesting pork chop for the meat & poultry eaters, two kinds of fish, scallops, and lobster.  They came as fairly fully composed dishes, the burger and lobster with fries, the steak with potatoes, and others with some kind of minor vegetable side.  The majority of the group, myself included, ordered the scallops, although we had one person get each of the fish (tuna, bluefish), and one person get steak.  I was curious about the bluefish, as I've never had it, but I can never pass up scallops.

There are also two pastas and one pizza, all vegetarian, and it was unclear if these were main dish portions or smaller dishes.  We didn't get any, although one diner was tempted by all of them.

Pan Roasted Sea Scallops. $33.

"Fresh corn pudding, oregano, roasted red pepper relish."

My heart kinda sank when the scallops were placed in front of me.  This was perhaps the least attractive dish of scallops I've ever seen!  But aesthetics aside, I had issues with the execution too.

First, the scallops were sliced horizontally 2-3 times, so although there were 7-8 slices, I think it was only 2, maybe 3, full size scallops.  I know this is a style, and one even Gordon Ramsay does at his restaurants, but, I really like whole scallops, with a hard sear, and mid-rare center.  Particularly for a main dish, not appetizer portion, this prep seemed odd.  These were cooked fine, not rubbery, but barely any sear, and obviously fully cooked since so thin.  They were fine, but just not the style of scallop prep I would prefer.  3.5/5.

Then there was the "fresh corn pudding", that was a sorta chunky corn puree of sorts.  I loved the sounds of this, as I adore summer corn, and the natural sweetness of both scallops and corn seemed like they'd pair beautifully, but it was strangely bitter.  The texture/consistency was good, but the bitterness really somewhat ruined the otherwise delicate nature of the dish.  Another dinner who also ordered this commented that it was bitter and seemed like maybe it was made with just too much olive oil, which can make things bitter.  So, great concept, not great execution. 2/5.

The roasted red pepper relish I actually was sad to see on the menu, as I don't care for red peppers usually, but this was fine, and did compliment both the corn and scallops well.  It was fairly oily though, like many things in this meal.  3/5.

The random herb garnish seemed entirely out of place (the same garnish that came with my liver).

So put it altogether, and it was great concept of a dish, but alas, just not great in actual taste.  3/5.

All Natural Sirloin Steak. $44.
(partially consumed).

"Crisp potatoes, brava sauce, garlic, smoked paprika, salsa verde."

The server told us the steak was her favorite dish, and really sold it.  The diner next to me ordered it, and definitely thought it was oversold.  She thought it was fine, but not particularly great, and definitely not the patatas bravas style dish that was enthusiastically described.  In particular, she was let down by the sauce, that seemed like just gochujang.  She offered me what was left (pictured here), and of course I tried it.

The potatoes were decent - *very* crispy, very oily.  They reminded me of the style of potatoes that are frequently served in Australia, except that the interior wasn't as creamy.  The salt level was good on them.  But they were kinda dry, besides the oil, and I felt myself wanting something to dip them in (even ketchup would have helped!).  And, just swimming in oil on the plate.  Low 3/5.

The condiment provided was a "brava" sauce/spread, that had a bit of smokiness to it, but also just wasn't very good.  It seemed to be lacking something, not quite sure what, but it just wasn't very balanced nor enjoyable. 2/5.

Dessert

After the dishes were cleared from our main course, the table was crumbed again, and we were presented dessert menus.  Even after a kinda ho-hum meal, of course I wanted dessert.

Dessert / Cheese / Drinks.

The desert lineup is fairly small, with just three real desserts (a fruity one, a chocolate one, a cheesecake), plus cookies, ice cream, and sorbet.  Our group all mostly ordered the same thing (shortcake!), although two people opted for just a simple scoop of lemon sorbet, and one selected cookies.  I was disappointed that no one ordered the cheesecake, as I did want to try it (although, it was goat cheese!).  

We were strangely all given spoons only for our dessert, which was difficult to use to eat the shortcake.  Several of us asked for a fork instead.

Summer Berry Shortcake. $12.

"Jersey strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, vanilla whipped cream."

The shortcake was good.  It wasn't quite a traditional shortcake, at least, not how I grew up with it with a biscuit (generally cut in half), topped with macerated (or fresh) berries, topped with whipped cream, but rather it was a layered tower with the shortcake biscuit split in half, with layers of whipped cream between the pieces and on top, and then more of a berry coulis or sauce than fresh or macerated berries spooned over it all.  In fact, the number of sliced or whole berries was fairly minimal.

But it was still decent.  The shortcake biscuit was fairly firm (and nearly impossible to eat with the spoon they gave us!), but it had a decent flavor to it, a slight tang, and some sugar crystals on the outside to accent it.  A fine, but average fine, biscuit.  Not memorable, but it certainly didn't detract if that makes sense.  3/5 biscuit.

The whipped cream was above average, very thick, rich, not overly sweetened, and just tasted like really good fresh cream.  It reminded me of whipped cream you'd get in Japan where the taste of the fresh milk/cream is the dominant feature.  4/5 whipped cream.

The berry element, the least traditional aspect of it, is what I liked most.  The coulis was super fruity, very sweet yet somehow not cloying, and just really intense berry.  I wanted to lap up every last drop of it.  I did sorta miss having more actual berries, but this was too tasty to really be mad at.  4/5 berry stuff.

The plating did feel a bit like they were trying to elevate a classic comfort food homemade dessert to restaurant level, and failed slightly, as it did look messy (and not in a rustic charm way), and the mint sprig was just sorta there.  Overall though, very enjoyable, low 4/5.

One of my fellow diners was smart enough to order vanilla ice cream with theirs, which I got to try as well.  It was good - fairly creamy, quite strong vanilla bean flavor.  Not something worth getting on its own, but so great with that sauce. 3.5/5.

Oatmeal Dried Cherry Cookies. $10.
(+whipped cream, berries).

"White chocolate, pumpkin & sesame seeds."

The cookies actually came with 3 to the order, but the person who ordered them had only one, and passed the rest along to the rest of the group.  No one wanted to even try them, so of course I couldn't let them go to waste, even though cookies are definitely not what I consider a real dessert (particularly when I had my glorious shortcake!).  She also asked for basically the shortcake toppings with her cookies, basically wanting the berries, and was given a small bowl of the berries (which you can see she enjoyed!) and whipped cream that she did not have.  I was more than happy to take the extra whipped cream too!

The cookies were ... fine?  Fairly soft but still crispier around the edges than I like.  Pretty hearty, kinda healthy tasting cookies from the seeds and oats, yet plenty sweet from white chocolate, dried cherries, and sugar, the base cleary was a regular sugar content style cookie, not a healthier style.  I really wanted to like them more than I did, as I do love white chocolate, but I just didn't find anything particularly special about these.  Some slight lemon notes to them as well.  Low 3/5.

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Cava

Cava is yet another entry in the "bowls for lunch" fast casual scene, featuring Mediterranean bowls and wraps.  It is a brand I have seen all over the place whenever I visit Boston or New York, alongside Sweetgreen, Dig, etc, but not one that has really been on my radar as they don't have any locations in San Francisco where I live.  They do have locations elsewhere in California, and across the US. They are all company owned (not franchised)

The concept is pretty simple: build your own bowl (with grains, greens, or both, as a base), or a pita sandwich.  Or pick from their curated offerings.  They offer a few simple sides/desserts, and drinks, and that is it.  Mostly all takeout.

During my recent month in New York, I finally gave it a try, opting to try a salad bowl, and a dessert.  I was relatively impressed, and would return.

Salad Bowl. $12.85.

For my salad, um, I loaded it up.  This was my creation, with:

• 1/2 SuperGreens & 1/2 SplendidGreens®
• Roasted Eggplant Dip
• Full Portion Roasted Vegetables
• 2x Fiery Broccoli, 2x Fire Roasted Corn, 1x Pickled Onions, 2x Salt-Brined Pickles, 2x Tomato + Onion, 1x Tomato + Cucumber, 2x Cabbage Slaw, 2x Shredded Romaine
• Yogurt Dill, Skhug

Or at least, that is what I ordered.

It was missing both of the tomato options (so, 3 out of 14 toppings), was missing the broccoli (another 2 toppings), and seemed to have as much pickled onion as other toppings (even though I doubled the others, and not the onions), and I'm not sure if there was any slaw or shredded romaine (another 4 toppings), so I think I only got 5 of my 14 toppings.  Grr.

It came all mixed up, which I wasn't expecting as well, but this was my first time.

That all said, I did enjoy it, a good bowl experience and something a bit different from your standard salad bowls (overall, low 4/5), and I'd try Cava again, but maybe go in person for order accuracy reasons?  (The sticker on my bowl had everything listed, it just didn't actually have the items ...).  Diving into the components ...

Greens.

For a salad bowl, you have a choice of 5 kinds of greens as the base, and can pick any two.  I skipped the more simple arugula, baby spinach, and romaine options, and opted for the two branded mixes.

Super Greens

"A hardy and crunchy proprietary blend of raw cabbage, chicory, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and kale."

I enjoy everything in this mix, and thus, I was pretty pleased with this offering.  All were fresh and crisp, great crunch, and this was a good hearty base.  The kale, if you are curious, is curly kale, and NOT baby kale.  The kale slightly dominated, which I didn't mind, and the raw brussels sprouts slices added a very good crunch.  I'd definitely get this again.  4.5/5. 

SplendidGreens

"Our CAVA mix of crisp chopped greens: romaine, radicchio, escarole, chicory, and endive."

Another blend of all things I enjoy.  This was a more flavorful, but less hearty set of greens, if that makes sense.  Some slight bitterness from the chicory and radicchio.  Chopped into smaller pieces.  I'd gladly get this again too.  4.5/5.

Dips & Spreads.

Moving on to dips & spreads, which sound a bit odd in a salad bowl (e.g. dips for chips, yes, spreads on sandwiches, yes, but ... in my salad bowl?).  Here I had 6 choices, and could pick 3.  I only wanted one, as I don't care for hummus (3 of the choices), feta, or harissa.

Roasted Eggplant Dip

"Roasted eggplant that's emulsified with olive oil and lemon juice. Plus, parsley, onions, garlic. Sleeper hit!"

The eggplant dip was good.  Reminded me of babaganoush.  Nice slightly smoky flavor, well seasoned.  But a bit odd to have such a mushy component mixed in to my salad.  Likely works better on a grains bowl or in a salad.  3/5.

Mains.

For main, I wasn't particularly interested in any of the 7 options, from which I could pick 2.  Two styles of chicken (do not like), two styles of lamb (hate), steak (eh), falafel (meh), or roasted veggies.  I do like roast veggies, but more in a warm dish, not a salad.  Still, I went for them.  Since our order was delivered an hour before eating, I'm not sure if the veggies are normally served warm, as they were not when I got to them.  

Roasted Vegetables

"Brussels sprouts, carrots, and cauliflower all simply roasted for a great caramelized exterior."

I was a bit surprised to see brussels sprouts in the middle of summer, but I guess they don't switch this up seasonally?  It seems like this mix was better designed for winter (and I'd love to see winter squashes in the fall too).  Anyway, the veggies were fine.  Decent size pieces. Decently roasted.  But again, just as a textures thing, I didn't love having soft veggies in my salad. When I have cauliflower or brussels in a salad normally, I grill them, so they are more crispy/charred, not just roasted.  I dislike cooked carrots, so those were lost on me, but luckily were minimal and small.  3/5.

Toppings.

The toppings lineup isn't your standard salad shop mix of simple raw ingredients, but rather, all are generally dressed in some way (usually with olive oil or some kind of vinaigrette and herbs/spices).  For example, you don't just pick tomatoes, you can pick between diced tomatoes/cucumber/parsley or marinated grape tomato halves with onions. There are 13 options total, all vegan besides the feta.  You can select up to 14 toppings, doubling up on any items you choose (but not more than doubling, even if you don't want other things).  

I loaded my bowl up fully, and selected 8 different items, doubling up most.  However, I only received about half of them.

Fiery Broccoli

"Fresh broccoli with a bite. Chilies and red wine vinegar deliver bright, smoky spice and a pop of texture."

This was missing from my bowl, even though I ordered 2x.

Fire Roasted Corn

45 Cal

"Inspired by Greek street corn, our fire-roasted version is tossed with herbs, spices, and garlic dressing."

This was good.  I like corn, and this had a bit of char to it.  Good for textural element as well.  4/5.

Pickled Onions

20 Cal

"In-house pickled onions with a welcomed sweetness. A CAVA menu staple—guests would mutiny if they disappeared!"

I actually really liked the pickled onions.  They were juicy and had a nice acid level, not too pungent.  I only ordered 1 portion, but I was glad they were so generous with them in bowl.  Would get these again.  ****.

Salt-Brined Pickles

5 Cal

"A mellow pickle brined in vinegar that banks on savoriness over saltiness. Great crunch."

Great pickles.  Smaller size, sliced.  Crunchy and not mushy.  Would get these again.  4/5.

Tomato + Onion

20 Cal

"Grape tomato halves mixed with diced red onions, oregano, and red wine vinegar for a nice sweet tang."

Ordered 2 portions, but was missing entirely.  I really missed the fresh juicy component this would have added.

Tomato + Cucumber

10 Cal

"A go-to Mediterranean pairing, plus parsley for extra freshness."

Ordered one portion, but was missing entirely.  Again, I missed the fresh juicy element these would have added.

Cabbage Slaw

35 Cal

"A crunchy, colorful, and slightly tangy cabbage slaw tossed with olive oil and lemon juice."

I ordered 2 portions, but I think this was missing as well.  There was a bit of cabbage, but I think that was from my SuperGreens base.

Shredded Romaine

5 Cal

"A fresh and simple green that's great for adding crunch and texture."

I ordered 2 portions, but I'm not sure if I actually had either.  It might have just been lost amongst the SplendidGreens, which did include romaine (although bigger pieces).  I didn't find any romaine that I thought was really shredded.

Dressings.

There are 8 dressing options, you may select up to 2.  On the side, light drizzle on top, or full serving on top are the options.  I quickly ruled out everything with tahini or vinaigrettes, as I don't care for either.  This left me with 3 choices: yogurt dill, garlic dressing, and skhug.  I picked two, on the side.

Yogurt Dill

"A refreshing dressing with Greek yogurt, lots of dill, cucumbers, lemon juice. It brightens up everything."

This was very dill forward.  Very very dill forward.  Great if you love dill!  Light yogurt base.  Not what I wanted with my bowl actually, but I gladly used it later as a dip for veggies.  3/5.

Skhug

"There's so much herby goodness happening in this jalapeño-laced dressing. Skhug for president."

This was good.  Flavorful and herby.  Mild heat.  I'd get it again.  3.5/5. 

Side Pita.

"Our warm, fluffy, and perfectly chewy pita is made exclusively for CAVA by Brooklyn-based Damascus bakery."

Much like Sweet Green and others, Cava gives a free piece of bread (in their case, pita) with your order.  I got it to try, and was not really impressed.  Made by a local bakery, but it didn't seem special in any way, nor that fresh.  It was just ... pita.  Thin style. 2/5.

You can also opt for pita chips or a full size pita for an upcharge.

Greyston Blondie. $2.80.

"A blondie with a super soft, almost-gooey inside. Handcrafted by Greyston Bakery for CAVA."

I ordered online, so I didn't realize that the dessert I picked (and probably all 3? The others are a brownie or cookie) was a packaged item.  

It was a pretty reasonable blondie.  Fairly soft.  Small chips, not tons of them, but enough.  Sweet but not too sweet.  Slightly buttery.  I didn't really detect butterscotch or other notes I'd expect from a blondie though.  Kinda small size.  3/5.

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Escape from NY Pizza

Update Review, January 2025 Visit

So, I don't care for Escape from New York crust.  Nor their red sauce.  Nor their standard cheese.  You know, all the basics that go in to pizza. You've read all about this in my earlier reviews (below).  

But my office has a party with stacks and stacks of Escape from New York pizza every month, and I still have the memory of way back when I tried the "Cheesy Garlic Shrooms" specialty pizza and really did like the olive oil garlic base (no red sauce), the mix of cheeses (parm, motz, feta), and mushrooms, so whenever I see a speciality non-red sauce pizza in the lineup, I give them another shot. 

You Say Potato.

"Sliced and roasted potatoes & roasted garlic cloves over pesto sauce."

The You Say Potato was certainly a looker.  Loaded up with toppings - although not evenly distributed on top as there were some slices with 3 garlic cloves, others with literally 10.  Some slices entirely covered in slices of potato, others with only a single slice.  Etc.  I wouldn't say that putting care into the construction of the pizza is a strong point of Escape from NY, but at least it gave some variety for folks who had preferences.

Anyway, this pizza had some strong points.  The pesto was quite flavorful and good.  The garlic cloves were nicely roasted, mellow sweet and, well, garlicky flavor.  SO much garlic, if you got a piece loaded up. The potato slices were something a bit different, nice for some crunch.

But ... I still really disliked the chewy flavorless crust and the cheese that just doesn't melt well or get a nice cheese pull.

I mostly plucked off the toppings, but this has promise if you don't mind their crust and cheese.  **.

Original Review, November 2024

I have a strange relationship with pizza.  I grew up eating it regularly - one night a week when my mom worked nights, my father made it for us (using packaged crust mix, jarred sauce, and basic cheese/ toppings, but it was relatively homemade).  All through ski season I enjoyed the Ellio's pizza at the snack bar at my local ski area.  My family went to Papa Gino's a fair amount when it existed in town, followed by a Little Ceasar's phase after that.  Every birthday party had pizza from somewhere local.  In college, there was one place that delivered, and that was monster slices.  In grad school, I often made bagel or english muffin pizzas for myself.  Etc.

When I moved to SF, I got exposed to deep dish (and was in love with Little Star) and fancier California thin crust (Delfina!). 

And then I basically stopped eating pizza.  For years.  Like, 15 years probably.  Whenever I visited my family, they still did weekly pizza night.  I never joined in.  And then covid happened, and I guess my eating habits did again too.  I now do actually eat pizza, at least once a month.

All the Pizza.

In the spirit of trying all the pizza these days, I finally tried pizza from Escape From NY Pizza, a small chain in San Francisco.  Their pizza has never looked particularly good to me, but its relatively cheap, has delivery, and is frequently ordered at events.

I've tried their pizza a few times.  Generally, it is as blah as it looks, although others seem to enjoy it.  In all my trials, I found only one variety that I ever liked.

Gluten-Free.

This is a gluten-free pie, with a thinner crust than the regular, that is even worse.  It reminds me of everything you'd imagine about bad gluten-free items, basically, way too crispy, and tastes as bland as can be.  Like eating cardboard.

Cheesy Garlic Shrooms.

"Olive Oil Garlic Base, Shredded Parmesan Cheese, Mushrooms, Mozzarella and Feta."

I really liked some aspects of this pizza.  It surprised me.

What I didn't care for was the crust, just a boring chewy style.  Meh.

But I really liked the toppings - great garlic flavor, and the cheese mix was really flavorful and had an amazing cheese pull.  I really, really liked the toppings, I just wanted the served on something other than that bo-ring crust.

****+ toppings even, but *+ crust, ***+ overall.  I'd gladly have those toppings again.

Great Escape.

"Red Sauce, Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Mushrooms and Onions."

Another event with Escape from NY Pizza, so I tried it again, a classic style this time.

Meh.  Crust was boring chewy/soft style.  Red sauce was kinda too sweet, and there was lots of it. Generic mozzarella, and lots of it.  Generic pepperoni.  Mediocre mushrooms.  I did like the slightly sweet red onions.  

Just not my kind of pizza.  I think my parents would like this style, and many others enjoyed it, it just isn't for me.  *.

Read More...

The Cheesecake Factory

Update Review, May 2025

One lucky day, I was sitting at my desk in the afternoon, when a co-worker sent out a message saying they had tons of extra food from The Cheesecake Factory.  I reviewed the desserts I snagged already last week in the Cheesecake Factory Dessert master post, so now it is time to focus on the savory.  

The host had a slew of untouched flatbreads, but I didn't try those.  Instead, I grabbed some of many of the small plates (and, the aforementioned dessert, which was my #1 priority of course).  I was again relatively impressed with the Cheesecake Factory.  The food, even leftovers, was mostly quite good.

Small Plates & Snacks

Asian Cucumber Salad. $11.95.

"Crispy Cucumbers, Sesame, Soy, Garlic and Mild Red Chiles."

This is a new menu item, added in March 2025.  I wouldn't have ordered it myself, but, hey, it was leftover and there to try, so I tried it.

I have a strange relationship with cucumbers.  I love pickled cucumbers.  Eat them daily.  Sometimes several times a day.  But fresh cucumbers?  Eh.  I hoped this would trend more in the direction of a quick pickle at least.  It didn't.  These were, well, Asian style cucumbers, just as the dish is named.

It was ... hmm.  The cucumber was fresh style, which for me, was a deterrent - it tasted, strongly, like fresh cucumber.  Big juicy slices.  However, not refreshing as you'd expect from a fresh vegetable and a salad, as it was really quite oily.  Just, smothered in (sesame) oil.  I didn't really taste the soy, just very strong sesame oil.  It seems like it wouldn't fit in all that well with the rest of their menu, just given how traditional Chinese it is, and the rest of the Cheesecake Factory menu, while vast, doesn't lean that way. 

And like many things at Cheesecake Factory, the nutrition facts are ... fascinating.  I don't generally look these things up, but they have it dominantly displayed on the menu, and this caught my eye.  I wondered at first how a small cucumber salad could be 480 calories, but, now I know: all that oil.  I wouldn't get this again. *+.

Crispy Crab Bites. $13.95.

"Bite-Sized Little Crab Cakes Served with Mustard Sauce."

I love crab, so I was happy to see one last crab bite remaining.

This was a pretty enjoyable little crab ball-cake.  Shredded crab, not lump, but not much filler, only little bits of red pepper for a bit of zing.  Fairly strong crab flavor.  Super crispy, flavorful coating.  If these were larger size, and served at a seafood restaurant, I'd be happy with them as an entree, so actually pretty impressive for Cheesecake Factory.  **** crab ball.

The "mustard sauce" was more of a mayo with a tiny amount of zing to it, which is fine, it went really well with the crab cakes, but it seemed a bit odd to call it a mustard sauce when I had to really search for the mustard flavor.  *** sauce.

Overall, a dish I was pretty happy with, and would happily eat again.  These come 6 to an order.

Street Corn. $11.50.

"Fire Roasted Corn “Ribs” with Cotija, Chile-Lime Mayonnaise and Cilantro."

I had this dish once a few years ago, when I ordered it without the cheese (which, at the time was parmesan, glad to see they changed it to a more appropriate cheese for Mexican street corn style), and with the mayo on the side.  I thought the ribs were kinda eh then, and really just wanted them to be more like the ones you can get at Trader Joe's (frozen).  This time, since I didn't order the food, they came as intended, with the toppings and garnishes.  

It was ok.  I mean, I love corn on the cob, and it was nicely roasted with a char, so that I really appreciated.  But it tasted really oily, and once I tried air frying one piece and grilling another to heat them back up, lots of oil came pouring out.  It just ate really heavy.  And of course, smothered in the chile-lime mayo and cotija, so very street corn style, which I'd prefer it not have (even though I love mayo, just, not on my corn!).

So, overall, eh.  I enjoyed it because it was corn, but not really because of how it was prepared. Very low ***.  (And for the curious, since I've included the details for other dishes, 710 Calories for the small plate, which usually includes 10 little cob pieces like this).

Original Review, 2024

Do you really need an intro the Cheesecake Factory?  If you are from the US, and have visited any US city ever, you likely have heard of it.  Notorious for many things, including having an epically huge menu (250 items!), insanely high calorie counts on their dishes (not just cheesecake, many, many entrees over 2,000 calories each), and, of course, a slew of cheesecakes.

I've sort of reviewed the Cheesecake Factory before, when I tried several of their "At Home" branded products (bread, ice cream), and of course I've reviewed some of their cheesecake (both from the restaurant and wholesale), but, uh, I haven't actually ever reviewed a proper meal at The Cheesecake Factory.

Partially, I haven't reviewed the restaurant dining as, well, I haven't been in many, many, many years, despite there being a location not that far from my house.  In fact, I think I've only actually been to a Cheesecake Factory maybe ... 3?  4? times.  I remember being overwhelmed by the menu length, surprised at how seemingly expensive it was, and not being particularly enamored by the food.  That said, I did have one very fond memory of the Cheesecake Factory, my first visit ever, and, as much as I've wanted, I just haven't been able to get this one dish out of my mind.  And thus, when I was recently in Orlando for a conference, and I needed an easy option for dinner, delivery from the Cheesecake Factory it was.  A year later, in the DC area, same thing.  I needed easy hotel delivery, and Cheesecake Factory was close by and reliable.

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of takeout and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes for free money!

• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Allset ($5 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Uber Eats ($20 off - use code eats-lejw5 at checkout) [ Pickup or delivery ]

Ordering online is easy, and the Cheesecake Factory is clearly accustomed to lots of takeout, everything packaged in appropriate sized containers (include, some *mega* ones!).  Of course they have the largest takeout containers I've ever seen.  Very on brand.

I'll admit, that yes, the menu is insanely large (really, how can they possibly make all those dishes? I can't imagine being a line cook there, so, so many dishes to know), and yes, the prices are kinda high for a chain, but, I think the food is fairly consistent, and while you won't be blown away by anything, you likely won't hate it either.  And, there really is something for everyone there (Asian? Italian? Mexican? Burgers? Salads? Classic American comfort food?  They've got it all.)  If you want an easy, reliable option, particularly one that will suit ~everyone, it is not a bad pick.

Food

I'm not going to enumerate the menu, nor even the categories, to you here.  There is just too much.  250 items.  Yes, for real, 250 items.  More categories than I care to count.  Every mainstream cuisine is represented.  Some locations even serve brunch.  Zomg, the menu.  And, a few times a year, they introduce new things too.  It is mind-boggling really.

Small Plates & Snacks / Appetizers / Appetizer Salads

The menu has multiple categories of dishes that you may consider starters, including I truly don't understand how they pick which category to put dishes under, as there are smaller salads under the "Small Plates & Snacks" menu along with those in the "Appetizer Salads" menu, and other items on that same first section seem no different from appetizers, e.g. crab wontons are "Small Plates & Snacks", yet chicken pot stickers are appetizers .... cheeseburger spring rolls are "Small Plates & Snacks" yet Tex Mex or Avocado Eggrolls are appetizers (and all three are fried and look to be the same size portions ...), etc.  

I'll just call all those categories, along with the complimentary bread, "Starters".

Bread (complimentary).
Sourdough & Whole Wheat. (October 2022).

I wasn't expecting bread to be included in my order, but, I got a baguette bag with half each of the two house breads: sourdough and whole wheat.  I also received two pats of generic butter.  You can also purchase these by the full baguette for $3.50.

I have had the "At Home" version of their brown (whole wheat) bread, and did like it (but not love it, as you may recall from my review), so I was curious how the restaurant version would compare.  

The brown bread was ... ok.  I did like the slight sweetness/maltiness to it, and the oats covering it.  But it didn't taste particularly fresh, didn't have that great of a crumb structure, didn't have that great of a crust or chew.  Better once warmed up, but, yeah, not particularly great.  I'm not sure why people rave about this bread so much. ***.

The other half a baguette was sourdough.  I still tried it, even though I don't like sourdough.  It was soft, didn't have a good crust, didn't have a great chew either, and, was slightly sourdough.  Meh for me. **.

The generic butter pats were not interesting either, I'm not sure if they serve something better in the restaurant.

I didn't really care for this bread, but its nice that they include for takeout, as many places do not.

Bread (Complimentary).
(October 2023).

A year later when I ordered, my order again came with small portions of each of The Cheesecake Factory's famous breads, and two pats of butter.  

Both of the breads were served at room temperature, and both were fairly hard and a touch stale.  I used to really like the Cheesecake Factory brown bread, but this was really a letdown.  It still had a decent malty flavor, and I liked the oats coating, but, it was just too dry.  The baguette was similarly dry, the crust was very hard, and difficult to break into.  They just didn't seem fresh.  *+.

Appetizer: Thai Lettuce Wraps. $17.95.
(October 2022).

"Create Your Own Thai Lettuce Rolls! Satay Chicken Strips, Carrots, Bean Sprouts, Coconut Curry Noodles and Lettuce Leaves with Three Delicious Spicy Thai Sauces – Peanut, Sweet Red Chili and Tamarind-Cashew."

Ok, story time!  This is the first dish I ever had at the Cheesecake Factory. I also think it was the first thai (or, Thai inspired) food I ever had.  I most certainly didn't order it myself, but, when I tried it, my very sheltered mind was blown.

So how did this come about?  Well, my family lives in rural New Hampshire.  We didn't even take day trips to cities like Boston that were just 2.5 hours away.  I had zero exposure to dining out besides our regular lineup of Subway, Pizza Hut or Papa Ginos, and Taco Bell.  I certainly didn't know Thai food, I certainly didn't know big flashy places like The Cheesecake Factory.  The same was true for most of extended family, except for one aunt and cousin, who had, gasp, moved to California.  California!  The other side of the country!  To me, they were an enigma, and I thought they were so hip and cultured.  And one time, said cousin came to visit, and we had to pick her up in Boston.  She wanted to actually spend time in Boston, at least a few hours, before heading to the countryside.  And she wanted to take us to the Cheesecake Factory.  I remember being in awe of the place, the sheer size, the marble poles, the menu ... and being totally overwhelmed.  My cousin took to ordering for us when she saw my mom and I as deer in headlights, and I think she enjoyed showing us her ways.  And one thing she ordered for the table was the Thai Lettuce Wraps.  I had never had anything like them before.  A create-your-own dish?  Food you eat with your hands in a restaurant?  And, zomg, the the sauces!  The curry noodles!  Such flavors!  So unlikely anything my rural taste buds had ever experienced before.

And that was my memory.  Sure, some of the memory is certainly just being in awe that such a fantastical place existed in the first place, and some of it was thinking my older, urban cousin was super cool, but, I also remember genuinely liking the dish.  And yet, I never had the dish again.  I was probably 13? 14? when I had it, and, although I visited the Cheesecake Factory at least one other time with my mom (I think when we were touring colleges) and one time when I moved out to California, I didn't get it then.  And yet, the memory came back to me, suddenly, when I was browsing menus on Door Dash a few months ago, and, well, I just couldn't stop thinking about the dish.  It also seemed perfect for takeout, as it is a cold dish.

There is one problem though - um, I don't like chicken.  These are the Thai *Chicken* Lettuce Wraps.  And I don't like chicken.  At all. The dish does have a vegetarian version too - but it is made with grilled avocado in place of the chicken, and I'm allergic to avocado.  My chicken aversion is likely why I didn't try it again when I did visit Cheesecake Factory after that initial time, or perhaps because no one else wanted it, and this dish, like all appetizers there, is meant to share between 3-4 people.  So what was I doing, alone, ordering it?  Yeah, it didn't make sense, but, I really wanted to see if it lived up to my memories.

And so I ordered it online, putting in the special requests "no chicken, just add extra veggies?".  The restaurant called me to follow up, making sure I really didn't want chicken, suggesting that I get the avocado version instead, but when I explained I was allergic to avocado, and just really wanted all the goodies and sauces, they went along with my plan.  I asked about subbing shrimp, but I was told I'd need to just order shrimp a la carte.  And thus, I asked for just extra veggies.

I gasped when I opened my takeout bag.  Well, I gasped when I saw the bag itself, as it was like a comically large shopping bag people have at Christmastime, not like any food takeout bag I've ever seen before.  Yes, I know Cheesecake Factory portions are jumbo sized.  Yes, I know I asked for extra veggies, but, um, I had two platters, legit *platters*, full of the makings for my wraps.  I have no idea what this looks like when ordered normally for takeout, I suspect it is just one container like this, and one with chicken and the lettuce to wrap?  But for me, I had two, identical, platters loaded up with all the fillings: fresh crisp carrots and bean sprouts, sliced cucumber salad, and the curry noodles.  And two each of the trio of sauces.  I was pretty excited to dive in.

The veggies were all good - I liked how crunchy and fresh the carrots and bean sprouts were, they were quite refreshing.  The knife skills on the carrots could definitely use some work, all different sizes, some not cut all the way through, but, I didn't really mind.  The large hunks of red cabbage that were sorta used as bowls for each component were equally fresh and crunchy.  Freshness seemed legit. ***+ all fresh veggies.

The cucumber salad was lightly marinated, with a bit of acidity from red onion too, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.  Slightly mushy, sorta half-pickled it seemed, in a way that kinda worked.  The other veggies were so fresh and crisp, these served as a bit of a softer textural balance.  A good compliment to the other veggies.  I quite liked it, I think my favorite component.  ****.

And then, the coconut curry noodles.  Here we start to get in to the Thai flavors that were so new to me back when I first had it.  Curry.  Coconut milk.  I remember really loving those noodles.  These are things I know now, and I wondered what I would think, particularly as I've had actually legit Thai food (mostly in Sydney, not as Americanized as in the US).  Like the cucumber salad, it came sprinkled with sesame seeds.   The noodles were good - not mushy, slight chew to them, lightly coated in coconut curry.  The coconut curry flavor was good, although I'd love even more of it.  These were good chilled as served, but I also tried heating some up just for fun, and they worked well as a warm noodle dish too.   And even better? Thrown into my panini press to make them crispy.  ***+.

And lastly, the thing I remember the most, the sauces.  Three of them: Peanut, Sweet Red Chili, and Tamarind-Cashew.  Every one of those was so very new to me back then.  Would they still be as magical?  Actually, yes!  I loved every one of them, but, I do realize they are pretty far from authentic Thai flavors, really lacking the heat, lacking the complexity that often comes from sour components and fish sauce, and are, um, heavily sweetened and tuned to appeal to the palettes of the masses.  But I still quite liked each of them.

The peanut sauce was the easiest to pick out, very thick, with bits of peanut.  Slightly sweet, but good peanut flavor.  Basically, American-ized peanut sauce.  Good enough with the wraps, likely good to use with any spring rolls, or as I discovered later, pretty good just on shrimp too.  I think this one was the most boring, the most pedestrian, but, it was good, and a rich sauce if you were looking for that.  ***.

Next up, the darker brown one, which turned out to be the sweet red chili.  Emphasis on sweet.  It looked like a slightly thicker soy sauce, but, when you tasted it, it was clear it was more like a reduction, and definitely a sweet one at that.  I didn't really taste any heat to it, but, there was some complexity, it did seem to have some soy, and it was tasty to dunk into as well.  A little of this went a long way though, due to the sweetness.  I used some leftover on Asian style pancakes, and it worked great for that too.  ***+.

And finally, "the green one", the tamarind-cashew, definitely the most interesting.  It was kinda herby, kinda funky, actually some depth to this one, and far less sweet than the others, although, still really quite sweet.  It too went well with the wraps, and I think would be good with any dumplings or spring rolls.  I think my favorite of the sauces, but, really, they all were tasty, in their own ways, and combined together well too.  ***+.

Lettuce Wraps.

Those previous platters though were just the fillings.  While you could just eat them sorta as a salad, or a bunch of sides, you were supposed to make your own lettuce wraps.

I had to laugh at the giant container used to house the lettuce wraps themselves.  I think there was 6 (maybe 8?) large pieces of lettuce, all quite fresh.  Another huge platter-container.  The lettuce was also quite fresh and crisp, although fairly wet.  They did work well to wrap up whatever I wanted.

So, overall, very fresh components, and I liked all the elements.  The sauces were all enjoyable, and I was happy to have leftover for other Asian food I had later that week.  Yes, my wraps likely would have been better with some kind of protein (shrimp would be a nice option), but I still enjoyed them without, and would get this again if I were ever back at the Cheesecake Factory with a group.  It was a bit much for one person though, again, designed to share with 2-4.

Appetizer: Thai Lettuce Wraps with Chicken. $13.95.
(Smaller Portion. No Chicken). (October 2023).

"A Smaller Version of Our Create Your Own Thai Lettuce Rolls! Satay Chicken Strips, Carrots, Bean Sprouts, Coconut Curry Noodles and Lettuce Leaves with Three Delicious Spicy Thai Sauces – Peanut, Sweet Red Chili and Tamarind-Cashew."

As you read about last year, I have very fond memories of this dish from the Cheesecake Factory, and I really just sometimes really crave the sauces.  They are all so excellent.  Sometime in the past year, Cheesecake Factory introduced a new version of the dish, dubbed the "Smaller Portion", which I love, as normally it comes as a huge appetizer platter designed for sharing.  While still on the menu in the appetizers portion for sharing, the small portion would be great for a meal for one, or to share with just one other person as an app.  I'm thrilled they added this option, although it does come with only one each of the trio of delicious sauces, and the large version comes with two of each.

As always, it came plated on hunks of red cabbage, with shredded carrots and bean sprouts, cucumber salad, and the noodles.  The veggies were all as expected, fresh, crisp, vibrant.  The cucumber salad was lightly pickled, good acidity, refreshing.  The letdown for me was the noodle, which are supposed to be coconut curry noodles, but mine seemed plain.  They didn't have any visible coating, nor flavor.  This was unfortunate, as the flavorful curry noodles are a key element.  ***+ veggies, ** noodles.

Of course, plenty of flavor was to be had in the trio of sauces.  My review of these is unchanged from past reviews: I like them all, although all trend a bit sweeter than you'd expect.

Overall, still a good dish, but a slight letdown due to missing curry.  I'll continue to get it, and I'm glad they added the new portion size.  ***+.

The larger portion is available for $19.50.

No Chicken -> Extra Veg! (October 2023).

Since I don't like chicken, and I'm allergic to avocado (the other version of this dish), I asked for just extra veggies instead, and was provided what I assume was the extra in a second container.  When I had done this at another Cheesecake Factory location, they called me to talk about it, and it took some convincing to do, but this one did with no problems.

The fresh crisp butter lettuce for the wraps was also included in this container.

Small Plates & Snacks: Street Corn (No cheese, Mayo on the side). $9.95.
(October 2023).

"Fire Roasted Corn “Ribs” with Parmesan, Chile-Lime Mayonnaise and Cilantro."

In the summer of 2023, I discovered Trader Joe's frozen corn ribs, and immediately became addicted to them, and to the concept in general.  I knew the Cheesecake Factory version wasn't the same at all, in particular, as they take a sorta-Mexican street corn spin on it, and use regular size corn cobs, but, I was still quite curious.  For context, the Trader Joe's version is smaller cobs, and coated in vegan butter and insanely delicious seasoning.  The Cheesecake Factory version attempts to channel Mexican street corn vibes, but, they oddly use Parmesan instead of a cheese like cojita (Italian street corn)?.

I don't actually like Mexican street corn though - I love cheese and mayo, don't get me wrong, but I don't like it on my corn.  So I asked for no cheese (easy to do when ordering online, it is an option to leave off basically any ingredient in any dish there), and for the mayo on the side.  Both requests were honors.

The corn was ... interesting.  Well cooked, nice char on it.  But it really was just normal corn on the cob, with some cob left on.  You would eat it with your hands, and discard the cobs, not consume them.  Like, well, ribs.  The Trader Joe's ones I love you can actually eat the cobs, as they are more petite.  Anyway, the corn was fine, not too mushy, decent corn flavor.

It was aggressively buttered/oiled however, far more than I was expecting.  Even not smothered in cheese and mayo as intended, it was a very heavy dish.  It lacked any real seasoning besides the oil, but I think that makes sense given that it usually has the other toppings.  I wanted to add copious amount of pepper and a touch of salt.

And finally, the "chile-lime mayonnaise" ... tasted like regular mayo.  I detected no hints of chile, nor of lime.  Just mayo.  Creamy, fine mayo, but just mayo.  Not really what I wanted on my corn anyway, but I was surprised by this lack of flavor.  I wonder if they gave me plain mayo confused by my request for mayo on side?

Overall, I'm glad I tried it, and it was well cooked, but, I wouldn't get it again as it was just too greasy for me.  ***.

Side Dishes

Both times I ordered, I skipped the pages and pages of entrees, broken down into flatbread pizzas, "Glamburgers", sandwiches, entree salads, Specialities, pastas, fish & seafood, steaks, and Factory Combinations, and moved straight to the sides, where the more simple veggies and carbs (fries, sweet potato fries, mashed potatoes, rice, mac and cheese) were.

Side: Green Beans.  $6.95.
(October 2022).

I also got a side of green beans.  Let me explain.

I had some leftover bolognese in my hotel room, and one thing I always like with my lasagna, bolognese, etc, is a side of green beans.  I rarely eat green beans otherwise, but with bolognese, or other red sauce based dishes, I'm all in.  I threw I side order of them on to use with my dinner later, even though I can't say I've ever seen nor heard of anyone actually ordering side dishes at the Cheesecake Factory before (why would you, with the massive portions?).

The green beans were absolutely fine.  Not mushy, not amazingly snappy, but cooked fine.  A few did have stems still on them though.  The portion was reasonable for a side for 1 person, or 2 if you were sharing other things, but looked a bit small just due to the container size, that was Cheesecake Factory sized (and likely their smallest container?). I can't say it was an amazingly $6.95 spent, but, the beans were absolutely acceptable, and did go with my other leftovers quite well.  So, if you want green beans, they are fine.

***. 

Side: Grilled Asparagus. $7.95.
(October 2023).

I can safely say I've never thought to order a side of vegetables at Cheesecake Factory given how massive their dishes are, and how all the entrees already come with sides, but, when I wasn't ordering an entree, and was really craving asparagus, I was quite curious to see how this would be.  It was October, so certainly not asparagus season, so I didn't have particularly high hopes.

It was decent.  Well prepared, not too soft, slight a slight snap to it.  Nice grill marks.  A touch oily/buttery, but that is somewhat to be expected from the factory of decadence.  Reasonable amount of seasoning, although I wanted more salt and pepper.  It wasn't the most flavorful asparagus, or remarkable in any way, but, no issues with the execution, and it really met my cravings.  ***+.

The portion of 10 spears for $7.95 was fairly reasonable.

Drinks

The Cheesecake Factory has an extensive cocktail menu (like all parts of their menu), with a fair number of them available to go as well.  Cocktails that are available to-go come in sealed containers, so I think they are packaged elsewhere, not freshly made cocktails?

Red Sangria.  $20.
(October 2022).

"Serves 2. 11% ABV. Our Signature Recipe Featuring Cabernet Sauvignon Marinated for 12 Hours with Lots of Fresh Pineapple, Orange & Granny Smith Apples."

I'm not really sure why I picked the sangria.  I think I wanted wine, but only cocktails were an option, and this was the closest thing to wine.  After all, it did have wine in it ...

But, um, it tasted like fruity grape juice.  The pineapple made it kinda tropical, the rest just made it, well, fruity.  Like I said, fruity grape juice.  Easy drinking if you wanted fruit juice, but really no taste of alcohol that I could detect.

A poor order on my part, but fine sangria.  ***.

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