magical memories - The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory is a restaurant that I tend to associate with a particular friend because we would go there together, and we'd have a great time.

The visit I remember in particular was something I mentioned a bit of in my review of the restaurant chain itself. We had each ordered some kind of cheesecake for dessert, and at the time, the slice of cheesecake came with a large dollop of whipped cream on top and another large dollop of whipped cream on the plate next to the slice of cheesecake. Really, do you need that much whipped cream in addition to the cheesecake? Well, I proceeded to make a snowman out of my double dollop of whipped cream, and I recall giving it a face and using pepper to give it hair or something, and I used toothpicks to give it arms and legs. I was very happy with my creation, and my friend laughed while I worked on it, even as I tried to keep it from melting with all my messing around with it. I was hoping the server would appreciate my artwork, but when she came to take my plate away, she didn't even seem to notice. I was disappointed.

This is a friend I've known for almost 30 years now. She called me today about getting together for dinner, and when I went to pick her up, she suggested The Cheesecake Factory, which turned out to be quite fitting.

She'd been to a Cheesecake Factory about a month ago, and someone else had the Luau Salad, which she'd had a chance to have a taste of, so she was craving a bigger taste. She asked if I'd heard of it. I told her I was well acquainted with it and loved it. Once at the restaurant, we decided to share an appetizer and then we ordered the Luau Salad and the mahi mahi special that day (cooked mediterranean style with sun-dried tomatoes on a bed of mashed potatoes), both to share as well, and we ended the evening by sharing a slice of the tiramisu cheesecake.

She and I haven't been to a Cheesecake Factory together in some time, but we'd spent a lot of time at them before, chatting, laughing, having a good time. She's been going through some difficulties of late, so it actually worked out that we were able to talk and share all kinds of emotions and feelings with each other over dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. We've been friends for a long time, but the difficulties she has faced have actually brought us closer together, for which I am thankful and grateful, and we've exchanged thoughts and information that we've never even talked about before, and, most happily for me, she said she knows exactly how much she means to me because of an offer that I'd previously made to her.

I don't think we've ever shared tears before at a Cheesecake Factory, but this particular visit is definitely one I won't ever forget.