A Food Writer's Review of The Cheesecake Factory

07.08.2024 - 19:13 / bhg.com / Karla Walsh

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As a child of the Midwest suburbs, I was raised on a steady diet of Mom’s chicken dinners and Dad’s grilled fare. Once a week or so, it would be a treat to dine at Panera, Applebee’s, or TGI Friday’s. And if it was areally special occasion, like a birthday, we’d head to Olive Garden—where you better arrive by 5 p.m., or you’d risk an hour-plus-long line.

We had a handful of locally-owned restaurants in our community, but in the 1990s and early 2000s, chain restaurants were the epitome of cool. My first paying job was as a sandwich artist at Subway, in fact, and I’ll be forever thankful for the lessons I learned while baking, slicing, and constructing there.

All this is to say, chain restaurants were a mainstay and a core memory of my childhood. 

Sometime during my college years, then even more once I moved to New York City to start my magazine career, I started to break links in my connection to chains and felt more drawn to locally-owned restaurants. I craved the variety; the potential for education; the possibility of surprise. Once I moved to Des Moines, Iowa, the place I now call home, I forged some of my strongest friendships at local restaurants. I really found my second family among the “regulars” at a few of my go-to spots, and the staff members there taught me to love food more than I ever had before.

Eventually, I became the person who sets her alarm so she doesn’t forget to book a seat at a farm-to-table dinner or to make a reservation at a James Beard Award-winning restaurant.

About 10 years ago, I all but swore off chain restaurants, thinking that my time and money would be better spent supporting my local spots. I’d make exceptions for my frequent trips through airports (I also write