The Cheesecake Factory Phenomenon

[menton1]

Olive Garden always reminds me of a gentleman I who used to work with.  When we'd meet for lunch, it was always at the Olive Garden...and he would always say:

"I've traveled all over Italy (only he pronounced it as it-lee) and I tell you, nothing I ate was as good as the Olive Garden" 

From then on I tried to schedule any meetings we had in the morning or late afternoon.

Maybe when this guy was in It-lee he only ate at the airport cafe, although some of those are better than the Olive Garden as well!!

(He probably LOVES Red Lobster!)

[shugga]

Never ate at Olive Garden or Red Lobster, but I do like the Cheesecake Factory and Outback. ;) Guess I'm not a "food snob!" LOL

[Fresser]

Olive Garden always reminds me of a gentleman I who used to work with.  When we'd meet for lunch, it was always at the Olive Garden...and he would always say:

"I've traveled all over Italy (only he pronounced it as it-lee) and I tell you, nothing I ate was as good as the Olive Garden" 

I bet this guy was Tim Zagat in disguise.

[Rail Paul]

Olive Garden always reminds me of a gentleman I who used to work with.  When we'd meet for lunch, it was always at the Olive Garden...and he would always say:

"I've traveled all over Italy (only he pronounced it as it-lee) and I tell you, nothing I ate was as good as the Olive Garden"

I bet this guy was Tim Zagat in disguise.

The Olive Garden's new commercial features an older, Italian gentleman who has just achieved US citizenship.

His family takes him to The Olive Garden for a celebration. He sees the food. Tears fill his eyes, flags wave...

[menton1]

Rosie on another thread reminded of another of these chain resto phenomena, the Joe's American Grill/Paparazzi siamese-twin combination. Like Charlie Browns, these are basically diners with a little nicer lighting.

[Rosie]

Have never been to Cheesecake but the Livingston Diner is good/acceptable for lunch.

[Simon Majumdar]

I have just eaten at the CF in Barrington Il.

Very bizarre experience, full of enormous people eating enormous amounts of food

Not too disgusting but I can't imagine ever wanting to go back

S

[plax]

If you're a chocolate lover, the CF now has a special Godiva cheesecake. My friend from Chicago had been raving about it for a while, and when she was here in FL this weekend we both ordered it at the Las Olas branch. Very chocolately yet not too heavy.

Neil

[Rosie]

An article in a trade paper stated that CF is expected to open 14 new restaurants in 2003. The menu has more than 200 items with an average check of $15.78.

[MsRamsey]

Humorous exchange on last night's episode of "The Bachelor" (okay, so I'm a peasant). Lovely and petite Amber, who has been skating by on her looks her whole life, asks the Bachelor, "What's your favorite restaurant [looong pause] . . . chain?" He is slightly taken aback, and Amber volunteers that her favorite is Olive Garden. When he replies that he doesn't like Olive Garden (bye-bye, ad revenue!!), Amber assumes that he doesn't like Italian food at all. He then assures her that he does indeed like Italian food, but not Olive Garden. She looks confused; this concept has never occurred to her before.

She got booted off, which is too bad because she was entertaining. She got really drunk and threw up last week.