Ah, The Cheesecake Factory...

Type: Big Ol' Chain Restaurant, serving an eclectic mix of Italian, American and Mexican fare
Fancy Shmancy Factor: 2.5/5
Price: Entrees generally range from $10-$20
Quality for price: 3.5/5
Ambiance: Their website describes it as 'upscale', but we're going to lean more towards 'family'
Other: They also have cheesecake...

We've had this giftcard for Cheesecake Factory burning a hole in our pockets for quite some time. The trouble is, in this city locals don't usually make this place a destination. We steer clear of it and leave their huge portions and familiar menu items for tourists walking around Michigan Ave and shopping at Water Tower Place. It's not that we're 'too good' for Cheesecake Factory. In fact, whenever I've been there with people from out of town I've enjoyed the food and the experience. First of all, there is almost always a wait. We went there last Saturday around 3:00pm-well after lunch time and well before dinner-and still had to wait over 30 minutes for a table. Second of all, with almost 150 locations across the US, why wouldn't we go somewhere that you can't get in the suburbs? Anyway, we had a giftcard, we were downtown and we were hungry. The wait time they gave us was 30 minutes, which ended being a tad over that, but nothing unacceptable. This place is always packed and there usually isn't room to sit and wait anywhere. The ambiance is nice, not quite 'fine dining' as their website suggests, but it's a lot nicer than some other family restaurant chains.

Our server, Shannon, was great and told us about a delicious special they were serving at the Chicago location for the first time. Kristen ended up ordering it and Shannon was not kidding: this was pretty darn good. It was an angel hair pasta with breaded chicken breasts, shaved prosciutto and a cheesey cream sauce. I got the skirt steak which was also really good. We topped it off with a piece of a layered red velvet cheesecake for dessert, which was also outstanding. This place is tried and tested. Their food is good. Their portions are big. Is it a little overpriced? Yeah, you're sitting under the John Hancock building in one of the country's top shopping destinations. Should you bring a date here? If she's from a farm in Nebraska and just moved to the city, maybe. Better yet, bring her parents when they're in town and you've been dating for a few months. The four of you can talk about your 'plans for their daughter' over some giant plates of pasta and decadent cheesecake...