My trip to NYC happened to be during my anniversary. So, this Sunday Ben and I fought about it decided to celebrate a few days late.
We hit up the Irvine Spectrum for dinner and the Improv. Fun!
For dinner we went to the Cheesecake Factory because it’s a special place to us. Well, anyplace with 30 kinds of dessert is special to me…
I perused the dessert case while we waited the 3 minutes for our table. It’s lucky we went Sunday – this place is usually packed!
Funny enough two of the top searches on my blog for years have been people searching info on the “Carlton salad” and “Reese’s Cheesecake” from the Cheesecake Factory. So, I knew I had to document this meal for your searching pleasure.
Cheesecake Factory has a new Skinnylicious Menu! This is the best news ever because it means I have plenty of room for a whole piece of Chris’ Outrageous Cheesecake all to myself 
We started with bread – but the delicious brown bread was MIA. Don’t worry, I asked for some and the waiter brought out a basket of just sweet, soft bread.
I appreciate that the Skinnylicious Menu is a complete menu with appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees. It’s not just one or two random ‘chicken and asparagus’ dishes in a half assed attempt to appease the health conscious.
The one downer was that I ordered the Mahi Mahi and for some random reason the Irvine location doesn’t make this dish?! So I went with option B, the salmon. 
It was good, but not as good as the brown bread. I love bread. Note: The ketchup on my bread plate for dipping stolen fries. I ordered from the Skinnylicious menu, but this meal was NOT low calorie. 
Hi Ben!
We shared the “Flying Gorilla” too. It reminds me of the Dirty Bananas we drank in Belize.
So good. It’s banana, rum, chocolate chips and who cares what else.
Me and my drink… 
Then, we had to get to the show. We saw John Hefron – he was on Last Comic Standing aka the best show ever.
After the show we did what any hot blooded American would do and we walked back to the Cheesecake Factory for dessert to go. We went with Chris’ Outrageous Chocolate Cheesecake.
It is – Layers of Moist Chocolate Cake, Chewy Brownie, Toasted Coconut-Pecan Frosting and Creamy Chocolate Chip Coconut Cheesecake.
Ah-mazing!
Question: What kind of cheesecake would you get?
Red velvet cheesecake…all the time. Ever since I discovered that one I haven’t had anything else.
Ooh! I’ve never tried Chris’ cheesecake before….looks amazing! I think I’d go with that!
Am I the only person in the world that doesn’t like cheesecake? We went to Cheesecake Factory in Arizona back in February and I ordered the Tiramisu. When the waitress asked, “the Tiramisu Cheesecake?” I think I immediately made a face said, “No. Just straight up Tiramisu!”
I don’t like straight up cheesecake, only the chocolate kind 😉
I love the red velvet cake cheesecake. Or any of the chocolate ones. So good. I am kind of happy we don’t have a Cheesecake Factory in town so that I wouldn’t be tempted with weekly calorie overload.
I LOVE John Heffron!! I watched that season of Last Comic standing and bought his stand up CD and still listen to it when I need a laugh!!
John Heffron and Jim Gaffigan are my favorites!
I’ve never been to the Cheesecake Factory, but I think it’s now my mission in life to go and try Chris’ Outrageous Chocolate Cheesecake. o_o
I’m vegan but if the cheese is sub for eg soy or something, I’ll dive straight for the Oreo Dream Extreme.
Happy Anniversary M & B!
Omg I need that dessert! That looks amazing! If it weren’t for the fact that I sit at a desk all day, I would be all over that. Also, your drink reminds me of the “mono locos” I enjoyed in Costa Rica (where I wish I was everyday instead of at my desk). Happy Anniversary!
Red Velvet! Always 🙂
Has been lost more weight? It is nice to see his cameo again. 😉
I love cheesecake, I wouldn’t be able to only pick one
I’m glad you appreciate his lil cameo 🙂
I am not gonna lie: when I lived in Boston and was 200lbs, I used to get that shi* A LA MODE. CHEESECAKE FACTORY CHEESECAKE WITH ICE CREAM.
It was delicious.
I just drooled all over my keyboard!!
Fresh Banana Cream Cheesecake for me please!
vanilla bean! so simple, but so yummy.
Dutch apple!
That looks so good!
LOVE John Hefron!! And Last Comic Standing-why did it go away?
Ralphie May!!!
Looks like a fun night! I love that you went to CF twice. I used to live across the street from a CF. It was the best two years of my life. I won’t say how much weight I gained though. My fave is the chocolate coconut cream cheesecake.
Happy Anniversary! Cheesecake is my favorite restaurant – although I call it Chocolatecake Factory because I am all about chocolate cake. I always order the mud pie which isn’t even on the menu anymore. It is the blackout cake all dressed up with an ice cream sundae on top – with extra hot fudge on the side. Sometimes I get Linda’s Fudge Cake or even the Godvia Brownie Sundae but all time fave is a mud pie…at least where you are you don’t have to stare at the calorie counts plastered all over the menus like here in NY! As if I care to see the cake stats….
I love the Skinnylicious menu! They should really call it the regular menu though… the portions and calorie counts are what we SHOULD be having but oh well! I love the original strawberry cheesecake… it is so rich anyways that I like to keep it simple.
I would get the Reeses PB chocolate cheese cake, but have no problem being swayed by your selection. That looks delish!!!
Dinner, Improv and dessert? Sounds like a GREAT way to celebrate your anniversary. I think John Hefron is hilarious. And I loved Last Comic Standing!!! I miss it.
vanilla bean. every.single.time. you may think this is boring, i believe it to be “classic”
In Maryland, they put the calorie content on the menu — tragic, but a good scare tactic.
I always got the White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. Holy yum! Now that I’m Gluten-free I’m SOL when it comes to real cheesecake. sigh.
The have an appetizer salad on the skinny menu with faro, beets and feta that is DELISH!!
My husband would get Reese Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheese Cake and I will have a couple bites. I rather be eating another order of bread with extra butter 😉 for dessert.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Reese’s. Love me some peanut butter and chocolate!
My favorite cheesecake from there is the vanilla bean one. I don’t know why, it’s like the most simplest one they have and I usually love 800 layers of chocolate, candy and whipped cream. But it’s just sooo good. The carrot cake one is a very, very close runner up.
ohh i love the new menu options!
Completely unrelated – did you see this? http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/filibustering-texas-senator-has-a-runners-endurance
I’m a Brooks fan myself but totally inspired by and in awe of this woman.
PUMPKIN!!!! I wait all year just for pumpkin cheesecake from cheesecake factory. I also love the red velvet cheesecake. SO GOOD
Craig’s crazy carrot cake cheese cake is my all time favorite! My boyfriend doesn’t care for it much so we haven’t go that one in a while. They are all so good, you can never go wrong! *now i need cheesecake, thanks ;)*
All of them. I would get every cheesecake. Yum.
You’re my favorite.
Thanks. I just gained five pounds reading your post! 🙂
Happy belated anniversary!
Did you see the “weight management chicken” on the skinny menu?? hilarious. we always laugh at this. how embarrassing. Yes waitress, I would like the weight management chicken please. They really should have come up with a better name for it! LOL
That is tragic! Ha!!
Oh my goshhhh. One of each please!
The Wild Blueberry White Chocolate sounds amazeballs!
Adam’s peanut butter cup fudge ripple is just ridiculous. Is there anything better than chocolate and peanut butter?!
No. There is nothing better. It’s science.
Snickers chunks… holy heaven!
I would choose…. all the cheesecake. Is all the cheesecake a proper order? I vote yes.
OMG I want that cheesecake I’ve never heard of a cheesecake like that :)))
I get the snickers cheesecake at the cheesecake factory EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. I go there….. but I think you may have just got me to try Chris’ Outrageous Chocolate Cheesecake! I don’t remember ever seeing that one before and I am a total nut for toasted coconut!
I think I’d have to go with the Oreo, sounds awesomeee. Also, I drank about 4903482 dirty bananas on our honeymoon in St. Lucia. SO delicious.
I really love that you posted the whole dessert menu. You are a good person.
You know, I do what I can 😉
I could eat the pumpkin pecan cheesecake year-round.
Kahula Coffee
Pineapple
Key Lime
Dulce de Leche
I don’t have to pick ONE, right?
Boyfriend’s parents are a bit obsessed w/ cheesecake factory so we have ended up there many a times- Tiramisu cheesecake is where it’s at!
Pumpkin without a doubt! I have been known to call the Cheesecake Factory to get the exact date they will begin serving it.
My boyfriend and I’s first date was at Cheesecake Factory! It’s kind of far from where I live in DC and normally I’d rather go to a local place rather than a chain, but CF is yummy and delicious! My fav cheesecake is oreo. Or just the classic w/strawberries. YUM!