Cheesecake Factory Celebrates National Cheesecake Day

It's not unusual to have a national day to celebrate a particular food or drink. These days give us an opportunity to put aside our better judgment and indulge in something we love.

This week alone we've had days to celebrate tequila, hot fudge sundaes, coffee milkshakes, creme brulee, scotch, milk chocolate and the bizarre "Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day." As far as I can tell, that might have been instituted around the turn of the century when rodents had the run of cities and people were encouraged to give up a little of their precious cheese to set mouse traps. 

But Saturday's special day is one not to be missed: National Cheesecake Day. is helping old and young alike celebrate with half-priced slices of their artisan cheesecakes, some of which are so pretty they can't possibly be real.

You could choose their White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle or the Dulce de Leche Caramel, but I learned through my vast network of spies and informants that the restaurant has created a special cheesecake to celebrate the special day: the Hershey's Chocolate Bar Cheesecake.

I was determined to get to the bottom of it...literally. Donning my clever disguise as a giant Hershey bar, I snuck into the top secret Cheesecake Factory kitchen laboratory to get the goods on the diabolical creation. Holy Hershey's! The monster cake had more layers than a puff pastry and more chocolate than Belgium.

From top to bottom, the work of confectionery art featured a layer of Hershey's milk chocolate icing, chocolate cake soaked in Hershey's chocolate, creamy Hershey's chocolate ganache, chocolate cheesecake (made with guess what), and then each layer again in reverse order. If that's not enough, the sides are encrusted with Hershey's milk chocolate chips.

The taste matched the appearance. It was divine. For the serious chocolate lover, eating a slice—which is huge, by the way—will be a transcendent experience. The cake layers are moist, but how could they not be since they're soaked in chocolate? The ganache—a chocolate cream filling—was creamy and rich, while the chocolate cheesecake itself was light and airy.

I got to the bottom of the mystery alright. The whole slice, every milk-chocolate chip, was consumed with closed eyes and blissful face. I made my secretive exit from the Cheesecake Factory laboratory, slightly disoriented and bumping into giant vats of melted Hershey's chocolate. I made it home somehow, but I really don't remember.

The only mystery I can't solve is what is a slice of the concoction is going to cost. No one at the Cheesecake Factory's Chesterfield Mall location even knows. Apparently, it's still top secret and won't be revealed until it debuts on Saturday, National Cheesecake day. Their best guess is it will fall in line with most of their other cheesecakes at $8 per slice, or $4 on Saturday. You may also order a 10-inch whole Hershey's Bar Cheesecake online for $52.50.

For more information, call the Cheesecake Factory at Chesterfield Mall, (636) 536-9662.

Amuse Bouche Notes:
Feast magazine reports that Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse is eyeing Chesterfield for its first location outside of California.

President Greg Graber was quoted as saying,"It'll be our first location outside of California. We think that our brand will travel well to the Midwest. The people there are warm and friendly, and we think our style of hospitality and cooking will fit well."

The exact location hasn't been determined, but the new restaurant might open this winter.