An Ode to the Cheesecake Factory

Snickers Cheesecake

Cajun Chicken Littles

BBQ Kalua Pork

The Cheesecake Factory is one of my favourite American food destinations. A chain it may be but I love it and who wouldn't with rich creamy cheesecakes and a menu and servings of epic proportions.

I first visited the Cheesecake Factory in Florida many years ago and the whole ten hour flight had been spent listening to my friend telling me how amazing the Snickers cheesecake was. So imagine my horror when I ordered said cheesecake and was told it was sold out! I went for my second best choice and stomped outside for a cigerette before the plates arrived. As I passed the cheesecake counter - one of the favourite activites is salivating over the glass trying to decide which cheesecake you want to try first - and saw a fresh Snickers cheesecake in all it's glory.

Not to be outdone I hunted out the waitress, informed her that it was back on the menu and all was right in the world! Since that first visit whereever a Cheesecake Factory presents itself I make it my mission to enjoy at least a slice of cheesecake if not something from the main menu.

Ben and I enjoyed a lovely meal on the outside terrace of the San Franscisco branch, overlooking Union Square and he actually mentioned recently that despite having returned from Italy it's the pasta dish he had there that he always thinks about and would love to have again.

Now that Ben was a converted fan we also tried the Hawaiian branch and I was able to divert from my usual Cajun Chicken Littles order (how wrong can they get a name, there's nothing little about the dish) and try the BBQ Kalua Pork.

Las Vegas also houses a branch of the Cheesecake Factory, handily enough inside the Forum Shops of Caesars Palace were we were staying. Mum had never been and always hears me speaking fondly of it so it was the perfect first night relaxed option following our long haul flight.

We were sitted at an outside/inside table which gave us a perfect spot for people watching and the Atlantis show. Cocktails were swiftly ordered and we dived into the delicious warm bread trying not to gorge too much before our meals arrived.

As is always the case finishing a plateful of food was impossible but this did mean we could have it handily wrapped up to be enjoyed the following lunchtime after a day spent round the pool.

Have you had the pleasure of visiting The Cheesecake Factory?

Did Caesar Live Here?

I think its safe to say that most people are well aware that I have recently been on a trip to Las Vegas, I may have mentioned it once or twice, and it would be wrong to talk about my trip without dedicating my first post to our chosen accommodation, Caesars Palace.

When anyone hears you are off to Las Vegas one of the first questions, after dealing with the appropriate levels of jealously or disinterest because said person is 'not a gambler', is 'where are you staying'? For my mum's first trip last year I chose Caesars Palace for us. I hadn't stayed there myself but I've visited a few years previously (staying at the Planet Hollywood resort) and Caesars felt quite opulent but with enough of the kitsch theme mum would enjoy. Obviously she enjoyed it so much that despite a fondness for the Bellagio and an offer to pick anywhere on the strip on this visit, she wanted to return to Caesars.

Of course there is an associated trepidation with returning to a hotel that holds fond memories because what if it isn't as good as you remember? Thankfully there was nothing to worry about and one might say this year exceeded last due to the rather fabulous pool view we had and the feeling of familiarity.

Casino's in Las Vegas are huge with room numbers going into the thousands (ours was 2020) often situated in towers which differ on price and quality. Last year I'd researched heavily and saw that the basic room option when booking through Virgin Holidays would be in the more dilapidated Roman Tower so I paid an upgrade of approx £50-60 to secure one of the better Towers. Of course you can leave things to chance, ask for a cheeky upgrade at check in or try the $20 sandwich but I wasn't that brave. We once again found ourselves in the Palace Tower although this year rooms had the aforementioned pool view (and as expected the Palace Tower is closest to the pool area) and was only four doors down from the elevators therefore reducing the commute from room to casino floor - which I know every moans about but I actually don't find it the onerous walk everyone says it is but maybe I've been lucky. I could nip down to Starbucks to grab my morning bagel and be back in the room within 15 minutes which I don't think is too bad.

The two negatives or niggles shall we say are the associated costs with staying at Caesars Palace. Firstly wifi is not free. It's a rather costly $24 per day, per device which is rather frustrating when you can walk into another casino property and log on to theirs for free. The second is drinks - and I don't mean cocktails. The mini bar will charge you $4 for a bottle of fizzy drink you can buy from the vending machine a few doors down for $3 - in a larger size. Your initial joy at seeing a coffee machine in your room will dampen when you note it'll cost you $12 for two coffee pods to use in it. Mum and I cheated and brought a box of 18 coffee pods for about $10 from Target which lasted us the whole week and saved us some money to be better spent on cocktails.

Back to the more positive aspects of staying at Caesars Palace and namely the location. Caesars is smack bang in the middle of the strip and whilst it will take you longer to walk somewhere than you think it's still in comfortable distance of most of the neighbouring casinos. It is also opposite the newly opened LINQ which is buzzing with nightlife and home to Sprinkles cupcakes.

It is quite feasible that you would if you chose never have to leave Caesars Palace with it's numerous dining options and gorgeous Forum Shops which houses some swoon worthy labels but of most interest to me The Cheesecake Factory, Sephora and Bath and Bodyworks! 

I would urge anyone to visit Las Vegas if they have an opportunity, it doesn't matter whether you're a gambler, shopper, foodie, hen or stage I can guarantee you'll have a great time and there really is something for everyone. The atmosphere is always electric and there's nothing like walking onto the casino floor at any time of day or night and hearing music, the ringing of slot machines and general buzz of activity. Whilst I of course wouldn't advocate smoking, as a smoker I can't deny there's nothing better than being able to sit at a bar, inside no less with a cigarette in one hand and vodka in the other and enjoying people watching. It's my favourite Vegas activity and there's such a positive feeling of anything goes but everyone just wants to enjoy their trip.

Have you been to Vegas where do you stay, are you a gambler? Share your stories as I share mine over the coming weeks.

Tom Ford on Rodeo Drive

Despite having visited Los Angeles before I had never taken a walk down Rodeo Drive so obviously it was a must on this trip. Ben was in search of Ralph Lauren but I was just happy to enjoy the sunshine and atmosphere figuring anything I would like to buy was too out of my price range… until we walked past Tom Ford.

I had originally earmarked a Tom Ford lipstick as this years duty free purchase but unfortunately there wasn't any for sale in the various duty free halls I went through. When I saw Tom Ford on Rodeo Drive it was serendipity.

We entered the sleek store and sought out the small stand showing the amazing make up line. I had already done my research and it was a given that Flamingo (a medium pink shade) would be the colour I wanted.

I handed over a ridiculous amount of dollars, took my lipstick in it's small carrier and skipped out of the store. Now not only did I have a Tom Ford lipstick but it was a Tom Ford lipstick I brought on Rodeo Drive.

Tom Ford Lipstick, Flamingo link

A Tom Ford lipstick is not a purchase to make lightly as they are ridiculously expensive and I can't quite say it's justified. That aside the packaging is completely luxurious and the lipstick itself is great quality. The formula reminds me of Mac's amplified in it's creamy application and it's heavily pigmented but the shade is completely wearable. The colour glides onto the lips with one swipe and as you can see from the swatch below has a lovely sheen to it.

 Am I happy I have added a Tom Ford lipstick to my collection, most definitely - every girl needs little luxury occasionally and what better momento from my trip than a magnet!

Dinner at Nobu, Waikiki Beach

Nobu, Waikiki Beach link

Everyone talks about Nobu restaurants but they have never been on my 'must visit' list due to my (false) assumption they only sold seafood which I do not eat. On arrival in Hawaii we spotted Waikiki Beach's branch was located across the road from our hotel and with Ben's assurances they sold steak we made a reservation.

They also sold cocktails which I duly got started on whilst perusing the menu. It did make us laugh as Nobu have a one drink policy in that you cannot have your next before finishing your other. Obviously this was no problem for me and I did rather enjoy my glass being whipped away and replaced with another immediately.

Ben and I both put ourselves in the hands of our knowledgeable waiter. Ben was easy, he wanted to try lot's of fresh fish and went for the whooping multiple course chef's selection, my options were limited. I explained that I didn't eat seafood but didn't want to go down the obvious route of an everyday steak. He recommended the Beef Tobanyaki which was thinly sliced steak (I couldn't stray too far!) cooked in a clay bowl served with a broth and vegetables. I can honestly say that during my trip I sampled a lot of steak and this was the best I had, days after I was still talking about how melt in the mouth it was.

Of course I needed something else other than cocktails during Ben's multiple plate offerings so I also tried their tempura vegetables which were better than the heavily battered offerings I've had in the past not to mention huge chunks of vegetables rather than the smaller slivers I was expecting.

In for a penny we indulged in dessert, the chocolate Bento Box cake for Ben and Drunken Cherry Tobanyaki for me, again both were delicious and the perfect end to our meal and we were thankful it was only a matter of a few steps to return to our hotel. After so much food and drink I climbed straight into bed, Ben made me laugh that on arriving to our hotel room he poured two glasses of wine, took them to the balcony and turned round to see me in bed snoring away!

Prepare for some foodie shots…

Is it just me or is anyone else hungry?

Halekulani In Room Dining

Despite some fabulous restaurants at our hotel Ben and I chose to eat elsewhere most evenings, until that is our final night in Hawaii when in the midst of packing and readying ourselves for the next leg of our trip we quite frankly couldn't be bothered. 

A quick scan of the menu saw that I could indulge in another steak and Ben would be able to sample some of their fabulous seafood dishes. The service at the hotel once again excelled as Ben made his requests for specific dishes and pretty much made his own bespoke main course.

To start I chose French Onion Soup which was delicious and filled with such flavour. As I mentioned I went for steak which despite a brief time waiting in the heated cubby hole under our table was cooked to perfection and the mashed potato was so deliciously creamy I could've ate bowls of it - even the vegetables which seemed sparse on arrival were more than enough to satisfy my hunger.

For dessert we couldn't not chose the famous Halekulani coconut cake. This cake is possibly the lightest cake I have ever sampled. Even such a huge slab the frosting and coconut flavouring didn't leave me feeling overstuffed as so often even a small cupcake can.

This was a perfect way to spend our last night in Hawaii.

Halekulani Hotel, Hawaii

Halekulani Hotel link

The first destination Ben and I decided on for our trip was Hawaii but it was also the one that caused the most debate between ourselves and the travel agent and googling of hotels and reading Tripadvisor reviews. Ben and I have slightly different requirements from a holiday, he needs the sea, relaxation, I on the other get my relaxation from those things but would be bored lying on a sun lounger so easy access to the shops and other activities were needed.

Whilst we had a browse at some of the more exotic Hawaiian islands Honolulu was the obvious choice to provide us with both these things, the hotel search was harder as Honolulu is a City and we wanted to avoid any tower block style accommodations. The Halekulani Hotel was finally decided as the perfect place and on arrival we had certainly made the right decision.

After check in and being shown around the hotel we were taken to our home for the week. It was huge, spacious and had the most amazing views from our balcony of the pool and Diamond Head a popular spot for hiking (so I heard!).

The Halekulani are very generous, when we entered our room we were greeted with fresh fruit and chocolates which we promptly devoured, a ice bucket which was filled daily as well as a fridge stocked with water. Every evening there was a turn down service and you would be left a small gift such as magnets, key rings and shells.

Creating a home away from home didn't end there, each morning you'd wake to find the local newspaper hanging on your door and coffee was available to take away to your rooms (possibly my only complaint was there were no in room coffee facilities).

Ben and I had opted for the breakfast buffet to be included in our stay and I'm glad we did. The buffet may have been smaller than the Vegas style I had been used to it had more than enough on options from fresh fruits and cereals, pastries and the usual bacon and egg offerings one would expect. I especially enjoyed my breakfast starter (don't judge me I was on holiday!) of fruit with pancakes or waffles and whipped cream.

It was no surprise that our hotel was a popular destination for weddings, I think I saw at least one bride a day during our stay - with some fabulously dressed groomsmen too.

The pool was such an oasis where you didn't have to life a finger. Once a towel for your bed - one compete with hood so there was no wrestling to keep it in place and another provided for your dip in the pool you could help yourself to the iced water on offer or work your way through the cocktail menu, I'm sure you can guess what I did.

Watching all the surfing from my sun lounger was tiring work so it was great to sit on the balcony with a martini at the end of the evening and listening to the Halekulani band playing traditional music as the sun went down. I would return to the Halekulani tomorrow if asked.