Sister Sister


Grand Luxe Café

Many of our favourite restaurants have 'sister' restaurants which vary in their menu options, if you're lucky they sometimes vary in flavour but both maintain a consistent brand image just to remind you that they are in fact a part of a larger family ... Take Turtle Bay as an example sister to Las Iguanas.

So on a bright Sunday evening I decided to head to The Cheesecake Factory in New Jersey. With the car park overflowing (apparently homemade Sunday dinner is a thing of the past here) and with an hour waiting time, it was suggested that we try "Grand Luxe Café" a sister of The Cheesecake Factory.

Now no shade but when I heard "Café" I did express my concern as cafes have never been my thang so anything which pertained to a "café" as I remembered them left a bad taste in my mouth But my hunger left me no choice but to humble myself and take the chance.
The designers left a lot to the imagination as the décor was almost identical to the cheesecake factory. This could be bad for some restaurants however Cheesecake Factory for me elicits nothing but good memories so I felt true comfort upon arrival. Informed of a 30minute wait I wasn't overjoyed but not too disappointed, 30minutes I could deal with. Any longer? No!
Well long story short I did end up waiting for longer, a full hour! However, I never thought I'd say this but, it was all very worth it. Hungry as can be, I opted for a 3 course feast! For starters, I had Macaroni & Cheese Skillet sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs. I am very sceptical of restaurant mac n cheese as it never has the Caribbean flare I am used to. However this one? Let me tell you…
Macaroni Cheese Skillet
The macaroni and cheese was browned on top and made crispy by the breadcrumbs. As I delved deeper into the dish, I discovered the melted cheese sauce lightly hugging the pasta. It was too good to share but I guess it’s a rude not to *sigh*. But once I did everyone's eyes lit up with surprise shock and seduction for my dish, I kept it moving and finished the dish in seconds. Sorry guys I didn't really want to share just didn't want to be rude ;).
Onto the main. I ordered Cedar Planked B.B.Q. Salmon - sounds regal right? The Salmon was roasted on a cedar plank and glazed with Sweet and Spicy B.B.Q. Sauce. Served with mashed potatoes, corn succotash (a sweet corn and lima beans dish) and crispy onion rings. I dismounted the oversized onion rings immediately as I simply do not like them. Now that they were out of the way, I was able to see clearly my oversized BBQ glazed salmon.
Cedar Planked BBQ Salmon

From afar, it genuinely looked like half a rack of ribs - it was that big and barbequed! I stuck my fork in and it began to flake (cooked just right) when I put it in my mouth I sensed slight confusion it took me way back to when I used to order BBQ ribs at TGI Fridays – eek!

Fortunately, this time there was no chewy icky pork instead clean light salmon - it was love at first bite! The mashed potatoes were beautifully decorated to surround the salmon; light and creamy with minimal flavour to allow the BBQ salmon to take centre stage. As for the corn succotash, let's just say I wiped the plate clean; quite proud of myself especially as a pescatarian who doesn't really like veggies. The portion was Ma-Huu-Sive but I just could not bear the thought of taking 1/3 of it home to embark on such a rich experience for it to be cut short because I had only saved 1/3. So to save myself the future disappointment (thinking ahead) I thought I'd better finish it. It's only right, right? The next morning I woke up absolutely stuffed (wasn't a good idea after all) especially considering I had a gym session to attend – oh dear!
To add insult to injury, once I saw they had their signature Red Velvet Cake, “I’ll have a slice to go please” (this same slice has kept me going for 3days now - don't tell my personal trainer!)
Old school TGIs meets Cheesecake Factory? I am so late to this party! If only I had discovered this place earlier!

Verdict? CHEWS :)
Jam x
#WOMNYC

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