The Cheesecake Factory has always been an easy enough place to find something to eat, but only if you asked for various ingredients to be omitted from whatever you ordered. I had emailed them several years ago to ask about vegan menu items, but all they said was to talk to the server about any dietary restrictions and that several of their dishes could be modified.
So I was surprised when I leafed through the menu last week and actually found a dish called the Vegan Cobb Salad. It was enormous, as are most of the menu offerings at the Cheesecake Factory, and it consisted of roasted beets, quinoa, green beans, avocado, cucumber, garbanzo beans, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, and lettuce, served with the house vinaigrette. It was just as fresh and tasty as it looks in the picture below. If you're looking for it on the menu, it's listed in the Super Foods section.
My friend Cathryne ordered Evelyn's Favorite Pasta, which is vegan if you ask for the gluten-free pasta. The pasta is tossed with broccoli, oven-dried tomato, roasted eggplant, peppers, artichoke, Kalamata olives, garlic, and pine nuts. I've had this dish before, and it's delicious.
The Cheesecake Factory is a national chain. In the Sacramento area, they have restaurants at Market Square at Arden Fair and at the Roseville Galleria. For more information about locations, hours of operation, or menu items, visit their website at www.thecheesecakefactory.com or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thecheesecakefactory.
